Knee Surgeon in Provo | Michael J. Carlson, MD

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Knee Surgeon in Utah

Knee Problems

If you’ve been feeling persistent discomfort in your knees, let Dr. Carlson perform knee arthroscopy to confirm whether you have a condition. More commonly known as knee scope, the procedure is available to Provo residents at Dr. Carlson’s practice. This procedure of looking inside a patient’s knee is an effective, simple way of diagnosing and treating potential knee problems. The knee scope technique requires only a very small incision, through which Dr. Carlson inserts a tiny camera to view the patient’s knee joint.

Learn more about the knee scope procedure from the following links.

Normal Anatomy of the Knee Joint

How does the Knee joint work?

Find out more in this web based movie.

Arthroscopy of the Knee Joint


Arthroscopy is a surgical procedure in which an arthroscope is inserted into a joint. Arthroscopy is a term that comes from two Greek words, arthro-, meaning joint, and -skopein, meaning to examine.

The benefits of arthroscopy involve smaller incisions, faster healing, a more rapid recovery, and less scarring. Arthroscopic surgical procedures are often performed on an outpatient basis and the patient is able to return home on the same day.

Find out more about Knee Arthroscopy from the following links.

Total Knee Replacement (TKR)

A total knee replacement (TKR) or total knee arthroplasty is a surgery that resurfaces arthritic knee joint with an artificial metal or plastic replacement parts called the ‘prostheses’.

Find out more about Total Knee Replacement with the following links.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament ACL Reconstruction

The anterior cruciate ligament is one of the major stabilizing ligaments in the knee. It is a strong rope like structure located in the center of the knee running from the femur to the tibia. When this ligament tears unfortunately, it does not heal and often leads to the feeling of instability in the knee.

ACL reconstruction is a commonly performed surgical procedure and with recent advances in arthroscopic surgery can now be performed with minimal incision and low complication rates.

Meniscus Injuries

The knee is one of the most complex and largest joint in the body, and is more susceptible to injury. Meniscal tears are one among the common injuries to the knee joint. It can occur at any age, but are more common in athletes playing contact sports.

The meniscus is a small, “c” shaped piece of cartilage in the knee. Each knee consists of two menisci, medial meniscus on the inner aspect of the knee and the lateral meniscus on the outer aspect of the knee. The medial and lateral meniscus act as cushion between the thigh bone (femur) and shin bone (tibia). The meniscus has no direct blood supply and for that reason, when there is an injury to the meniscus, healing cannot take place. The meniscus acts like a “shock absorber” in the knee joint.

Find out more about Meniscus Injuries with the following links.

Cartilage Injuries

Articular cartilage is a complex avascular (no blood supply) tissue which consists of cells called chondrocytes suspended in a collagenous matrix. It appears as a smooth, shiny, white tissue at the ends of the bones which come in contact with each other to form a joint.

This cartilage is subjected to the normal wear and tear and may sometimes get damaged because of injury causing pain and impaired function.

Find out more about Cartilage Injuries with the following links.

ACL Reconstruction Patellar Tendon

Uni condylar Knee Replacement

This simply means that only a part of the knee joint is replaced through a smaller incision than would normally be used for a total knee replacement. The knee joint is made up of 3 compartments, the patellofemoral and medial and lateral compartments between the femur and tibia (i.e. the long bones of the leg). Often only one of these compartments wears out, usually the medial one. If you have symptoms and X-ray findings suggestive of this then you may be suitable for this procedure.

Find out more about Unicondylar Knee Replacement with the following links.

Patella Dislocation

Patella is the small piece of bone in front of the knee that slides up and down the femoral groove (groove in the femur bone) during bending and stretching movements. The ligaments on the inner and outer sides of patella hold it in the femoral groove and avoid dislocation of patella from the groove. Patellar (knee cap) instability results from one or more dislocations or partial dislocations (subluxations).Patellar dislocation is a condition that occurs when the kneecap or the patella completely shifts out of the groove towards the outside of the knee joint.

Normally, the kneecap fits in the groove, but uneven groove can cause the kneecap to slide off resulting in partial or complete dislocation of the kneecap.

Find out more about Patella Dislocation with the following links.

Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) Injuries

Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), one of four major ligaments of the knee is situated at the back of the knee. It connects the thighbone (femur) to the shinbone (tibia). The PCL limits the backward motion of the shinbone.

PCL injuries are very rare and are difficult to detect than other knee ligament injuries. Cartilage injuries, bone bruises, and ligament injuries often occur in combination with PCL injuries. Injuries to the PCL can be graded as I, II or III depending on the severity of injury. In grade I the ligament is mildly damaged and slightly stretched, but the knee joint is stable. In grade II there is partial tear of the ligament. In grade III there is complete tear of the ligament and the ligament is divided into two halves making the knee joint unstable.

Find out more about Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) Injuries with the following links.

Click on the topics below to find out more from the orthopedic connection website of American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.