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Knee replacement?

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.
prolly not
 
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.
so, what was the answer for sleep? Cause from what I understand, those first 2 weeks are a real non-sleep event. Not good sleep anyway. Having to move the knee every whatever it is. 20 minutes? hour?

How long before you got the endurance back? Can you get down on your knee?
 
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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.
same boat, same age. Haven't run in years. been walking quite a bit. I get like 3-4 pretty significant, eye popping, reminders every 3 mile walk that my knees suck ass. just shake it off and keep going.

so, this might be a silly question, but: Weight loss.........I'm overweight by established standards. Not huge, but definitely could lose 30 and be good. Does the weight loss help? I'm hoping it helps a lot! Down 9 in two weeks. That was probably the easy 10. the rest will come off harder.
 
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same boat, same age. Haven't run in years. been walking quite a bit. I get like 3-4 pretty significant, eye popping, reminders every 3 mile walk that my knees suck ass. just shake it off and keep going.

so, this might be a silly question, but: Weight loss.........I'm overweight by established standards. Not huge, but definitely could lose 30 and be good. Does the weight loss help? I'm hoping it helps a lot! Down 9 in two weeks. That was probably the easy 10. the rest will come off harder.
I‘ve always worked to keep my weight in check to take any load off my knees I could. I experienced a little more knee pain when I was 10-15 lbs heavier than I needed to be.
 
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I had a partial, so glad I did. I had severe arthritis on medial side. My rehab was easier that fixing the meniscus issue. The recovery wasn’t too bad, a few weeks of PT where you learn to walk again. Probably at 80% after 2 months and 95% after 6 months. I really can’t tell that I have a replacement. Robotic assisted is great. I know that I’ll eventually need a full, but much easier to go from partial to full as opposed to full to full. Very glad I went this route. It’s been 4 years and going strong.

as far as the antibiotic and dental, it’s been a little controversial. It’s pretty rare to have an issue. I’ve taken it in the past. I guess they just did a study that basically said after 3 years post knee replacement, the risk drops significantly, so I no longer need to take it. That’s between you and dr and dentist.
 
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I had a partial, so glad I did. I had severe arthritis on medial side. My rehab was easier that fixing the meniscus issue. The recovery wasn’t too bad, a few weeks of PT where you learn to walk again. Probably at 80% after 2 months and 95% after 6 months. I really can’t tell that I have a replacement. Robotic assisted is great. I know that I’ll eventually need a full, but much easier to go from partial to full as opposed to full to full. Very glad I went this route. It’s been 4 years and going strong.

as far as the antibiotic and dental, it’s been a little controversial. It’s pretty rare to have an issue. I’ve taken it in the past. I guess they just did a study that basically said after 3 years post knee replacement, the risk drops significantly, so I no longer need to take it. That’s between you and dr and dentist.
whats all this talk about dentist and antibiotics? is that something you have to do every time you go see the dentist after a replacement?
 
Knee? No.

I am going to have to have hip replacement in the not too distant future, though. Thanks degenerative osteoarthritis. Not sure long it will matter, my back will probably make it moot in another 10 years or so.
 
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whats all this talk about dentist and antibiotics? is that something you have to do every time you go see the dentist after a replacement?
It’s been debated between dentists and orthos for quite awhile. So I’ve been taking antibiotics prophylactically before every dental procedure, even cleanings. The thought was that bacteria from a dental procedure could go into bloodstream and land in the replacement and cause an infection, which is pretty serious. However, they have found that the risks of this in most cases is not worth the benefit unless you are at high risk. Talking compromised immune system. Some drs have been slower to adopt the new thinking. It really comes down to risk benefit.
 
I had my first knee replacement in 2010. Said I would cut my leg off before I ever did it again. Ran a 5k 2 years later. I had my other knee replaced in 2019. I prepared better this time. Still damn painful.
Really glad I had them replaced. Zero regrets now.
 
whats all this talk about dentist and antibiotics? is that something you have to do every time you go see the dentist after a replacement?
Yes. I had to take a antibiotic for two years. There are some doctors who make you do it for life.
 
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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.
You had the most easy breezy experience I have heard. My dad had them done. Tough as hell with pain and had bone on bone for years if not decades. He had them done and said the PT was like Spanish Inquisition torture. Long term worked out great but the journey was brutal after the surgery.
 
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Reviving this thread...

Getting a total knee replacement in my left knee on Thursday. Looking. Forward to it. Will get my other knee done sooner, or later, depending on how this one goes. Took everyone’s advice and found the most experienced/referred surgeon, from a couple of doctors I know. Also ensured I stayed in good shape and ”pre”habbed.

Hoping everyone’s TKRs are still going great after a little over a year. . Also, hoping this replacement will get me through never having to do one again, on this leg. Wondering who’s had their knee replacement the longest, that is still going great?
 
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Reviving this thread...

Getting a total knee replacement in my left knee on Thursday. Looking. Forward to it. Will get my other knee done sooner, or later, depending on how this one goes. Took everyone’s advice and found the most experienced/referred surgeon, from a couple of doctors I know. Also ensured I stayed in good shape and ”pre”habbed.

Hoping everyone’s TKRs are still going great after a little over a year. . Also, hoping this replacement will get me through never having to do one again, on this leg. Wondering who’s had their knee replacement the longest, that is still going great?
Here’s to an infection free experience! My brother just had hid done a couple of months ago..it’s a slow mend but worth it, he says.
 
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In seriousness my mother in law is having her second one this spring. It really doesn’t seem to be a big deal anymore. Good luck Vodka
 
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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?
Sometimes you gotta go with who your insurance will pay for. Unless your loaded like all of us on HROT.
 
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