By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
Unfortunately, growing old can bring with it those dreaded knee problems, making it difficult for older folk to run and get up and down stairs.
In Korea, however, people tend to put off doing anything about their problematic knees until they can hardly move and then find themselves having to crawl to the doctors' desk asking for help, Prof. Bae Dae-kyung of Kyung Hee University Medical Center told the Korea Times.
Causes of weak knees are various ― menopause and other hormonal changes, including osteoporosis, weakening muscles and bones; a squatting posture; crossing the legs; and crooked bone structure among others. All these put pressure on the knee joints, causing big problems in walking, stretching or even standing up.
Asians, many of whom are more accustomed to sitting on the floor rather than a chair, are more likely to have such weaker knees, and women are more susceptible because they spend so much time cleaning or cooking.
When diagnosed with the very first stage of knee joint disorder, one can get over it through simple exercise, physical therapy or medication. Later, however an operation may be required. Arthroscopic surgery to mend the joints, corrective osteotomy, tibial osteotomy or artificial joint transplantation are some of the options available.
``Using patches to soothe arthritis or eating lots of meat broth to build up protein may provide a placebo effect, but you should be assessed by a doctor at an early stage,'' Bae stressed.
Bae is a world-pioneer in using computer navigation surgery on the operating table. ``With the device, one can get a three dimensional picture of the precise condition of the patient, giving an `objective point of view,' '' Bae said. ``The good thing about using the machine is that you can always track down where you are, get feedback and make a correction immediately if you see something going wrong,'' he says.
These days, administering the smallest cuts to the body to lessen pain, scar and the risk of infection are considered most important. ``I have got the cut down to less than five inches. That is big progress from the conventional 10-12 inches,'' he says. It is especially suitable for people with a relatively slender figure, he says.
Bae says Korea's knee joint and arthroplasty technique is one of the best in the world. ``Patients usually come at the last minute, so we have to meet the challenges presented to us. This has brought us up to where we are,'' he says.
Despite numerous overseas and domestic invitations, Bae still manages to perform around 500 operations a year.
Bae stands out among doctors being recommended by both his patients and students. He has mastered all surgical techniques in his field and can conduct all of them in real time. ``Doctors should be able to adapt the most effective method to individual patients. If one doesn't know all the skills, then he or she tries to perform with expertise only, which doesn't always work,'' he says.
He also understands the need to cooperate with the internal medicine field.
``Usually people come for knee problems but in most cases, it's not only about the knee. Does one have digestion problems, or a cold? It looks like just a case of surgery but it is deeply related to internal medicine,'' he says.
He keeps personal memos of each operation he has conducted and recaps the results and procedures whenever possible. It helps when observing the patients after the operation, he says.
Bae graduated from Seoul National University Medical School and was a visiting professor to Brigham and Women's Hospital, a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School.
He has won numerous awards, including the Best Poster Award by the President of the Korean Knee Society and the Scientific Award by the President of the Korean Orthopaedic Association. He is a council member of the Asian Pacific Orthopaedic Association, a board member of the Asian Pacific Knee Society and several other organizations.