Anybody had knee replacement?
 

My left one is causing me great grief.

I had a "clean up" about three months or so ago and it felt really good for about a month. Since then it has gotten worse and worse and now it hurts when I'm trying to go to sleep and when I get up and when I sit or stand or walk. It really sucks and the only relief is ibuprophen and that is not very effective.

When I went back to the surgeon a couple of weeks ago he acted as if I should have known it would be like this (WHAT?).

He says at 59 I'm too young for a replacement as they only last about fifteen years and the second time usually does not work as well as the first.

Unlike the hip, no ceramic is available, only plastic and stainless steel.

I just googled it and found a lot of slick advertising.

Tom W

my grandmother had her left knee done 5 years ago, and her right one like 2 years ago....


She walks faster than ever now, and she says no more pain from her knees.

My granny and gramps have titanium knees. Improved their lives quite a bit.

Ask him about carticel. If he doesn't know find another surgeon.

Yes.
My right one was done at age 16{Necrotic bone and tissue from a gun injury}Maybe I'll scare Mistress with a pic:D
And my left has bad degenerative osteo-arthritis,no damn cartilage.The result of too much living and not enough relaxing.Another 3 years they say.

My wife has had both done. She is still shy of 60 years old.
One was the complete joint, and the other was the half a joint. In her experience, the total knee was a better job.

My mother (75) is going to get both knees done this winter.

I need them done as well, but I am holding off until they really don't work anymore.

TOM,

Like anything else that I spend over $20. for, get a couple of opinions. My sister has had both knees replaced at 55 years old. She has had problems with them since she was 14 years old.

The first one went bad and had to be redone. The second went OK. She says she hurts but not to the extent before when things were worn out and she had to have them done. Check with your friends and their friends, who have had it done for the right Doc, and the rehab course (s)he will want you to follow.

Some have them done both at the same time and get it over with. I don't know if that is your case, I think you said that it was one, that was giving you problems. Too much double - clutching? :D

I have a friend of mine here at Masonic, who had both done at the same time. The only surprise he had after a year of healing was that they still hurt, and he has to take tylenol daily for controling the pain. The Dr. told him that if they still hurt after a year, then that's the way it is. You either will or you won't hurt, and will have to take meds, if you do. He said, they didn't tell me that before the surgery.

An important thing after the surgery is that you excercise your knee for it's range of motion or angle you can bend it. If you don't it will set up and you will be stiff legged and limp when you walk. Good Luck with it!

YIA...Paul

Well I do prefer sticks!

Thanks for the pointers.

Thanks to every one who has responded.

Tom W

An important thing after the surgery is that you excercise your knee for it's range of motion or angle you can bend it. If you don't it will set up and you will be stiff legged and limp when you walk. Good Luck with it!

Absolute Truth! ( Can't say that around here too often.)

Yeah, I know about that.

I did the exercises and have full range in my right hip replacment. Its working great (except for the little detail about making that leg 1/2" longer).

I think with a knee its more stringent, though.

Tom W

Howie,

I just googled Carticel and read their information about it and found it is not indicated for Osteoartheritis which my doc says I have along with the torn menescus.

My daughter, the pediatrician, says that her maternal granny who is in late eighties had some kind of viscous injections which helped for some years but eventually had totals.

Tom W

Not me, but my boss had his left one replaced in late Feb. (at 62 due to degeneration) after putting it off and popping Vicodin for well over a decade. Let's just say he doesn't exactly have the highest pain tolerance either.

After 2 weeks he was saying he wished he had done it sooner, within a month he was at about 85% when he had to have a hernia operation which set him back a bit with his rehab. By June he was ready for his Alaska fishing trip and he just got back from fishing in British Columbia so I'd say he's back to and passed his previous fighting strength.

It went so well that he's scheduling his right knee for this coming spring (of course our busy season again :mad:).

One of my father's buddies didn't do the therapy sessions the first time around because they wouldn't let him smoke :confused:. It got to the point where he was in more pain afterwards than he was pre-op. The therapy needed to get him headed back in the right direction was less than pleasant from what he's told me.

Zerk fitting. :D

Don't I wish!

