Knee procedures with Dr. Andrew Dold

Dr. Andrew Dold is a board-certified, fellowship-trained sports medicine surgeon in Frisco, Texas. He treats knee problems from sports injuries in young athletes to arthritis in active adults, and he always starts with the least invasive option that fits your goals. Explore the procedures below to learn what each involves, who it helps and what recovery looks like.

Not sure what is causing your knee pain? See our knee conditions guide or request an appointment.

MRI of a patient’s knee showing a complete rupture of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL).

Choosing the right knee procedure

The right procedure depends on your injury, your age, your activity goals and the health of the rest of the knee. Dr. Dold explains every option, including non-surgical care, so you can decide together.

ACL reconstruction and returning to sport

After ACL reconstruction, when you return matters as much as the surgery. Athletes who met strength and function criteria before returning had a much lower re-injury rate,1 and young age and a return to high-risk cutting and pivoting sports are linked to a higher chance of a second ACL injury.2 Dr. Dold and the physical therapy team use testing, not just the calendar, to decide when an athlete is ready.

Meniscus surgery: repair when possible

For wear-related tears in middle-aged knees, physical therapy gave similar improvement to arthroscopic surgery at six months in a randomized trial, although about a third of the therapy group later chose surgery,3 and trimming a degenerative tear did no better than a placebo procedure.4 For tears that can heal, including many tears in younger patients and root tears, Dr. Dold repairs the meniscus to protect the knee. See meniscus repair.

Robotic knee replacement

For advanced arthritis, Dr. Dold performs robotic knee replacement (ROSA), total and partial, usually as same-day outpatient surgery. In a randomized trial, knee replacement plus a non-surgical program gave more pain relief and better function at one year than the program alone,5 and registry data suggest that most knee replacements last 15 to 25 years.6

Recovery

Each procedure page explains what recovery looks like. In general, physical therapy starts soon after surgery, and returning to sport after ACL reconstruction or meniscus repair takes months, not weeks.

Research cited

  1. Grindem H, Snyder-Mackler L, Moksnes H, et al. Simple decision rules can reduce reinjury risk by 84% after ACL reconstruction: the Delaware-Oslo ACL cohort study. Br J Sports Med. 2016;50(13):804-808. PubMed
  2. Kaeding CC, Pedroza AD, Reinke EK, et al. Risk factors and predictors of subsequent ACL injury in either knee after ACL reconstruction: prospective analysis of 2488 primary ACL reconstructions from the MOON cohort. Am J Sports Med. 2015;43(7):1583-1590. PubMed
  3. Katz JN, Brophy RH, Chaisson CE, et al. Surgery versus physical therapy for a meniscal tear and osteoarthritis. N Engl J Med. 2013;368(18):1675-1684. PubMed
  4. Sihvonen R, Paavola M, Malmivaara A, et al. Arthroscopic partial meniscectomy versus sham surgery for a degenerative meniscal tear. N Engl J Med. 2013;369(26):2515-2524. PubMed
  5. Skou ST, Roos EM, Laursen MB, et al. A randomized, controlled trial of total knee replacement. N Engl J Med. 2015;373(17):1597-1606. PubMed
  6. Evans JT, Walker RW, Evans JP, et al. How long does a knee replacement last? A systematic review and meta-analysis of case series and national registry reports with more than 15 years of follow-up. Lancet. 2019;393(10172):655-663. PubMed

This page is general information, not medical advice for your situation. Individual results vary.

Ready to be seen? Request an appointment online or call 469-850-0680. Our staff will contact you by phone and text within an hour of your request (during business hours, Monday–Friday, 8 am–5 pm). Walk-in visits are welcome Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 8:30–10:30 am at 6700 Dallas Parkway, Suite 100, Frisco, TX 75034. Same-day appointments available. Dr. Dold accepts most major insurance plans, including Medicare and Tricare. Please call 469-850-0680 to confirm your coverage.