ok ... am retired ... worked my last 2 days this week . was 66 last dec. and had 35 years in . might have worked an other few months but didnt want any more night work.
left knee had some soreness & was slightly puffy . it wasnt hampering any of my activities ... bike riding , exercising , yard work & so on.
l paid a visit to local knee guy . pics showed i had bone damage and would eventually need a new knee . no rush at this point , got the usual cortosone shot & was sent on my way . follow up check in 3 weeks .
realizing this will probably worsen , i will have to do it a few months down the road . or possibly sooner .
questions any other alternatives ? any bone building supplement that will help improve my situation ?

AND for those who have had this done , what " type " of knee did you get put in AND what does it fell like ? doc told me it would be a steel knee & it was the best knee available... made right here in indiana !
wow ! just what i didnt want to do in to the first phases of retirement.... build a medicare bill that leaves me owing substantial $ !!
and i hate the thought of this artificial part in my body ...have always heard the are not at all like a real knee !
your experiences and helpful comments welcome

I have not done the knee, but I did go through the process with my mom. It was long enough ago that the hardware choices are better now. What we did learn was that you have to go into it with the strong motivation to do the rehab 110%. Letting anything in the process slide has very long-term negative impact.

Long term she has done well, less mobility than expected because of a less than perfect rehab, but she is much happier with it than before.

If you're a candidate for knee replacement, no interim measures will quite do. The joint is made of titanium and I believe they are sized based upon your existing knee.

Unfortunately, I came off the operating table with an infection and I had to have a knee revision four years later. That's a complete do-over.

Make sure your surgeon takes extraordinary measures to prevent infection. Also, you must embrace physical therapy for the fullest recovery possible.

I didnt have a knee replacement but some other lesser type surgery done. The point is I was told that it wouldnt get any better without the operation. I was in pain and couldnt walk without a walker or crutches. It was a no brainer whether to get the operation or not. It was a easy operation, out in hours. However I will say my other knee gave me trouble for some time while the other healed as I was straining it to favor the recovering one. I am pretty fair now but it was a couple year thing. I was 3 spins on the scale so suppose that is a huge factor.

I'm 67. Had new knee 15 months ago. May not be perfect, but close. It's better than the other one. It's about 2 months of tenderness and work, but well worth it. If you limp around much you will screw up the other one, plus other parts, hips etc. If you need one, go for it.

Had the cortisone shots, two operations for torn meniscus and on the last one he drilled 5 holes in the knee for tissue to grow, have done the over the counter joint supplements as per his recommendations as he said it helps some, therapy and everything else he could come up with. Nothing has worked for me. I have arthritis in the knee now caused by the injury. Depending on the other one has caused problems with the good one also. Have to have a cane with me all the time for when it gives out. Last visit to the doctor he told me he has done all he can do so next is a knee replacement. OBTW it's a workers comp federal and last operation they didn't pay for. We'll have to see if they pay for the knee replacement. Doctor told me with the WC federal I would have to deal with the pain until it got unbearable. That happened years ago and they still haven't approved it. Mine sounds worst then yours as it's swollen almost all the time, painful 24-7 and pain meds don't help, and I can't walk on it for any length of time. Maybe the joint sup's may work for you.

Good luck and if it's you last option go for it. Everyone I talk to say's it's worth it.

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Psalm 23:4

Joint supplements were a waste of money. As your knee gets worse, you start to lose muscle tone and mass until you have a weak leg and a bad knee.

The drugs have side effects on liver and kidney function that will "force" the replacement issue.

I got tired of the pain -- dropping barametric pressure before storm fronts was brutal. I completed pre-surgery therapy to strengthen leg muscles, post surgery therapy was no fun, not too painful, and ice is your friend.

I have Medicare and a 100% no deductible Supplement Insurance. Since turning 65 I have the following medical events: emergency room visit (7 hours) for severe vertigo, belly botton hernia repair surgery (out patient), left knee replacement (4 days in hospital), multiple therapy treatments / visits. I paid my insurance premiums ($140/month) and $ZERO in medical bills. I'm guessing my "list price" medical costs were over $75K.

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S&WHF 366

12 years and still going strong on my left knee!

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Mafuta54

I've been fighting off a (left) knee replacement for about 20 years now. The cortisone injections are only effective for a short while, then they will lose their efficacy. The advantage of the steroids are that they are cheap, so the insurance companies love them. I would suggest you do two things: 1) if you are currently seeing one, you need to see an orthopedic surgeon who is also specializes in Sports Medicine. 2) Look into the synthetic cartilage (Hyalgin, and Synvisc are two brand names) injections. They are very expensive, but I get one every 2 to 3 years followed up by some Physical Therapy sessions, and I'm good to go. Until my back and hip became problematic a couple of years ago, I was walking 2-3 miles at least 5 times a week.

I just finished the last series of injections for my (left) hip, and I hope to begin walking again soon.

Best of luck,

Dave

Appreciate the discussion as I'm also a candidate staggering around on 2 knees battered by a couple hundred parachute drops.

