Open to the public seminars about treatment options for women with knee pain scheduled in April
She may be 79, but Catharine Basile of Evergreen Park is still up to par with her younger golfing friends. Despite an endless amount of energy, keeping up with her game hasn’t always been easy. In 2006, severe knee pain limited her golf outings and kept her activity level to a minimum.
Her knee pain began in the early 1980s when she discovered that she had osteoarthritis. She was lucky to find Drs. Paul and Robert Atkenson, MetroSouth Medical Center orthopedic surgeons and brothers who work as a team in diagnosing and treating patients. Catharine had injections for years and continued to remain active by playing golf and taking the bus to activities in downtown Chicago. But it wasn’t until 2006 on a Hawaiian vacation with her daughters that she knew it was time for more extensive treatment.
“My daughters wanted to go on long walks and I wanted to stay in my room because my knees hurt so much,” Catharine admits. “I couldn’t even walk a block.”
When the Atkenson brothers recommended knee replacement surgery, she agreed.
“Catharine’s condition was not uncommon,” says Dr. Paul Atkenson. “The majority of our patients who have knee surgery are women and it can really be an obstacle to staying active and performing everyday activities.”
After replacement surgery for both knees and a six-month recuperation, Catharine has a new lease on life. The pain is gone and she is taking the bus to Chicago again. As for golf, she is back on course.
Knee Pain Seminars
During the month of April, MetroSouth Medical Center is offering an informational series about treatment options for women with knee pain. The seminars will feature Dr. Bruce Dolitsky and two other board-certified orthopedic surgeons as part of the hospital’s “Knee Pain Loves Women” campaign. The focus will be options available to those with osteoarthritis, including knee replacement surgery.
Attendees of the “Knee Pain Loves Women” seminars will walk away with quad and hamstring strengthening exercise cards and a MetroSouth Medical Center resistance band for use at home or in the office. During each seminar, the hospital will raffle off 10 complimentary knee x-rays for those women who meet appropriate criteria.
The dates and locations are as follows:
Thursday, April 15, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m., Beverly Country Club, 8700 S. Western Ave., Chicago, IL – Drs. Paul and Robert Atkenson
Tuesday, April 27, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m., Lobby at MetroSouth Medical Center, 12935 S. Gregory St., Blue Island, IL – Dr. Carl DiLella, who is team physician for the Chicago Machine (Lacrosse)
Thursday, April 29, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m., Raday Lodge, Midlothian Park District, 3220 W. 145th St. (145th & Kedzie), Midlothian, IL – Dr. Bruce Dolitsky
To register for a free seminar, call MetroSouth Medical Center at 708-489-7927.
