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Knee replacement?

Mike Zierath

Family, football and fishing.....
Jun 3, 2002
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Flower Mound, TX
Ok, who’s had one (or both) and what are your thoughts?

full replacement?

Partial replacement?

I’ve been bone on bone in the left since 2004’ish?? I think that’s when the last surgery on that one was. I’ve had one scope on the right (recently) and they removed a significant tear of the cartilage and confirmed Arthritis does exist in that one as well. Now, bone in bone in both with arthritis in both.

I know it’s time, just trying to find a good time to do it in the next couple years.

Want to hear the success stories, and, the horror stories if you have one. I have a good team of Ortho docs already.
 
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Make sure you do all your pt. for best results.
Here's mine.
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My wife has had both replaced about 10 years apart from each other. Made a world of difference to her. She still can't(won't try ) keep up with me hiking or even walking.
 
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From the folks I've known. And especially from what u describe. Full replacement would be my opinion. But I'm not the one going under the knife.
 
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Had full replacement last November. Couldn’t have gone better and I’m thankful I did it. I’m not an expert, but I had a ‘robotic’ surgery, which I guess is the new wave. I literally walked out, with a walker, to the car 4 hours after surgery. Rehab is rehab, not fun but it is well worth it. Literally the only restriction I have is no skiing, I can do whatever I want activity-wise. I was a runner before and hadn’t run in five years because of my knee but am now up to 2 miles. Do the full and don’t look back.
 
I had both knees replaced 10 years ago at the U of I, Dr. Clark. Unfortunately he retired. Full replacement on both at the same time. Left the hospital after 4 days. I have skied in Colorado 3 times since, built several houses and apartments, continue to drive a truck and crane. I play 2 - 3 hours of pickleball 3 times a week when I can, golfing tomorrow and going on a 20 mile bike ride when the rain quits today. No ragrets whatsoever...
 
Do your PT and be viligent about avoiding infection.

Take the antibiotics for dental cleaning, avoid infections at or below the knee joint. Even years after it is healed, the joint can become infected due to a foot infection.
 
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This is all I do in surgery is orthopedics and joint replacement. So it Depends on what part of your knee is affected which will tell you what kind of surgery you need.
Make sure you have a good surgeon, ask around, check their infection rates, how many revisions have they done. I would want to know who made the implant (smith and nephew, Zimmer, etc) research those too. Finally if you are young and healthy and the doctor is willing you can get both of them done at the same time.
How old are you btw?
 
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Do research to find the absolute best surgeon you can who will do the surgery.
 
I had both knees replaced 10 years ago at the U of I, Dr. Clark. Unfortunately he retired. Full replacement on both at the same time. Left the hospital after 4 days. I have skied in Colorado 3 times since, built several houses and apartments, continue to drive a truck and crane. I play 2 - 3 hours of pickleball 3 times a week when I can, golfing tomorrow and going on a 20 mile bike ride when the rain quits today. No ragrets whatsoever...

Impressive amount of activity. How old are you, 50s, 60s?
 
Do your PT and be viligent about avoiding infection.

Take the antibiotics for dental cleaning, avoid infections at or below the knee joint. Even years after it is healed, the joint can become infected due to a foot infection.
I went for my yearly physical a couple of weeks ago and my dr told me they are not recommending antibiotics for dental cleaning. He said it’s relatively new info and he’s not prescribing antibiotics anymore for cleanings.
 
Did bilateral partials, in 2010. Did total revisions in 2016, so only 6 years on the partials. Bottom plates had slipped, bone shards the whole nasty thing. The recovery is pretty much the same after every kneed surgery. Most people underestimate how difficult the recovery part normally is.
I had a strep infection settle in my right knee in 2020. Likely from dental deferred because of the COVID over reaction. Septic Knee was the most painful thing I've delt with to date. I was taken to Omaha with the plan of removing the knee, putting in a cement joint for 12 weeks, non-weight bearing, then when the infection was gone, the would have put in another knee. Fortunately the day of surgery, the opted to clean out the knee, do antibiotics and kill the infection. I was the unicorn that was able to keep their knee after infection.

