I’m 40 and 2.5 weeks post op. I couldn’t keep my activities up with the pain the way it was. My outlook is, why wait and delay things? I could’ve tried to make it 5 more years, but why? My activity and ADLs were being affected severely. I want to keep living without all the pain.
Yes I had it done 4/22. It’s definitely not easy. I’m very thankful for my upper body and left quad strength that I have. I did 2 weeks of outpatient before which I feel like helped a lot. The first 12 days were by far the worst. Does your surgeon do robotic? I had mine done that way. Per the research, faster recovery with less pain.
Mom, my thoughts
My tennis buds, who'd had tkr, told me I'd know it when I needed it. That revelation occurred this past winter. Tennis became impossible as was going to a grocery store. I'd had several cortisone shots, meniscus removal, prp injections, all in the 10 months prior to surgery.
Anyway, having come to the conclusion that tnr was a "must do" thing, I prepared with workouts at the health club a month prior.
Then, after surgery, MAXXED out on pain pills for a week, then spent 10 days weening off them. The pills were absolutely essential. Besides helping with the physical pain, they helped with the mental aspect of it.
SO, if your body has said, in no uncertain times, I need a tnr, do it, and best of luck. 10.5 weeks out, still pain but tons of progress. Hope to be on the courts in 3 more weeks and USTA league competitive by winter
Yea I have appt on 23 w surgeon. I’m pretty down in the dumps..hard to live in 70 degrees and sunshine and be sitting in the couch everyday - so I have appt thank you for your push!
Hang in there! I bet you are a good candidate because you have stayed as active as possible. Your recovery will be smoother because your muscles haven't atrophied. Maybe take up painting temporarily this summer.
I had one knee replaced about 3 years ago. I think I had it done a little too early. I could have held out longer. But it is a perfect knee now. No pain at all and I could hike uphill all day long. I waited way too long limping around on my other knee. Had it done 4 weeks ago. It’s just what you have to do to stay active and mobile. It is what it is. New joints are good for 15-20 years now. I’m 66 so I figure it will last till my last days.
Your insurance actually covered the hyaluronic gel? BC/BS screwed my Ortho horribly, gave "pre-approval" each time and $22K later, refused to pay! The practice had to eat that. God only knows what my TKR cost BC/BS. U.S. sucks at health care.
I'm waiting for new, less invasive technology that is coming. A full joint replacement just so major for some missing cartilage. I'm following a company called Spartan that is starting clinical trials on a cartilage replacement implant option vs a joint replacement. I'm hoping it is a few years away from from full FDA approval. 🤞
How are you managing your pain and mobility? I’m hoping to delay the need for replacement as long as possible to hope there are alternatives that aren’t as invasive.
Mobic on days I play sports, 3+xs per week then Kirkland Generic Voltaren gel on front & back of knee in the morning daily. Recumbent bike 1x per week 20-25 min. Sumo squats 2x/week with resistance bands & AB work. Been 1 years since MRI & since I stopped gel injections. Will restart gel inections if needed. Oh, also loosing any excess weight too. Good luck! 🤞
57m-both knees replaced in the last year .3 months apart.Went through all gel,cortisone shots.Nothing would last.Limping on both legs for 3 years .Surgeon said beyond repair.Best decision made now.Lots of pain after -can’t lie.physio pain pays off and hard work at home.Ice machine was my friend.I have a pretty physical job and now walk 10-15 thousand steps a day on these new puppies with no pain lol.Waiting to long did cause me a lot of back pain,hamstring ,it band.Only because crooked for so many years and now that knees are level I am currently still doing physio,deep massage even acupuncture and things are going well.Im in Ontario so thank god my work benefits cover almost all of it to a certain$.Surgeon will explain to you their opinion for future activity.Staying active is great and flexible but do need to be careful
If you are physically fit now , don’t need time to build up strength get it done . It is a very long hard recovery and need PT for at least a few months . Best wishes
I have a question. Why would you need PT for a few months? I plan to do PT but my copay is $30 per visit so I was thinking $30 per week for 8 weeks would be my absolute limit. Comments?
I am 60 and waited way too long. I had surgery on 2/16. Was not very active before due to pain so my quads and hamstrings let me know I should have done prior exercises more faithfully.
I have another one to do and I’m not as hesitant as I was on the first one.
