OT: Santa brought me a new knee for Christmas

[RUBOB72]

Good luck. It's important to be diligent with the physical therapy. I should have gotten mine done 10 years earlier. I had opposite experience. I had pain, but nothing to complain about. I was off percoset in 1 day using only tylenol after that. Walked 3 hours after surgery, off the walker in 2 days, was able to do 30 squats 2 days after surgery and was fully cleared to do everything but run and jump after 3 weeks. Full recovery does take a year. Had my left knee done in 2020. Going in for my right knee in March.

The walking 3 hours post knee replacement surgery sounds right. Off Percocet I day … me the same… the 30 squats I find highly unlikely as doctors would frown upon doing that . Even half squat which is more believable . Are you saying a “ full “squat ? The run because of my age 67 was forbidden until 4 months. The jumping didn’t matter . My 6” jump wouldn’t count as a jump.

 

[RUNJ]

Got a full knee replacement done on Tuesday.......I have been told I have a high tolerance for pain, but by far this is the worst pain I have ever experienced in my life. As I have been told the physical therapy is worse than the surgery, I can attest to that! Long eight weeks ahead!

Happy Holidays to All!

Was your Christmas stocking a knee sock?

 

[Extra Point]

I have arthritic cartilage degeneration in both knees (especially the meniscus), although it's moderately worse in my right knee for reasons unknown. Over the last 2 years I've tried a few steroid injections and only had minor relief, so tried the still somewhat experimental PRP therapy (where they collect some blood and centrifuge it down, taking the platelet rich plasma fraction and injecting that into the knee to stimulate growth factors which supposedly reduce inflammation), which worked pretty well for 5-6 months but the pain has returned somewhat.

During this time I went for two rounds of PT and still do about 20 minutes of knee exercises every other day, mostly building strength in the quads, which has been shown to stave off the need for knee replacements. Having said all that, the pain isn't enough to keep me from playing sports and being active (4-5 rounds of disc golf a week and once weekly soccer, plus regular walks with my wife), so I'm not quite at the knee replacement stage, but I've been thinking about it, as I'd still rather be 100% than 85% and of the dozen or more people I know who've had them, they all swear by them. So it's interesting to read all the comments here.

With regard to surgery, I did have a full rotator cuff tear repaired about 10 years ago and the first 36 hours post-op was the worst pain I ever had (after the nerve block wore off), but after that, no issue for me. People would talk about how terrible the PT was and I never thought the PT was more than a mild annoyance - I was religious about going to PT and doing PT work at home and in about 3.5 months I was back to full activity. My PT guy is one of the best in the area (works with many RU athletes): Alex Ivashenko at Professional PT.

I would think that soccer must be hard on the knees

 

[AM ClocksPF]

I need a knee replacement after having ACL surgery 35 years ago. I was told I am too young because these knees only last 15 years or so.

Can anyone verify how long a knee replacement lasts?

 

[RU848789]

I need a knee replacement after having ACL surgery 35 years ago. I was told I am too young because these knees only last 15 years or so.

Can anyone verify how long a knee replacement lasts?

Excellent article on this at the link below citing relevant studies; the take home message is as follows: "Studies have shown that 98% percent of total knee replacements still function appropriately after ten years, while more than 80 percent still function properly after 20 years." I suspect most over 60 won't be nearly as active in their 80s, so it probably won't matter much if the replacement isn't as effective by then, which is why I'm likely to get one in the next year or two (I'm 61).

https://www.jointreplacementhawaii.com/durability-of-knee-replacement-implants/

 

[RU848789]

I would think that soccer must be hard on the knees

Yeah, we stopped playing for awhile when COVID hit and I took disc golf back up again in early 2021 and I started having knee pain not long after that (likely a coincidence) and was reluctant to pick back up with soccer until a few months ago (while I was trying various treatments and PT). Surprisingly, soccer hasn't really had much impact on my knee pain since then - maybe because I play keeper, so I run less than most other players, although I do jump more. I had actually kind of thought it might push me more quickly to get the knee replacement, but it hasn't. Maybe the PT and keeping up with regular knee exercises is paying off - it's so hard to know for sure, since there's no "control" experiment.

