Total knee replacement

[doctorb]

An ACL deficient knee can certainly act like that.  Knees that are "too loose" after injury have that kind of sYmptomatology.   The abnormal slipping and sliding within the knee wears the cartilage out.

[kantuckid]

I appreciate the professional information in this thread! (FWIW, I bought a table saw from a guy in MD just before the holidays, Temple Hill, MD. He was a guy on a heart pump and recently the transplant list-lucky me!
My knees never bothered me through much sports activity, 10+ yrs military and hard labors of various kinds-industry & agricultural.
The bad part kicked in when my step stool sank in the FL sand on one side last winter while loading our mtn bikes over my head on the rack. I compensated and tore outside meniscus on left knee. It self healed nicely while we were there, honestly it "liked" bicycle riding immediately after and self healed as had my diagnosed torn meniscus in my rt knee many years back around age 50-55.
Then I tripped in the woods on a hidden limb under a bunch of leaves, then I strained it and went to the doc, got a cortisone and all was well after each of the 3 shots, 3 months apart. I'm due my 4th on 1/13 and it won't come soon enough! I was moving some very large rocks using  FEL forks to widen our main private road and strained the knee and PA said I had shredded the meniscus on the inside this time. Originally the doc said I was a great candidate for a cleanup endoscopic procedure, then the xrays/MRI showed osteo and all that was off the table. I don't know if it was osteo alone or a combo of my age and Medicare rules? Pa suggested I need the doc this Jan visit as I might just be near a new knee. My knee has definitely loosened and become more prone to trickyness since the first shot. I wear an elastic sleeve which aids stairs and kneeling which has become hard to do. Swelling comes after a day on my feet.
Web info lays out the parameters of PT and so on but I've seen some PT a knee pretty quick and others who bitched and moaned and refuse to get their 2nd knee done.
At 76 I am fortunate to have an active life style, mtn bikes, hiking, farm stuff, sawmilling, lifetime woodworker and motorcycle rider, and more. It was only in late May that I did a hike up and down a 7K mtn in NC with a son, so this knee thing has snowballed on me!
It was suggested by my doc to look into plasma treatments- the Tony Delk Center offers them in that same city. I think its ~ $1,800 now, out of pocket. Mike

[wisconsitom]

My knees are starting to bother me.  Not overweight at all, in fact very slim and trim, but the signs of trouble are undeniable.  I have no idea what it is but something is going south in both knees.  I'm an active sort of person so I immediately suspect osteoarthritis....but I ain't sure of it.  Because it is early days, I have not seen a medical person for this issue yet.  But I have the strong feeling I will need to do something.  I can have pains, but I don't get stiffness so far.

Tell me this though....if/when knees are replaced..and since I don't even know what's wrong with mine, for the sake of this discussion, let's just say I would need total knee replacement.  So....doing one knee at a time (I assume-again, no idea how this goes), how laid up are you?  Are you just in a chair?  How long before you're half-way back to normal activities?  It is this recovery period...and its attendant lack of exercise, that really concerns me about getting these operations done.

doctorb, one additional question if you see this;  I once heard that walking backwards was good for the knee and its troubles.  Do you support this idea?  I do lots of personal PT on steps, including much backward stairs-climbing.  It really pumps the legs.  I do wonder if it is also supportive of the knee joints, as I was once told.  Thanks

[Ljohnsaw]

Read Knee Repacement to see how a super-human recovers in record time! ;)

[wisconsitom]

Thanks ljohnsaw..and yes, I do read bits of that thread.  I note our friend is still struggling.  I'm scared to death of what this is going to do to upend my physical regimen.  A lot of time being laid up, sitting on me butt...is not something I relish.

This life is a trap;  Be inactive and become weak and overweight....be active and have your parts wear out!  I'm in the later group.  Then, as you get those parts replaced, you are forced into inactivity which sets up the next injury.

I may just try to tough it out for as long as I can.  It's the kind of stuff where you start to feel pains when climbing and going down stairs, etc....but 
I do a ton of that purposely as exercise.  As I'm not diagnosed at this time, I'm not sure I can make a valid comparison with MM's situation.

[gspren]

First step is to tell your family doctor/general practitioner and let them advise you, treating yourself when you don't know what's wrong may do more harm than help. Good luck!

[Magicman]

No doctor/Surgeon is going to do anything that has not been confirmed by a X Ray, an MRI or a CT scan.  Any procedure including the test will have to be approved by your insurance before anything will be done.

Some surgeons will do both knees (at the same time), and some will not.  I personally know 3 people that have done both with no regrets.

[wisconsitom]

Thanks fellas.  It's early days with me but it does not please me to see this on the horizon.  I go to the doc and all that stuff.  Just a new-ish situation developing.

[gspren]

I'm bumping this up for personal reasons. I read it all a few years ago and again today, I'm finally getting to the point it will be needed. A few years ago I was told someday, 3 days ago I had new x-rays and got cortisone shots in both and told I'm ready but insurance wants/requires several rounds of shots before they'll pay for the surgerys. Looking for maybe next Jan/Feb if possible, big question is one at a time or do them both at once? I've read pros and cons and will discuss with New Doc in 3 months when I see him again.

[chet]

I've had both knees done at different times. There is no way I would consider doing both at once. After a few days I could get around enough to do stuff with one done. Personally, being totally laid up with both done at once I would have gone nuts.

[Magicman]

There is definitely a psychological issue that must be dealt with.  

For me it was the idea a laying on a table and having my leg cut off with a saw.  I never hesitated to the point of not having it done, but I did reach the point of telling Pat & Marty that I could get back into the car and go back home.

I have never regretted for a second about having mine done, but I would still be hesitant about having both done at the same time although I personally know 3 people that did and they all 3 recommend both.  It's just a mind thing.

[Brucer]

You can find my comments on TKR in post #27. Just a couple of things to add. Barb had her first knee done 17 years ago and the second one 6 months later. They're still going strong. She also says she'd never want to have both done at the same time.

[Raider Bill]

Both my TKR are doing good. Don't even think about them anymore.
My Dad had his replacements replaced at the same time. He said that was better than one at a time. I dunno, just hope I don't wear these out and have to do it again.

[gspren]

When I googled the pros and cons of doing both together I first read the pros and thought that's the way to go but then I read the cons which left me more confused than normal and that's bad  . A lot will depend on what the doc says but they often want you to decide such things.

[Magicman]

If both knees are replaced it is my understanding that it will be done by two Doctors and surgical teams working simultaneously. 

I suspect that I will have a bit of swelling in my knee tonight because of the many times I am up and down replacing my porch decking.  I have full strength in that knee and there will not be any pain, just tightness when I completely bend it.

My knee was not replaced because of age related wear, but due to the lasting effects of a motorcycle accident back when I was old enough to know better but too foolish to understand.

 

[Don P]

Michelle's total is just about back to "normal". Her gait is improving, she has 120+ degrees of motion which is good. The partial that preceeded it lasted about 2 years. It was doing fine, she forgot and hopped out of the back of the truck "The doc had said "no jumping". Removing and replacing that partial slowed down this total replacement, that ended up being worse than just a waste of money IMO.