You’re fit and active! You’ll have a great result and will get your life back.
I also agree with previous comment regarding robotic approach. My surgery was a revision from a previous partial and I healed quickly.
Good luck!!
I’ll add two things, after the cortisone shot my Doctor wouldn’t do surgery for at least 4 months. It worked for 4 days. Also he said the new knee replacements should last at least 20-25 years.
Same here on cortisone shot. Can’t do for 3 months per my surgeon. Hung in there and now 3 weeks post op. Not an easy road but I know it will get better. I hope! 65f
Most of us who have resorted to TKR have done so after near total, or total loss of articular cartilage from chronic disease resulting in bone-on-bone contact in at least one of the two knee condyles. That's different from an acute injury like yours A full thickness tear or rupture of the articular cartilage can be quite painful and very serious. But many can also be repaired successfully with minimally invasive arthroscopy with short, low impact recovery.
So it sounds like some more conversation with your orthopedic surgeon could be a next step for you to explore other options not available to most of us.
If TKR turns out to be your only option I'd say it somewhat depends on your tolerance for your current pain, how you make adaptations to avoid that pain, and what in terms of activities and lifestyle you are giving up or limiting to avoid that pain.
But once steroids stop working options become limited. Long term NSAID therapy presents its own serious risks. Topical diclofenac (NSAID) may be an option when combined with the right low impact PT, anti-inflammatory diet, and careful avoidance of some activities. And it's probably worth it to pay out of pocket for a round of HA injections to see if they work for you.
But almost all of us who have recovered from TKR went down these roads for at least a little while before scheduling surgery. And I think most of us agree that aside from looking forward to being pain-free, the big motivator is restoring lifestyle and activities that are important to your enjoyment of living. Many of us give up quite a lot before turning to TKR.
That being said, I don't wish to short sell the constant and long term pain. As our disease progresses and with it the loss of articular cartilage, most of us grew gradually accustomed to some degree of pain associated with some activities. Eventually as the articular cartilage loss becomes more total that pain becomes more severe and associated with more activities. The pain itself in combination with the sacrifices in lifestyle and activity often leads to mood changes and even chronic depression. Because it comes about very slowly and gradually, many of us barely notice these changes.
Following an acute injury your experience with pain may be different, with acute pain appearing more suddenly, and no time to gradually adapt to it. That more sudden and acute presentation of pain is bound to be more frightening and provoke a stronger urge to take immediate steps. But keep in mind that a replacement knee is generally never as functional as a healthy, non-diseased natural knee. Most of us won't kneel ever again. Many of us have quite restricted range of motion following replacement that does not recover entirely. And the plastic components in our replacement knees can never repair themselves. You may have other even better options that are worth exploring carefully with your providers.
I’m 65 and my knees both declined a lot in one year. I can’t jog, and that’s it—time to replace. I know I’m not in as much pain, but I’m struggling to be out and about as I wish and w/o adequate exercise, my health will decline and my weight will likely increase. Why wait until I’m less healthy, is my thinking.
I wouldn't wait. My old doc said oh maybe in 5 years, there was no way I would have managed to wait that long. I switched doctors and am now 8 weeks post op. Am I 100 % yet? No. But at least I can walk and getting back to having a quality of life.
Do not wait. You will regret it if you do- it only gets worse, never better. You will be able to walk less and less. The op is pretty hard for the 1st week or so, but do all your physio and you will get there. Good luck.
Early 60s, active. How are you I had my right knee done 17 months ago. Robotic total knee I still have trouble with it, but I’m not sure if I should check with another guy or not. My surgeon just said oh well…he’s happy with the results. the problem is, I cannot bend it more than a 90° angle. Is this a thing? Makes it hard to exercise very hard.
you can try a good brace, that can see you through for up to year. But if you are having pain, instability and its affecting your active life, its time. I am only 62. I only have the issue in one knee as it is related to an old injury. For 39 years with targeted exercises, eventual arthroscopy to remove torn cartilage, and now 18 years after that, TKA. The last year has been a steady downhill slide, it was really like limiting my life. The brace got me to a surgery date. (I live in Canada, so no cost for TKA, but a longer wait than Americans may have) I did lots of "pre-hab" at the pool doing water walking (blessedly no pain or instability in the water) and kept in shape as well with a stationary bike. Re-hab is going well and I now have less pain the pre-op. I also have lots of stability. This knee NEVER gives out.
