OPTM Healthcare is a biomarker-driven, non-surgical pain clinic in South Extension, New Delhi. We do not perform surgery, and this page is not a surgical service. It is written for people who have been told they might need a knee replacement and want a clear, assessment-led view of their knee before deciding. Where surgery is the appropriate decision, we will say so and encourage you to speak to an orthopaedic surgeon.
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Get StartedWhat Is Knee Replacement Surgery?
Knee replacement is an operation in which damaged parts of the knee joint are replaced with artificial components. It may involve the whole joint (total knee replacement) or only one part of it (partial knee replacement). The aim is to reduce pain and improve movement when the joint has been significantly damaged.
It is a major procedure carried out by orthopaedic surgeons in hospitals. It involves anaesthesia, a hospital stay and a structured period of rehabilitation afterwards. Outcomes depend on the person, the surgeon and the care that follows. That is why it is sensible to understand your knee thoroughly before deciding.
When Is Knee Replacement Usually Considered?
Knee replacement is usually discussed when pain and loss of function are severe and have not improved enough with other care. It is most often linked with advanced osteoarthritis, where the cartilage cushioning the joint has worn down. It may also be discussed after serious injury or with some other forms of arthritis.
Doctors typically look at several things together: how much pain you have, how far it limits walking, stairs, sleep and daily life, what your scans show, and how you have responded to earlier treatment. A scan showing wear does not by itself decide the matter. Many people with changes on an X-ray have manageable symptoms, and some with severe symptoms have muscle, inflammatory or movement problems that deserve attention first.
Why Many People Look for Options Before Surgery
There are understandable reasons to look carefully before choosing a major operation:
- You may be unsure whether your symptoms come from the joint itself or from weak muscles and poor movement around it.
- You may want to know what is driving the problem biologically, not only what an image shows.
- Your age, general health or other conditions may make you want to explore every reasonable option first.
- You may want a second perspective before making a decision that is hard to undo.
Asking these questions is not avoiding treatment. It is part of making an informed choice.
What OPTM Healthcare Does, and What It Does Not
OPTM Healthcare provides assessment-led, non-surgical care for musculoskeletal pain. We assess the biology and movement around your knee and build a personalised plan where non-surgical care is clinically appropriate.
We do not perform knee replacement or any other surgery. We do not promise that surgery can be avoided. If your assessment and history suggest you need an orthopaedic surgeon's opinion, we will tell you so. Our role is to give you a clearer picture of your knee and, where suitable, a structured non-surgical pathway.
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Get StartedHow OPTM Assesses Your Knee
Our approach begins with a conversation about your symptoms, history and goals. We then look beyond where the knee hurts. Our OrthoAGE™ assessment is designed to understand the biological environment surrounding the joint, including cartilage turnover, muscle health, inflammatory activity and movement stability.
OPTM's platform evaluates more than 40 biomarkers across five biological systems. Depending on your health profile, the markers reviewed may include hs-CRP and IL-6 for inflammation, CTX-II, COMP and MMP-9 related to cartilage and joint tissue turnover, and markers connected to muscle and bone health. A functional movement assessment adds information about how your knee behaves when you walk, rise and load the joint.
This kind of assessment does not replace an X-ray or MRI. Those show structure. Biomarkers and movement testing add information about what is happening biologically and functionally. Together, they give a fuller view of your knee.
The OPTM Pathway: From Assessment to Reassessment
OPTM's knee protocol follows four stages over roughly 90 days.
Assess and Decode (Day 1 to 3)
Muscle biomarkers, bone and cartilage biomarkers and a functional movement assessment are used to understand what is contributing to your knee pain.
Begin Treatment (Day 7)
A personalised protocol is started, built around your findings. Depending on suitability, it may include precision phytotherapy, Movement RX and photobiomodulation.
Measure and Adjust (Day 30 and 60)
Biomarkers, pain and functional progress are monitored, and the protocol is refined as your biology and movement change.
Reassess and Sustain (Day 90)
Muscle, bone and cartilage findings and clinical outcomes are reviewed, and a long-term plan is set to support function and reduce the chance of the problem returning.
Individual programmes can differ, and these timings are a guide rather than a guarantee.
Treatment Components
Precision phytotherapy. Targeted plant-based therapy used as part of OPTM's approach to biological factors linked with joint and muscle health. Suitability is decided individually.
Movement RX. A personalised, doctor-led movement approach designed to build strength, stability and mobility. Weak muscles around the knee can increase the load on the joint, so this part matters.
Photobiomodulation. Light-based therapy included in OPTM's knee protocol and positioned as part of its recovery-focused approach.
None of these is presented as a substitute for surgery in every case. They are the tools of a non-surgical pathway for people whose assessment suggests such care is suitable.
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Get StartedIf You Decide Surgery Is Right for You
Sometimes the right answer is surgery. If your knee is severely damaged, if you cannot bear weight, or if conservative care has not helped, an orthopaedic surgeon is the right person to advise you.