Do total replacements, likely the last knee surgery you'll need.
 
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Make dam'd sure you have a reputable Dr do the replacement.
Sister in-law did not. She can barely walk and is in immense pain
 
I went for my yearly physical a couple of weeks ago and my dr told me they are not recommending antibiotics for dental cleaning. He said it’s relatively new info and he’s not prescribing antibiotics anymore for cleanings.
I'm not familiar with recent recommendations. The important thing is to follow your doctors advice. You definitely don't want infected hardware.
 
This is all I do in surgery is orthopedics and joint replacement. So it Depends on what part of your knee is affected which will tell you what kind of surgery you need.
Make sure you have a good surgeon, ask around, check their infection rates, how many revisions have they done. I would want to know who made the implant (smith and nephew, Zimmer, etc) research those too. Finally if you are young and healthy and the do this willing you can get both of them done at the same time.
How old are you btw?
59 1/2
 
I had a full replacement of my left knee in August of 2020. The physical therapy is tough but you just have to suck it up and fight through it. I'm still careful kneeling or getting down and up from the floor but that's about it.
 
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I went for my yearly physical a couple of weeks ago and my dr told me they are not recommending antibiotics for dental cleaning. He said it’s relatively new info and he’s not prescribing antibiotics anymore for cleanings.
I went from being totally fine to the worst pain I've ever delt with in about 8 hours. Worked 63 hours that week no problem, got off Saturday afternoon, went for a pleasure drive that evening, and headed to the ER the next morning. I'll do my amoxicillin.
 
I had a full replacement of my left knee in August of 2020. The physical therapy is tough but you just have to suck it up and fight through it. I'm still careful kneeling or getting down and up from the floor but that's about it.
Pain meds are you friend for PT. Too many people want to tough it out and slow down their recovery because the pain hinders the PT.

DR had to back me off because we got too aggressive and caused the incision to open some.
 
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One of my clients is Mako Surgical, a division of Stryker. They make artificial knees and hips, and the robot devices used to install them. A few of the old guys I play golf with have had knee replacements, and 2 have had hip replacements. The consensus is to get the replacement as soon as that's one of your options.
 
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I do PT (I’m a PTA) with total knees all of the time. I don’t disagree with any of the above.

Couple things. First. Many people lie and says it was a breeze—it almost always sucks big-time for a while at first. So when you’re 16 days post-op and you struggle going down stairs, don’t freak out, it will probably take time.

Agree on pain meds being a very helpful tool, if you’re squeamish about taking narcotics, reconsider having you leg nearly cut off.

I see a lot of things go inexplicably right, and thankfully I see fewer things go inexplicably wrong, but things do go wrong. When things go wrong, the majority of the time, there is no clear answer (from my perspective) as to what could have been done differently.

Good luck with your decision. If you decide to do it, ask your surgeon what you can do to prepare your body leading-up to surgery (prehab, etc).
 
I do PT (I’m a PTA) with total knees all of the time. I don’t disagree with any of the above.

Couple things. First. Many people lie and says it was a breeze—it almost always sucks big-time for a while at first. So when you’re 16 days post-op and you struggle going down stairs, don’t freak out, it will probably take time.

Agree on pain meds being a very helpful tool, if you’re squeamish about taking narcotics, reconsider having you leg nearly cut off.

I see a lot of things go inexplicably right, and thankfully I see fewer things go inexplicably wrong, but things do go wrong. When things go wrong, the majority of the time, there is no clear answer (from my perspective) as to what could have been done differently.

Good luck with your decision. If you decide to do it, ask your surgeon what you can do to prepare your body leading-up to surgery (prehab, etc).
I agree, people for what ever reason like to understate the recovery process. This is a traumatic thing you're putting your body through. This is major surgery.

People also forget that the body heals when you're sleeping. Don't freak out when you sleep all day.
 