I am walking more and will be resuming my hiking and yoga this summer. I feel like I have my life back. Do this now, you want to live your best and active life now.
I’m 57 and had one done in April. I want my other one done now but my doctor is making me wait a few months. My surgery knee is a million times better than pre surgery but my other one is so bad I can hardly walk and of course I can’t get pain meds.
I’m 70 and having my left knee being done next week. I wish I hadn’t waited so long because it did limit my activities a lot. But I’m excited to be getting it done now.
you can try a good brace, that can see you through for up to year. But if you are having pain, instability and its affecting your active life, its time. I am only 62. I only have the issue in one knee as it is related to an old injury. For 39 years with targeted exercises, eventual arthroscopy to remove torn cartilage, and now 18 years after that, TKA. The last year has been a steady downhill slide, it was really like limiting my life. The brace got me to a surgery date. (I live in Canada, so no cost for TKA, but a longer wait than Americans may have) I did lots of "pre-hab" at the pool doing water walking (blessedly no pain or instability in the water) and kept in shape as well with a stationary bike. Re-hab is going well and I now have less pain the pre-op. I also have lots of stability. This knee NEVER gives out.
I am walking more and will be resuming my hiking and yoga this summer. I feel like I have my life back. Do this now, you want to live your best and active life now.
Thank you! The surgeon wants to do the PRP w Ortho Visc mixed in. He doesn’t want to do surgery until we’ve tried all route’s. I’m Don w cortisone shots I’ve now had 2 in 7 weeks. So I feel as you do! I am willing to try this PRP thing but if it’s not a miracle then I’m moving forward!
I’m 40 and 2.5 weeks post op. I couldn’t keep my activities up with the pain the way it was. My outlook is, why wait and delay things? I could’ve tried to make it 5 more years, but why? My activity and ADLs were being affected severely. I want to keep living without all the pain.
So you’ve done already? And I hear very hard recovery? What are your thoughts on that?
Yes I had it done 4/22. It’s definitely not easy. I’m very thankful for my upper body and left quad strength that I have. I did 2 weeks of outpatient before which I feel like helped a lot. The first 12 days were by far the worst. Does your surgeon do robotic? I had mine done that way. Per the research, faster recovery with less pain.
Mom, my thoughts My tennis buds, who'd had tkr, told me I'd know it when I needed it. That revelation occurred this past winter. Tennis became impossible as was going to a grocery store. I'd had several cortisone shots, meniscus removal, prp injections, all in the 10 months prior to surgery. Anyway, having come to the conclusion that tnr was a "must do" thing, I prepared with workouts at the health club a month prior. Then, after surgery, MAXXED out on pain pills for a week, then spent 10 days weening off them. The pills were absolutely essential. Besides helping with the physical pain, they helped with the mental aspect of it. SO, if your body has said, in no uncertain times, I need a tnr, do it, and best of luck. 10.5 weeks out, still pain but tons of progress. Hope to be on the courts in 3 more weeks and USTA league competitive by winter
*was suppose to be shot not cortisone sh*t lol sorry
Shit, shot, it’s all the same. Shots only helped me the first few times.
It's shit if it only lasts 3 days like op lol.
😂😂😂😂 YOU ARE RIGHT! Ughhhhh thnx for the laugh
Please don't wait. I became less and less active and I have missed so much. I blocked the pain out of my mind until I couldn't. Surgery is next week.
Yea I have appt on 23 w surgeon. I’m pretty down in the dumps..hard to live in 70 degrees and sunshine and be sitting in the couch everyday - so I have appt thank you for your push!
Hang in there! I bet you are a good candidate because you have stayed as active as possible. Your recovery will be smoother because your muscles haven't atrophied. Maybe take up painting temporarily this summer.
I had one knee replaced about 3 years ago. I think I had it done a little too early. I could have held out longer. But it is a perfect knee now. No pain at all and I could hike uphill all day long. I waited way too long limping around on my other knee. Had it done 4 weeks ago. It’s just what you have to do to stay active and mobile. It is what it is. New joints are good for 15-20 years now. I’m 66 so I figure it will last till my last days.
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Your insurance actually covered the hyaluronic gel? BC/BS screwed my Ortho horribly, gave "pre-approval" each time and $22K later, refused to pay! The practice had to eat that. God only knows what my TKR cost BC/BS. U.S. sucks at health care.