Sent from my LG-D800 using Tapatalk

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-jwk-
US Army '72-'95

there are a lot of good people on this forum . and your responses proves that out
to address some of your comments...
i have had rotater cuff surgery on both shoulders so i know that re-habs are vitally important . i did them religiously and was 2-2/12 months ahead on both my shoulders.
the knee material ... i asked my local orthopedic surgeon if the material was titanium , and he replied NO , it is steel . so are they actually the same ? or should i question that again ? want to get the best stuff if possible .
i never had heard of the stuff one of you mentioned the " new wave " steroids so to speak . should i ask for these directly ?

and NO , i dont believe my local guy is sports med .... i had sports med doc in indy do my shoulders and he WAS very good !
would it be worth it to go to a knee sport med doc ?

again thanks ... i am just gaining as much info as i can . i have kept my body up pretty good & weigh only 150 lbs. this could help in the final result

I had my right knee done Jan. 21 this year. I had no ACL left & almost no cartilage left. I was out of the hospital on the 2nd. day. Started the stretches almost right away. It is a life changer for me. My left knee stopped hurting cause I wasn't compensating for the right anymore. I no pain at all at this point 6 months later. My therapy went so well I was discharged a week early. I think it made a difference that I went into the operation with pretty good muscle tone. I did not have the atrophy issues that quite a few older folks had. It also helps to have the pain tolerance of a brick . I am 61 years old and this has made me feel 10 years younger.(in that part of my body)

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JOSHUA 1:9

Have two new knee's, Take a hundred people with new knee's and you will get 110 responses on how well they turned out! Mine are so,so and some day's I wish I never had them replaced, your life will be changed!

Agree totally on the life change part. I've had 4 total knee replacements since Dec 2011. first 2 at the same time. Last 2 were 3 months apart. Pm me if you want and I'll give you the gory details.

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James L. "Jim" Rhiner

Hi Rock n Roll Kid:

The replacement joints (full and partial) are made up of stainless steel and Titanium. The Titanium part is the portion that actually goes into a shaft they drill into your femur (thigh bone). Titanium has an interesting property - it will actually allow bone to grow into it (known as "integration"), which helps make it a very strong installation. The stainless steel portions, lined with some form of plastic, are for the actual bearing surfaces.

The injections I had mentioned are for synthetic cartilage - Hyalgan and Synvisc are two brand names I'm familiar with. You cannot use these injections if you are allergic to eggs (they make the stuff out of rooster's combs):

Hyalgan intra-articular : Uses, Side Effects, Interactions, Pictures, Warnings & Dosing - WebMD

Typically, most insurance companies won't pay for the injections (they are expensive), unless your doctor can prove steriods are no longer effective. Yes, I think it would be wise for you to ask your doctor about these types of injections for your knee(s). Also, you should ask for a prescription for Physical Therapy. If your doctor tries to talk you out of it, I'd get a new doctor.

Though I'm no longer an athlete, I learned the hard way that you definitely need a Sports Medicine Specialist for your bone and joint work. One of the best and easiest ways of "shopping" for one is to read their Bios (Biographies, aka "About our Doctor") on their websites and look for the ones that are "team physicians" for the local high school/college/semi-pro/pro sports teams in your area. You want someone that is very current on the newest and best treatment modalities. You want someone that is in surgery regularly - 2-3 times a week doing these procedures. You want someone that sees really bad injuries from people who demand the best results. Since you had good luck with your shoulder guy, perhaps you could ask him for a recommendation for your knees? I'm very lucky in that my sports medicine specialist takes care of my (left) shoulder as well as my knees and hips.

Best of luck, kid. I hope things work out well for you.

Regards,

Dave

I had my right knee replaced last October. About 6 months before surgery, they told me it would help if I lost some weight and strengthened my leg. I spent the six months pre op in the gym, losing about 35 lbs and packing on some muscle. The surgery went well, except I had a reaction to the anesthesia, and spent my first two days post op in ICU.

When I got home, they started me on therapy, and the first couple of weeks of in home PT was a bitch. It hurt no matter how many pain pills I took. After I started outpatient therapy, my pre op workouts paid off in a big way. I breezed through therapy without a hitch. I also started going back to the gym at the same time. I'm still hitting the gym 4-6 times a week and rehabbing my leg and am in better shape at age 58 than I was at 35.

I still have some swelling and stiffness, along with some ocassional pain, usually when I unintentionally twist my knee. As mentioned above, ice will become your friend. Good luck

