Many health insurance plans require that you obtain a referral from your primary care provider before seeing a specialist like an orthopaedic surgeon. 

Call our office at (904) 204-5000 so we can schedule a time and date that’s convenient for you. You’ll need to complete a medical ad health history and other forms before your appointment. You can either download the forms and fill them out before your visit, or arrive 30 minutes before your scheduled appointment to complete the paperwork in our office.

The bones of the knee are capped with cartilage, a slippery, flexible connective tissue that acts as a shock absorber and helps the joint move smoothly. Arthritis is the roughening and destruction of this cartilage. When cartilage becomes damaged or worn, it loses its smooth, friction-reducing surface. The result is an inflamed knee joint that swells and hurts. When bone touches bone in the knee joint after loss of cartilage, the result is pain, grinding, swelling and stiffness. Arthritis and injury are usually responsible for degenerative changes in the knee.

Surgery should always be the last option, and is recommended only after all non-invasive treatment options have been exhausted, and the patient is physically and emotionally ready for the surgery.

Most recovery is in the first four to six weeks; by then, bone grows into the metal components and most patients become mobile enough to walk with a cane. Most patients feel pretty good by about six to eight weeks after surgery, and within three months of surgery, most patients can engage in daily activities with little to no pain. Long-term recovery, which involves the complete healing of surgical wounds and internal soft tissue, takes about six months for most patients.

Most patients are happy, mobile and about 70 to 80 percent recovered by one month. About 80 to 90 percent of the recovery is complete by six to eight weeks, although some aches and stiffness can persist for many months. The last 5 to 10 percent of soreness, achiness and stiffness can take a year to subside completely. But keep in mind that patient variability is great; each person has a unique recovery.

If you had surgery on your right hip or right knee, you should not drive for at least a month after joint replacement surgery. If you had  surgery on your left hip or left knee—and your car has an automatic transmission—it is safe to resume driving when you are no longer taking narcotic pain medication, and when your strength and reflexes have returned to a more normal state.

Board-certified, fellowship-trained surgeons like Dr. Grimsley have completed a minimum of 14 years of formal education in the diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and prevention of injuries and diseases of the musculoskeletal system (bones and joints, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and cartilage). This includes four years of undergraduate study, four years of medical school, five years of orthopaedic residency at a major medical institution, and one year of specialized training in a specific field of orthopaedics in an accredited fellowship program.