Tom W

I'm only 41 but I see both knees and probably right hip in my future, due to a nasty car accident almost 20 years ago...I have watched older relatives' experiences with joint replacement with interest, on the assumption that it's in my future...most say the knee is a nasty surgery and a lot worse than hips, which seems counter-intuitive to me, but they all agree that it was worthwhile and they would do it again.

The worst story I ever heard was a former barber of mine, had his hip replaced, and it just never healed quite right, they went back in a year later to take another shot at it, found out that he had some sort of bone cancer, and just closed him and sent him home. He lasted less than 6 months. The cancer had nothing to do with the first surgery, just bad timing.

That is a dilemma. Look at it this way. The next 15 years are going to be the best 15 years of the rest of your life. If you limped around until you're 65 for example, so as to meet your doctor's timeline, what other damage are you going to do to your body from walking crooked, etc.

I've always found that if I have to limp for some period, I develop some other pain just based on abnormal use of other muscles.

I mean what do I know, but if it doesn't clear up soon, and nothing natural looks like it will do the trick, based on multiple opinions, I would think getting the knees now and hoping for breakthroughs in the next 15 years might work.

Very likely that better solutions will be up and running 15 years from now.

Yeah, Thats what I am thinking. Technology will improve.

But there are some viscous injections which may help which I will look into first.

Tom W

I too have a right knee that is totally worn out at age 47. My orthopod has been keeping me walking (sort of) for the last 4 or 5 years. I am now in the same situation that you are when I sit it seems as though my knee grows to gether and I need 4 or 5 steps before I can walk straight, it hurts when I sit stand too. I just started looking into a product by Stryker called a Partial Knee Resurfacing. I am waiting on a new orthopods opinion since my regular one is out battling cancer and we are not sure if he will be back. Take a look at www.aboutstryker.com, it allows for minimaly invasive procedures and tools to be used.

Thanks, I'll check it out.

Tom W

Yesterday I got a shot of something called Synvisc......which is basically a fancy name for grease!

I get two more a week apart and its supposed to last for six months or so.

We'll see how that works.

Tom W

Keep us posted Iwould be very interested to hear if it works. I have an appointment schedlued Monday for an evaluation

Ive sen it go both ways, for instance I know some people who have had one or both done and say great things, and others who have had them done their body has rejected it. My sig-other's mother is going through a rejection right now and i have an aunt who has had 5 or so surgeries in the pasty 15 years related to a knee replacement.

T-walgamuth any reports on the Synvisc? My doc is getting be precertified with the insurance comapny to have that done in a soupleof weeks

I got my second shot wednesday and they are working great so far.

I asked about getting a grease zerk fitted but the doc said no!

Tom

I am going to try to get another regimine of shots now. They seem to have worn off. It worked really well for a couple of months. I set it off though a month ago when I carried a sixty five pound two forty d head up a flight of stairs and across my driveway to pack for shipping. I gotta remember not to carry anything heavy.

Friday at 1015 AM I went in and had a partial done here in
Colombus ohio at a local ortho clinic where my daughter knows the surgeon. it appears that it is all going about as well as possible so far. I am perambulating around slowly with the help of a cane. I am going up and down the stairs too.

I tried to make it without any narcotics at all but now am surviving on half doses of percocet. The knee is swollen and likes to stiffen up when I sit but appears to be doing as well as can be expected.


The partial replacements apparently allow a much faster recovery so they say. I plan to be back in the office working on Monday, the 7th if all goes well.

My father had one done maybe 20 or more years ago. It was a complete knee replacement and with the excepyion of a some what long healing time( it was so long ago I don't remember how long) he daid it turned out so good he wished he had done it much sooner. Good luck.

Hey Tom I had fogotten how long this thread has been around; I had asked about having a partial done but my doc told me that both compartments were bad. For what its worth I had a total replacement of my right knee Feb 22nd of last year. Best thing I ever did. I was out of work for two months and finished with PT after three months. One bit of advice do everything they tell you when it comes to PT and at home excercises it is critical to regaining your raange of motion!! One funny thing about my artificial joint is that it is noisy as hell...but it does not hurt. keep us posted on your progress and good luck.

Good luck with that Tom. My knee pain of a few months ago somehow cleared up. I can relate to your first post. If I tried to sleep in my favorite 'on the side' poses it would hurt like hell. Fortunately sleeping on the back would avoid the pain and I was getting used to it. Six weeks and the pain subsided, saints be praised.