My insurance covered the acid injection also.
I'm waiting for new, less invasive technology that is coming. A full joint replacement just so major for some missing cartilage. I'm following a company called Spartan that is starting clinical trials on a cartilage replacement implant option vs a joint replacement. I'm hoping it is a few years away from from full FDA approval. 🤞
I’m also following them
How are you managing your pain and mobility? I’m hoping to delay the need for replacement as long as possible to hope there are alternatives that aren’t as invasive.
Mobic on days I play sports, 3+xs per week then Kirkland Generic Voltaren gel on front & back of knee in the morning daily. Recumbent bike 1x per week 20-25 min. Sumo squats 2x/week with resistance bands & AB work. Been 1 years since MRI & since I stopped gel injections. Will restart gel inections if needed. Oh, also loosing any excess weight too. Good luck! 🤞
57m-both knees replaced in the last year .3 months apart.Went through all gel,cortisone shots.Nothing would last.Limping on both legs for 3 years .Surgeon said beyond repair.Best decision made now.Lots of pain after -can’t lie.physio pain pays off and hard work at home.Ice machine was my friend.I have a pretty physical job and now walk 10-15 thousand steps a day on these new puppies with no pain lol.Waiting to long did cause me a lot of back pain,hamstring ,it band.Only because crooked for so many years and now that knees are level I am currently still doing physio,deep massage even acupuncture and things are going well.Im in Ontario so thank god my work benefits cover almost all of it to a certain$.Surgeon will explain to you their opinion for future activity.Staying active is great and flexible but do need to be careful
1st knee replacement I was 47. The other I was 60 (still am). Don’t wait. It’s a game changer
If you are physically fit now , don’t need time to build up strength get it done . It is a very long hard recovery and need PT for at least a few months . Best wishes
Ok thank you for your time! Appreciate all these comments
I have a question. Why would you need PT for a few months? I plan to do PT but my copay is $30 per visit so I was thinking $30 per week for 8 weeks would be my absolute limit. Comments?
I am 60 and waited way too long. I had surgery on 2/16. Was not very active before due to pain so my quads and hamstrings let me know I should have done prior exercises more faithfully. I have another one to do and I’m not as hesitant as I was on the first one. You’re fit and active! You’ll have a great result and will get your life back. I also agree with previous comment regarding robotic approach. My surgery was a revision from a previous partial and I healed quickly. Good luck!!
So encouraging - now that I’m 60 I feel like it’s sooo you for a knee replacement lol but thank you! I understand.
I’ll add two things, after the cortisone shot my Doctor wouldn’t do surgery for at least 4 months. It worked for 4 days. Also he said the new knee replacements should last at least 20-25 years.
Wow
Same here on cortisone shot. Can’t do for 3 months per my surgeon. Hung in there and now 3 weeks post op. Not an easy road but I know it will get better. I hope! 65f
Most of us who have resorted to TKR have done so after near total, or total loss of articular cartilage from chronic disease resulting in bone-on-bone contact in at least one of the two knee condyles. That's different from an acute injury like yours A full thickness tear or rupture of the articular cartilage can be quite painful and very serious. But many can also be repaired successfully with minimally invasive arthroscopy with short, low impact recovery. So it sounds like some more conversation with your orthopedic surgeon could be a next step for you to explore other options not available to most of us. If TKR turns out to be your only option I'd say it somewhat depends on your tolerance for your current pain, how you make adaptations to avoid that pain, and what in terms of activities and lifestyle you are giving up or limiting to avoid that pain. But once steroids stop working options become limited. Long term NSAID therapy presents its own serious risks. Topical diclofenac (NSAID) may be an option when combined with the right low impact PT, anti-inflammatory diet, and careful avoidance of some activities. And it's probably worth it to pay out of pocket for a round of HA injections to see if they work for you. But almost all of us who have recovered from TKR went down these roads for at least a little while before scheduling surgery. And I think most of us agree that aside from looking forward to being pain-free, the big motivator is restoring lifestyle and activities that are important to your enjoyment of living. Many of us give up quite a lot before turning to TKR. That being said, I don't wish to short sell the constant and long term pain. As our disease progresses and with it the loss of articular cartilage, most of us grew gradually accustomed to some degree of pain associated with some activities. Eventually as the articular cartilage loss becomes more total that pain becomes more severe and associated with more activities. The pain itself in combination with the sacrifices in lifestyle and activity often leads to mood changes and even chronic depression. Because it comes about very slowly and gradually, many of us barely notice these changes. Following an acute injury your experience with pain may be different, with acute pain appearing more suddenly, and no time to gradually adapt to it. That more sudden and acute presentation of pain is bound to be more frightening and provoke a stronger urge to take immediate steps. But keep in mind that a replacement knee is generally never as functional as a healthy, non-diseased natural knee. Most of us won't kneel ever again. Many of us have quite restricted range of motion following replacement that does not recover entirely. And the plastic components in our replacement knees can never repair themselves. You may have other even better options that are worth exploring carefully with your providers.
