Orthopedic surgery, artificial joints, and sports injuries consultant Dr. Ahmed Al-Fifi revealed that many patients with lower back pain do not have the back itself as the source of pain, but rather osteoarthritis of the knee or hip joint, stressing the importance of accurately diagnosing the source of pain before starting any treatment.

Joint osteoarthritis disrupts body balance and strains the back. Al-Fifi explained via his account on platform 'X' that knee or hip osteoarthritis leads to changes in gait, pelvic tilt, and body imbalance, increasing pressure on the lumbar vertebrae and straining the lower back muscles, which causes or worsens pain.

He pointed out that treating the affected joint and restoring normal gait positively impact lower back pain, noting that pain improves in 60 to 80% of hip replacement patients, and in 40 to 70% of knee replacement patients.

He advised patients suffering from lower back pain with severe knee or hip osteoarthritis to first repair the joint before undergoing any treatment targeting the back, emphasizing that this may be the most important step in addressing the real cause of pain.

Anterior cruciate ligament: Knee readiness more important than surgery speed. In a related context, Al-Fifi explained that anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery is not recommended immediately after injury if the knee suffers from severe swelling, because that increases the risk of joint stiffness (arthrofibrosis).

He indicated that the most prominent indicators of knee readiness for surgery include: full knee extension at zero degrees, ability to bend it to 120 degrees or more, with resolution of most swelling and pain.

He added that in the case of a meniscal tear requiring suturing, or multiple knee ligament injuries, early surgical intervention may be the most appropriate option.

Al-Fifi concluded by emphasizing that the success of ACL surgery depends on knee readiness more than the number of days elapsed since the injury, calling for accurate clinical assessment of the knee condition before scheduling surgery.