knee replacement?

[VintageDirt]

Does anybody have any experience with knee replacement surgery?

Doc Yoc says I'll be a candidate soon because I got no meniscus left on the one side of the joint. He also says that I should think about having my plate and screws removed since they will have to come out and heal up before the knee replacement can be done. He says I'll have to be on crutches for six weeks so that the screw holes can heal. Sounds overly cautious to me.

Doc says he can also scope out the joint when he removes the plate. Says my knee may feel a lot better after a good cleaning, depending on what he finds in there.

I guess the good news is he can do a partial replacement since I'm only bottoming out on one side.

Has anybody had this done?
Can you still ride (and crash)?
Will I be as fast as Bundy after the surgery?

 

[Senior KX Rider]

I would agree that ones knee prolly would feel better after a good cleaning :scream: :scream: :scream: :scream: :scream:

 

[mark_england]

im in knee surgery most days, and all id say is try every other option before opting for a knee replacement.
You mentioned you would need a uni compartmental implant, these can work well, but are a tricky operation, id ask how many of these the surgeon does a year,
you didnt mention your age,
but lets just say the knee implant lasts 10-15 years [although it could be less depending on the surgeons skill].

then you are gonna need a knee revision operation, which is more complicated and often not a successfull.

 

[VintageDirt]

Thanks Mark, I'm 47. What other options are there? I think I can go 2 or 3 more years on my real knee, then I'll be 50.

 

[nephron]

VD--go as long as you can without the total knee. Generally, they last about 10 years, so @ 47 y/o you'll have an end stage replacement at 57 and will be facing another TKR at that time.

As far as riding after a total knee, you might have some instability in that joint--and will need to really build up your quads, vastus, etc. But it can probably be done.

You might go ahead and have the screws and plate removed, and a bit of arthroscopic debridement--but I want to let you all know that a recently 'well-done'--prospective, single-blinded, placebo-controlled study showed NO improvement after arthroscopic debridement.

I'm not an expert in this area, but the standard reasoning is to be as conservative as possible in these situations. You'd probably best go with the plate/screw removal, followed by the hemiarthroplasty--and wait as long as you can for a total knee.

I could be wrong about this--ask your doc.

 

[VintageDirt]

Thanks nephron. I had planned to go as long as possible. That's kind of what the Doctor told me to do. The Doctor I saw is supposed to be one of the better knee guys in Albuquerque. He was sort of recommended by my brother-in-law who is an ortho in Phoenix. My wifes Dad was also an orhto, so I know that the "scope" is no cure all, though it is a money maker.

As far as the other suggestions, I'll have to get on google and look some of that stuff up. :)

 

[VintageDirt]

Oh, that's what a hemiarthroplasty is. I can be such a doof. :)