I had a total knee replacement of my right knee in September of 1995. I originally hurt the knee at Ft. Bragg in 1963, and spent 6 days in the hospital there. It was misdiagnosed as a sprain, and treated as such. It was really a torn ACL and torn cartilage. I recovered and had no problems until around 1973, when the knee began to buckle on me. Two different military hospitals diagnosed it as the torn ACL and chipped knee cap and advised immediate surgery, so I had a radial menisectomy(SP?) done, and had no more trouble until in the late 1980s, when arthritis began to develop and I could no longer straighten the knee completely. In all of this time, the knee had not been painful. In 1995, while on a business trip to LA, the knee began to hurt, and didn't stop hurting. I went to an orthopedic surgeon, and after looking at the x-rays, he said that there were some things he could so that would help in the short run, but the only thing that would fix the knee was a total replacement, and I told him to go ahead. I spent about 5 days in the hospital, and another week at home, then went back to work on crutches. I went to physical rehab every morning before work for several weeks, then stopped going when I couldn't detect any daily improvement. I was back shooting skeet by the end of October, and was deer hunting by the end of November. I never had any pain after ending the rehab therapy, and could do most of the things I had always done. I have about 120 degrees of movement in the knee, and was told not to run or jump on it. so I haven't.
I have several relatives and friends who have tried to postpone replacement by several different methods, and none have been successful.
Go ahead an get it done by someone who knows what they are doing, and do the rehab prescribed.

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Tom
1560

I had my first replacement in 2008 and my 2nd in 2011. Best thing that I ever did. No more pain and I started hitting the Racquetball again at age 69.

I will make some suggestions to do before the surgery. If you do not now exercise now, I suggest that you start. I worked the quads and hamstrings for months before the surgery. Because of this I walked with no support in less than 3 weeks for both knees. I stopped rehab in 5 weeks. I do the leg exercises at the gym at least 2 times a week now and it does help.

Good luck with your future.

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Corripe Cervisiam

Mrs. Pawncop had both knees replaced about five (5) years ago. Her yearly eval is this Wednesday.

She had a great ortho surgeon and she did the rehab (using words I did not know she knew). She has been doing very well.

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I am a sheep dog!
1601 (ret)

Thanks for some good info. Wife is a candidate for a partial. Vicious cycle really affects quality of life. Less mobile equals weight gain, vice versa and etc.

Hi:
In 2004 I had both knee replacement. One had to be done again due to a staff infection. My two (3) was workman Comp. I have trouble climbing stairs or running. PHYSICAL THERAPY is your friend. More is better.
*** If I had to do it over and had a choice, I would have both done at the same time.

I gimped around with a cane for 2 years even though my Grand dad and several friends who had gone through it,hounded me to get it done.. OK, I'm a wimp!! Finally got it done a couple of years ago and have now injured the other knee kicking myself for waiting so long. (Kidding).

I could tell when I came out of the anesthesia that it was an improvement and it just got better every day.

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Eccentric old coot

I was working on a sprinkler with nothing around me to help myself up. Weighed around 315 lbs and just "powered" myself up and felt something sort of pop. There was no getting around it, doctor said no way would it get better by itself although I did try for awhile to see if it would heal. Put up with bad pain and a walking stick for a couple months until I got the nerve up for a simple 3 hole procedure. No replacement. Instant relief. I did have trouble with the other knee taking up the slack I guess. Now I do get some pain and stiffness in both knees and pop a occasional pill but I have been slowly getting a little better. I also lost about 25 lbs and another 90 or so would help but I aint that dedicated. In my case there was no more thinking about it unless I wanted to stay a cripple.
My wife has really been going through worse. She had to have a foot operation, a cadaver bone put in and that didnt take. She has been laid up for about two years and then had to get it redone about 6 months ago. She is a big woman, 5ft 11"s and got even heavier by being laid up. On top of that she has Peripheral Neuropathy and Sleep apnea and use`s a breathing machine. She still needs to get the other hoof done later! Thank God for insurance! Since I was a single man when I retired we are under a different deal insurance - wise and now just the insurance on her takes up almost most of my company retirement check. (over $800s a month on just her). Still, we would be living under a bridge without the insurance.

first things first .... thanks !
everyone has a story & they are all interesting . o - dave your info is very much what i needed to hear.
this local guy is in surgery a few times a week and seems to be very competent . i will try to get some patient feedback in the next few weeks .again , he isnt a sports med doc , so i will research a lil more .
the shoulder guy i had in indy was super ....used to do indianapolis colts players so i probably wont get any better than that ! therapist was first rate also ..... that concerns me almost as much as the surgeon .. first shoulder exam i had locally, i didnt like the therapist here so i asked my doc for an other surgeon's opinion , thats what landed me in indy where i eventually had my surgery.
other comments ... yes , i do exercise . ride my bike quite a bit , lift lightly 2 times a week , and do some free had stuff. i believe at 66 , my muscle tone is decent .
i am facing an other obstacle somewhat.... just retired offically at the end of this week . am only on medicare insurance and am in the process of picking out my medicare persp. plan. hate to start off with a operation & run up a medical tab right out of the gate!
will see how this thing is doing a little down the road . at thew present , it doesnt hurt a lot and there is some related pain in other parts of the knee. i can tell on bike rides it just doesent have the " push " as it did a few months ago ...... that said , i can envision it going down hill , just dont know how sudden .
a nice lady friend had surgery in a city here in west central indiana and she came out really good . i WAS surprised because she was pretty much over weight & never exercised ! so i guess one never knows !

the people , a couple on this forum and i 've heard the same elsewhere , said they wish they HAD NOT had it done .... that DOES concern me !