 

[RU Golfer]

I need a knee replacement after having ACL surgery 35 years ago. I was told I am too young because these knees only last 15 years or so.

Can anyone verify how long a knee replacement lasts?

I am 56 and my sister is 52 (she had her's earlier this year) we both have different surgeons and they both were of the belief why wait another 15 years or so (which is not the norm) when we need them now..we are both active, she skis, pickle ball etc. I play golf ride motorcycles jet ski.......We were both bone on bone and to keep the quality of life we wanted we needed to get a knee. My doctor agreed, he also told me "I will never tell you that you need a knee, you have to tell me you want a knee" Hopefully I made the right decision and never look back.....PT is going well with the exception of some excessive swelling need to spend next few days in bed with leg up and I should be well on my way.

 

[RUBOB72]

I would think that soccer must be hard on the knees

Welcome to the club of the crippled old man.

 

[RUBOB72]

I need a knee replacement after having ACL surgery 35 years ago. I was told I am too young because these knees only last 15 years or so.

Can anyone verify how long a knee replacement lasts?

20-25-30 if you are lucky. Could be less but if you are above age 50 you should be good.

 

[rubaseball78]

Excellent article on this at the link below citing relevant studies; the take home message is as follows: "Studies have shown that 98% percent of total knee replacements still function appropriately after ten years, while more than 80 percent still function properly after 20 years." I suspect most over 60 won't be nearly as active in their 80s, so it probably won't matter much if the replacement isn't as effective by then, which is why I'm likely to get one in the next year or two (I'm 61).

https://www.jointreplacementhawaii.com/durability-of-knee-replacement-implants/

If your knee is preventing you from doing what you would like to do, get it done is my advice. After I got mine done, my thought was I should have done it 10 years earlier.

 

[hoochie302]

I am 56 and my sister is 52 (she had her's earlier this year) we both have different surgeons and they both were of the belief why wait another 15 years or so (which is not the norm) when we need them now..we are both active, she skis, pickle ball etc. I play golf ride motorcycles jet ski.......We were both bone on bone and to keep the quality of life we wanted we needed to get a knee. My doctor agreed, he also told me "I will never tell you that you need a knee, you have to tell me you want a knee" Hopefully I made the right decision and never look back.....PT is going well with the exception of some excessive swelling need to spend next few days in bed with leg up and I should be well on my way.

This is exactly how you need to think about it.
It's a couple months of pain that gives you your quality of life back. I couldn't walk 10 yards before my replacement. Now I can hike 2 hours. That's all worth it.

 

[RUBOB72]

This is exactly how you need to think about it.
It's a couple months of pain that gives you your quality of life back. I couldn't walk 10 yards before my replacement. Now I can hike 2 hours. That's all worth it.

That is the current thinking. My 48 year old sone needs RT knee replacement and his longtime surgeon at HSS in NY says at 50 he will be happy to do it . Some days are better than others but I know the pain … has taken gel injections but plasma therapy is expensive and most can’t realistically afford it.

 

[hoochie302]

I was 52 when I got mine. I'm surprised his knee doc doesn't do it now if his pain is that bad.

 

[RU Golfer]

That is the current thinking. My 48 year old sone needs RT knee replacement and his longtime surgeon at HSS in NY says at 50 he will be happy to do it . Some days are better than others but I know the pain … has taken gel injections but plasma therapy is expensive and most can’t realistically afford it.

My sister had hers done at HSS as well.

 

[RUBOB72]

I was 52 when I got mine. I'm surprised his knee doc doesn't do it now if his pain is that bad.

He’s trying to hold him off until 50… but we will see.