knee is shot

Messages
7,690
Location
Outside the beltway
For a number of years I've known it was coming. Tomorrow I have an appointment with the doc to see when the surgery will be. Left knee full replacement. He asked me a month ago to think about a parcel replacement. Don't think I'll do that.

I hoping I can hold off until January, after hunting season. :)
 
Sorry to hear that, Dave. Medicine has come a long way, so listen to all the options. There's plenty of folks maintaining active lives with artificial knees.
 
Good luck Dave!

As for the kneeling, I think you'll find it varies depending on the individual. Folks that have led an active life and are in decent physical shape should be able to kneel with minimal discomfort. Some of those that can't kneel experience minor to major pain with many simply being too afraid to try. My money is you'll be bouncing up and down in no time!
 
Dave you not alone, i go for my appointment at end of month. Been putting it off in order to get myself to accept the fact it needs doing. Now i am gunho going for it and going to have both done one after the other.

The persuader was a 70 year old guy at Lions club that was walking better than me after having played 18 holes. My concern and the sugeons was my young age. But this old guy made such a valid point i could not argue with it.
He said whats the point of being handicapped by the problem at an age when u can still lead an active life. So what if in 20 years they worn out. In 20 years i will be 76 by then they either have improved the tech or i take it easier but at least i get to do things for the next 20 years.
Big time payback for my offroad bike mishaps during my youth.
Our wait times have been dramatically reduced. Come down from 6 months in my area to now running at 3 months. So i am going for it. Signed up at a gym too to help shed pounds and strengthen the leg and knee muscles.
Been a big wake up call for me.
Hope your process goes without grief and too much pain. Keep in mind on the recovery from past experience of regaining movement after surgery to legs no pain no gain so doing what the physio says is vital to how much benefit one gets. The human body is amazing in its ability to recover. Best of luck.

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk
 
No worries Dave. My buddy has had one knee done twice. Once long ago before the replacements allowed any swivel. The one he has now he claims to be barely aware of as a replacement. This could be relative since he had the fixed-pivot one for so long. He is due to have the other one done quite soon. He is in his mid-60's and has happily lived in a two story house for the last twenty-odd years.
 
My dad at 81 had both knees done, he back to bowling like nothing ever happened.
I'm checking on the date of the operation now and seeing if another shot can be done to hold back the pain another month so I can hunt a bit. I was also told about stocking up on ameno ? Acid to help with the healing ? Any ideas on that ?
 
Get out from in front of the target so they quit shooting your knees!:roll eyes:
Find a great doctor. Not a nice one, a great one. One that does this repeatedly and has excellent statistics and ask to see the numbers. Otherwise, it is like someone hiring me to do the work you do just because I own a few woodworking tools.
Follow doctors orders to the tee and do the physical therapy. Good luck my friend.
 
Hi Dave,

I have had both knees done. Jonathan's comment is MOST important. Ask your doctor the total number of knees he has done. How many in the last year and how many a month? This is very important. If you look at an orthopaedic surgeons tools they would look right at home in your wood shop. Saws, hammers, chisels etc. and just like your woodworking practice makes perfect. The numbers should be in the hundreds, at least for total.

Also, ask him if he uses computer aided design (there is a special term which I do not remember right now). ( just remembered NAVIGATION) This should be a yes. This aids the doctor in properly positioning the implant. Bone requires load bearing. Without load bearing the bone cells will migrate. The proper positioning of the new implant will help insure the load bearing requirement and it will also make sure that your walking does not loosen the knee.

I saw an advertisement for a knee replacement that was guaranteed for life. Not quite sure what that means, but I think it meant 30 years. Ask the doctor which knee he is planning to use. Request by company name model etc. then look it up on the Internet. Check the "package insert" which will completely describe the product. The company website is also usually helpful.

The other single most important reason for a knee replacement failure (assuming the doctor is skilled) is the failure to properly follow the prescribed rehabilitation program. DO THE EXERCISE PROGRAM RELIGIOUSLY. You must get flexibility of around 120 degrees. Need to rebuild the muscles. If you are overweight (like I am) this is even more important.

Hope this helps.
 
Last edited:
Saw the Doc , got another shot and the knee felt like new again. He ordered an MRI to see if the problem can be solved with a scoping , If their is no tare then their is a problem and replacement would be necessary. So Doc knows best.
 
Top