Today is, fourth day since having the partial replacement. The wound looks magnificent and angry but the swelling is minimal. My surgeon glued the surface back together. (it's a little uneven though and if it were body work I would sand and add some more bondo!);)

I have found myself moving around the kitchen and bathroom without the cane for the first time without significant discomfort. I am doing the stairs now about a half dozen times each day. I walked about a block outside today and since it is a lovely sunny day I think i will go do it again!

I see the doc on Thursday and expect to go home that evening.

By Monday I plan to be back in the office.

I am taking half the allowed dose of Percocet so far and feel no effect of it in mental clarity. (those around me may politely disagree:P).

I highly recommend this partial knee replacement to a full replacement if the condition of your knee will allow it.

Cheers!

My dad had one done is in late fifties, and he curses the day he had it done. He's 79 now and can barely walk.

I'm not sure what trouble he is having but with this partial a full knee replacement can be done when this one is worn out.;)

I am just fine unless I try to walk with over about thirty plus pounds in my arms. Then I get a real reminder to not carry and walk with weight you stupid so and so. Can you never learn not to forget? God gave you a brain use it once in awhile. Plus a few other choice thoughts.

I do warn younger guys to try avoiding injuring their knees. There can be a price as the years go by. Other than the weight senario the knee stays fine. Or at least up to this point.

Tom, hope you continue to progress and heal well. At least if there was any apprehension at having a proccedure done it is past.

Thank goodness my hip joints are fine. They are doing more and more of older guys like myself just using local anesthetics. Sure they give you some tranquilizers as well. Still the noises of the hip proccedure are pretty loud and repulsive .

I found myself looking forward to the trip to OHio for the operation as if it were a vacation!;)

How's this effecting your auto-crossing abilities? The doc hasn't approached you on that yet, has he? I know it's too early at this time, but he hasn't set limits that would interfere with your summer schedule yet, right?

Our first Indy region event is this month. I plan to be driving in it. I expect to be driving next week. The doc said I could drive as soon as I am off the narcotic pain relievers.

Its great to here you are on the mend Tom!!!!
You will be soon kicking goals again.
We can hold off on the gopher for a few more years !!!! :D
I hope my previous post on it gave you that little bit of extra determination to fully recover !!!!
You will be chasing the grand children again before you know it !!!!
Good Luck & Best Wishes !!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks, Layback!!!!!!!!!!!!!;)

Sounds like you need a new doctor Tom. Dont they have some narcotic that makes you drive faster ? :eek:

Up here, if you're "ripped" on 'em, they cause you to do outlandish things like "donuts" in the cul-de-sacs, test the limits of gravity by driving on the banks of ditches and feeling like the car is about to roll over...all sorts of stuff to test your limits of vertigo... :rolleyes: :eek: :D

Two percosets...1/2 hour on the road...came home and parked. What a DA. :rolleyes:

Sounds like autocross to me !! :D
Cant understand why Tom isnt back to it now.


When I went home after shoulder surgery last year, they sent me home with a couple of dozen endone tabs. I dont take things like that. A friend at Rotary who is a pharmacist tells me the druggies are paying $30 a pill for them.
May need to remember that if ever I am short of cash !! :eek:

Right......what's a DA?

Autocrossing takes fine honed skill to be competitive. Taking any drugs or alcohol will take the edge off it for you.

Besides taking anything which would dull the sensation would defeat the whole purpose of autocrossing to begin with!

I need very ounce of my wits about me to whup up on those younger fellows!:P

Didnt the airforce do some tests a few years ago with some performance enhancing stuff for jet pilots? :eek:

Maybe this stirring has gone far enough?:D

Some of the younger guys like to chug a red bull prior to running. Personally I just make sure to have a couple of cups of black coffee and a good night's sleep.

I figure too much stimulation might result in a massive coronary!;)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=4n_7OR-XsGQ

Check out one of my better runs last year.;)

If we believe the latest stories from the idiot in Libya, you had better be careful of coffee !! You never know whats in it!!! ;)
The internet must be a bit slow here at the moment Tom, that lap didnt look that fast !! :P:P:P

I'll be glad when I can sleep normally again. The knee does not bother that much in the daytime but try to go to sleep and look out.