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Had full replacement last November. Couldn’t have gone better and I’m thankful I did it. I’m not an expert, but I had a ‘robotic’ surgery, which I guess is the new wave. I literally walked out, with a walker, to the car 4 hours after surgery. Rehab is rehab, not fun but it is well worth it. Literally the only restriction I have is no skiing, I can do whatever I want activity-wise. I was a runner before and hadn’t run in five years because of my knee but am now up to 2 miles. Do the full and don’t look back.
Sounds like it’s gone fantastic for you. How old are you?

I’m going to be 60 in a little over a month, and always thought pushing out as far as I could might be best. Now I’m rethinking that.
 
Sounds like it’s gone fantastic for you. How old are you?

I’m going to be 60 in a little over a month, and always thought pushing out as far as I could might be best. Now I’m rethinking that.
I would say as soon as it can be approved. I think people lose more of what they had making it harder to get it back when they have surgery.
 
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I’m already preparing. 1.5-3 mile walk everyday. Just about to head back to the gym and do some light weights for tone and cardio there as well. Whatever I can do to get my leg muscles as ready as possible.

spoke to someone else today that has had a very good experience with stem cell. Said his pain is virtually gone! Anyone else? Probably another thing I would consider if results are good.
 
I’m already preparing. 1.5-3 mile walk everyday. Just about to head back to the gym and do some light weights for tone and cardio there as well. Whatever I can do to get my leg muscles as ready as possible.

spoke to someone else today that has had a very good experience with stem cell. Said his pain is virtually gone! Anyone else? Probably another thing I would consider if results are good.
On top of the arthritis in my knees, I tore my meniscus resulting in a meniscus cyst on the inside of my knee about the size of a half golf ball. That caused a lot of discomfort too. I don't know that stem cell treatment would've worked for me.
 
What I have heard is that knees require much more (uncomfortable) rehab than hips. With knees you are concerned about regaining flexibility. With hips it it is more about dislocation. After my hip surgery my orthopod told me my primary rehab would consist of my walking...I could never walk too much. Uphill, downhill, indoors and out.".walk, walk, walk.”
With knees it is all about regaining and maintaining flexibility. That can be pretty tough at times.
Best of luck!
Also, what RN said is paramount...find the doc with the lowest infection rate! Nurses will tell you who they are. An infected replacement is never a good thing.
 
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I’m already preparing. 1.5-3 mile walk everyday. Just about to head back to the gym and do some light weights for tone and cardio there as well. Whatever I can do to get my leg muscles as ready as possible.

spoke to someone else today that has had a very good experience with stem cell. Said his pain is virtually gone! Anyone else? Probably another thing I would consider if results are good.
Not sure if the stem cells will work if it is bone on bone, ask your doc though
 
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Sounds like it’s gone fantastic for you. How old are you?

I’m going to be 60 in a little over a month, and always thought pushing out as far as I could might be best. Now I’m rethinking that.
I am 55. 98% of my day I don’t even realize I have a fake knee. I will say that I did struggle with two things that I didn’t expect.

One, my sleep pattern was off and didn’t get into a normal sleep pattern for about six weeks. I couldn’t get comfortable and I should have asked my dr earlier about how to help. Second, my endurance was completely gone. Zip, zero endurance. I’ve always done more cardio for workout and I lost it all and had to build it back up. Both are fine now and I have absolutely no regrets.
 
I am 55. 98% of my day I don’t even realize I have a fake knee. I will say that I did struggle with two things that I didn’t expect.

One, my sleep pattern was off and didn’t get into a normal sleep pattern for about six weeks. I couldn’t get comfortable and I should have asked my dr earlier about how to help. Second, my endurance was completely gone. Zip, zero endurance. I’ve always done more cardio for workout and I lost it all and had to build it back up. Both are fine now and I have absolutely no regrets.
Glad it is going so well. And good info on the sleep aspect post surgery.

I‘m going to be 60. I walk 2-3 miles a few times a week and ride the Peloton hard daily for 45-60 minutes. My cardio is great, but I haven’t been able to run for several years due to it being pretty close to bone on bone. Every once in a while I’ll catch the side of my on something and get a significant pain in the knee. I think I’m going to schedule an appointment this week to see someone.
 
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