If you are heading toward surgery, it is reasonable to ask your surgeon about the state of your muscles, your inflammation and your general health beforehand, because these can influence how you recover. You can bring any OPTM assessment findings to that conversation. Always follow your surgeon's advice about medication and preparation.
When to See an Orthopaedic Surgeon or Seek Urgent Care
Please seek prompt medical evaluation if you have:
- Knee pain after significant trauma
- Marked swelling, redness, warmth or fever with a painful knee
- A visible deformity, or inability to bear weight
- Sudden locking of the knee, or a knee that repeatedly gives way
- Calf pain and swelling, which can signal a blood clot
Do not delay urgent assessment in order to try any other treatment.
Knee Replacement Versus Non-Surgical Care
The two paths answer different situations:
- Knee replacement replaces damaged joint surfaces. It is suited to advanced joint damage with severe, persistent symptoms, and it carries the risks of any major operation.
- Non-surgical care focuses on the factors around the knee, such as muscle health, inflammation, movement and the biology of cartilage turnover. It may suit people whose symptoms have drivers beyond the joint surface, or who want to explore options first.
Neither path suits everyone. A careful assessment helps you see which one fits your knee.
Questions to Ask Before Deciding
Whatever path you lean toward, these questions can help you make a confident decision:
- What exactly is causing my pain: the joint surface, the muscles around it, inflammation, or a mix?
- How severe is the damage on my scans, and does it match how I feel and function?
- What non-surgical options are reasonable for my case, and for how long should I try them?
- What would tell us that non-surgical care is working, or that it is time to consider surgery?
- How do my muscle strength, weight, diabetes or other health conditions affect my options and recovery?
- What are the risks, recovery time and rehabilitation involved if I do have surgery?
Writing these down before an appointment helps you get more from it, and it is perfectly reasonable to seek a second opinion.
Understanding Your Scan and Your Symptoms
An X-ray or MRI report often uses words such as "degeneration", "cartilage thinning" or "bone spurs". These findings are common, especially after middle age, and they do not always match how much pain a person feels. Some people with significant changes on imaging walk comfortably, while others with milder changes have a lot of pain.
This is why imaging alone is rarely the full story. Muscle strength, inflammation, body weight, activity levels and how you move all influence how the knee behaves day to day. A complete assessment looks at all of these together, so that your plan is based on you and not only on a report.
Cost
OPTM does not publish a fixed price for knee care because the plan is personalised. The cost depends on your consultation and assessment, the biomarker testing needed, the components in your protocol, the length of the programme and the follow-up required. A consultation is the best way to understand the likely pathway and cost for your case.
The Science Behind OPTM: Dr. Apurba Ganguly
OPTM's clinical foundation comes from its Founder and Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Apurba Ganguly. Dr. Ganguly holds a PhD in Biochemistry and is a post-doctorate fellow. He has more than 34 years of research in the biology of chronic musculoskeletal pain, with 120+ clinical studies, 7 patents filed and work published on NIH/PubMed. His research is the foundation of every OPTM protocol.
Visit OPTM Healthcare in South Extension, Delhi
You can speak with the OPTM team to discuss your knee and the advice you have received.
- Address: F-38, opposite McDonald's, inside the market, South Extension I, Block F, New Delhi 110049
- Hours: Monday to Saturday, 9am to 7pm
- Phone: +91 74284 44618 or +91 95559 55595
- Email: support@optmhealthcare.in
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FAQs
No. OPTM Healthcare is a non-surgical clinic. We assess your knee and offer an assessment-led, non-surgical pathway where it is clinically suitable. If you need surgery, we will advise you to consult an orthopaedic surgeon.
It depends on the cause and severity of your knee problem. Some people may manage well with non-surgical care, while others do need surgery. OPTM cannot promise that surgery will be avoided, but an assessment can help you understand your options.
Knee replacement is usually considered when advanced joint damage, most often from osteoarthritis, causes severe pain and loss of function that has not improved enough with other treatment. Your orthopaedic surgeon makes this decision after examining you and reviewing your scans.
Yes. Many people come for an assessment to better understand their knee before deciding. You should continue to follow your doctor's advice and share any findings with them.
X-rays and MRIs show the structure of your knee. OPTM's OrthoAGE™ assessment adds blood biomarker and movement information about inflammation, cartilage turnover, muscle health and stability. It complements imaging and does not replace it.
Depending on your health profile, they may include hs-CRP, IL-6, CTX-II, COMP, MMP-9 and markers related to muscle and bone health. Your clinician decides which are relevant to you.
The protocol runs across about 90 days, with assessment in the first few days, treatment starting around Day 7, monitoring around Days 30 and 60 and reassessment around Day 90. Individual programmes may differ.
There is no single fixed price, because the plan is personalised. A consultation helps you understand the pathway and the likely cost for your situation.
Seek prompt care if you have knee pain after significant trauma, marked swelling with redness, warmth or fever, visible deformity, inability to bear weight, or calf pain and swelling.