Total knee replacement. Anyone been there?


@Auslander - I don't know if you wear a support knee brace but my physio is recommending this one to me. She has a 70s+ patient still farming who does not want an op but finds this invaluable. They are not cheap!!!!! and I am holding off getting one until I know the results of my next consultation with an orthopaedic surgeon who is prepared to risk the heart issues. Even if I get one knee done I might still consider it for the other knee to help keep me upright as I, too, have had some painful falls. Unless he says he will do both knees at once - but then I might need to learn to levitate for a while. ;) ;)

Just a thought.
 
Mustard said:
My husband's had both knees done over the last few years - one at 70 and one at 74. He's78 now and can walk miles over rough ground. The only thing he finds difficult is kneeling down. I had a hip done last year, 10 years after i was told I needed it but couldn't have it. I'm thinking about starting riding again if I can shift some weight, and I'm working on walking further. I'm 71.
But - be very careful about blisters and cuts. My brother in law had both knees done in his 60s, went out walking in new shoes and got blisters. He didn't take much notice, but an infection got in and he ended up in hospital with sepsis. The infection had tucked itself into the metal, where's there's no live tissue to fight it. He nearly died, and had to have both knees redone, with some artificial bone to fill in where it had been destroyed by the infection. It's very rare, but not unknown. He was walking several miles a day again once he'd got over the infection.
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Absolutely this with knees especially. Even years later infection can cause problems seeded from elsewhere in the body. It's not common but it's something to be aware of.
 
Trouper said:

@Auslander - I don't know if you wear a support knee brace but my physio is recommending this one to me. She has a 70s+ patient still farming who does not want an op but finds this invaluable. They are not cheap!!!!! and I am holding off getting one until I know the results of my next consultation with an orthopaedic surgeon who is prepared to risk the heart issues. Even if I get one knee done I might still consider it for the other knee to help keep me upright as I, too, have had some painful falls. Unless he says he will do both knees at once - but then I might need to learn to levitate for a while. ;) ;)

Just a thought.
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I don't, but I've been considering it. They look really good
 
I'm not far off this stage. I'm 64 and all my life in conjunction with my saddlery work have done some extremely heavy work.
I have been a despatch rider in all weathers doing hundreds of miles a day, been working in recycling sorting the skips as they come in then as a banksman on 32 ton RELs moving up to 165 x 1100 litres wheelie bins a day plus climbing in and out of skips all day. The 1100 litre bins were not supposed to be above 100kg but we regularly had them over 500kg and one was 768kg these were to heavy for the the lorries to lift. I have done industrial cleaning moving 14 x 75kg bins a day 200 yards then lifting it by hand up 20 inches in to a 50 yard skip and then lifting it again to tip it and shovel the muck in to the skip. I have done delivery work, JCB digger work, care work, laundry work, mucking out horses, milking cows, farming, you name it I have done it and that has knackered my knees, wrists and neck. I have osteoarthritis in all of them. I struggle to drive now and do my saddlery for more than an hour or so.
Not eligible for any financial help so I struggle in silence. I suppose the next step is to go to the doctor and see if I can have treatment. Not fun getting old is it.
Interesting reading the replies on here to see what's involved.
Oz
 
My partners had his second knee replacement in Jan this year. Was back at work by April. Still gets pain but he list over a stone in weight and that helped.

He doesn't ride but works on two yards two days a week doing manual tasks like topping, rolling, harrowing, fixing fences, trimming, etc.
 
phizz4 said:
Before you go the steroid or surgery route ask your consultant about Crespine Gel. It is injected into the joint and fills the crevices caused by the arthritis. It’s not available on the NHS as it isn’t ’cost effective’. Ie. Steroids are cheaper, but it is far more effective at giving pain relief.
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Someone I know with pretty bad knee arthritis (but not quite at replacement threshold) had this recently and the results were amazing, they've even been able to go running again.
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Yes I had a complete complex knee replacement ( one ) combined with some work on my tibia .
I don’t have a standard implant .
Top line good news it’s was success, I have increased mobility less pain including now taking no prescription pain relief for the first time since my twenties .
Less good very painful post op the ten days where very very difficult the first five days where hell. Terrible swelling and I got fracture blisters ( Google it) it’s my second run in with them and they are appalling things .
Initial rehab was easy I did it at home on zoom to physio at the Nuffield it hurts but the more you do the better it gets and I quickly learnt how to manage that
I then had a period of doldrums where I was functioning but it hurt I struggled to canter to balance that leg that was from six to just over year .
Then I suddenly I started to get more function and it’s still improving and I can do things that I have not done in decades .
I can’t kneel , I think that’s quite usual .
I am almost three years post op now .
 
Trouper said:
@cremedemonthe - do please go and check in with the doctor. Of all the arthritis issues I have, I am finding struggling with knees the worst so far and they are certainly aggravating my back issues. At least you can start a process with the GP even if it only puts you "on the list".
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Thank you, I keep meaning to phone the Doctor but put it off, my wife says I'm a typical man!
 
Auslander said:
I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in all three compartments of both knees last week. Bit disappointing, as I'm only 52, but hey...
I'm having steroid injections in both knees in a few weeks, but the doc who summoned me said that they were doing it to try and get me more comfortable, rather than to fix me. General consensus seems to be that I will need both knees replaced, and I've got an ortho triage call next week.
I'm keen to find out if anyone has had a total knee replacement (especially if you had both done!) and how it's affected your riding (and horsey life in general).
Already overthinking like a mad thing, as that's how I roll!
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Tell the surgeon that you ride and intend to carry on riding as it can affect which replacement you get given. Surgeon initially laughed and said "I suppose you want to be able to play the violin as well". However, when presented with a photo of her going over a jump, he took her seriously and changed what he was proposing to do.
 
Had my ortho triage call today, and I've been referred on to the surgical team. It's possible they may refuse to accept the referral until I've had steroid injections, but the person I spoke to said it was worth a try. He said my xrays were pretty bad (I haven't seen them), and in his opinion, steroids aren't going to help much
 
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