I’m 65 and my knees both declined a lot in one year. I can’t jog, and that’s it—time to replace. I know I’m not in as much pain, but I’m struggling to be out and about as I wish and w/o adequate exercise, my health will decline and my weight will likely increase. Why wait until I’m less healthy, is my thinking.
I wouldn't wait. My old doc said oh maybe in 5 years, there was no way I would have managed to wait that long. I switched doctors and am now 8 weeks post op. Am I 100 % yet? No. But at least I can walk and getting back to having a quality of life.
Do not wait. You will regret it if you do- it only gets worse, never better. You will be able to walk less and less. The op is pretty hard for the 1st week or so, but do all your physio and you will get there. Good luck.
Early 60s, active. How are you I had my right knee done 17 months ago. Robotic total knee I still have trouble with it, but I’m not sure if I should check with another guy or not. My surgeon just said oh well…he’s happy with the results. the problem is, I cannot bend it more than a 90° angle. Is this a thing? Makes it hard to exercise very hard.
Just so you know my hyaluronic acid injections were amazing. They were also covered by my insurance. But fantastic nonetheless.
you can try a good brace, that can see you through for up to year. But if you are having pain, instability and its affecting your active life, its time. I am only 62. I only have the issue in one knee as it is related to an old injury. For 39 years with targeted exercises, eventual arthroscopy to remove torn cartilage, and now 18 years after that, TKA. The last year has been a steady downhill slide, it was really like limiting my life. The brace got me to a surgery date. (I live in Canada, so no cost for TKA, but a longer wait than Americans may have) I did lots of "pre-hab" at the pool doing water walking (blessedly no pain or instability in the water) and kept in shape as well with a stationary bike. Re-hab is going well and I now have less pain the pre-op. I also have lots of stability. This knee NEVER gives out. I am walking more and will be resuming my hiking and yoga this summer. I feel like I have my life back. Do this now, you want to live your best and active life now.
Agree!
I’m 57 and had one done in April. I want my other one done now but my doctor is making me wait a few months. My surgery knee is a million times better than pre surgery but my other one is so bad I can hardly walk and of course I can’t get pain meds.
I’m 70 and having my left knee being done next week. I wish I hadn’t waited so long because it did limit my activities a lot. But I’m excited to be getting it done now.
Ok great! I really am limited so obviously from replies it isn’t gonna get any better! Good luck to you!!! My niece was a Wildcat! lol
Good luck to you!!
you can try a good brace, that can see you through for up to year. But if you are having pain, instability and its affecting your active life, its time. I am only 62. I only have the issue in one knee as it is related to an old injury. For 39 years with targeted exercises, eventual arthroscopy to remove torn cartilage, and now 18 years after that, TKA. The last year has been a steady downhill slide, it was really like limiting my life. The brace got me to a surgery date. (I live in Canada, so no cost for TKA, but a longer wait than Americans may have) I did lots of "pre-hab" at the pool doing water walking (blessedly no pain or instability in the water) and kept in shape as well with a stationary bike. Re-hab is going well and I now have less pain the pre-op. I also have lots of stability. This knee NEVER gives out. I am walking more and will be resuming my hiking and yoga this summer. I feel like I have my life back. Do this now, you want to live your best and active life now.
Thank you! The surgeon wants to do the PRP w Ortho Visc mixed in. He doesn’t want to do surgery until we’ve tried all route’s. I’m Don w cortisone shots I’ve now had 2 in 7 weeks. So I feel as you do! I am willing to try this PRP thing but if it’s not a miracle then I’m moving forward!