Knee problems....Gel shots???

[dmccarty]

I have two family members that have had knee replacements and neither would have been deemed successful. One person simply did not do the PT so their mobility was not good but there was less pain in the knees. You have to do what the Doc and PT says to do. The other person has other health issues, including too much weight that has limited the success of the replacement. They also seem to have suffered hip or other structural issues due to the body's reaction to the bad knee. PT was done correctly as best I can tell but it seems that other health issues prevented a recovery experienced by others.

Leaving work yesterday, I was watching a guy walking away from me. I have known the guy for years and I noticed his gait was not right. Not sure why but he was walking like an old man, and while he and I are no longer spring chickens, he is not old enough to be walking that way. He is thin so I was wondering what was causing his gait. Hopefully, he over did it in the gym or garden....

A year or so ago, I was listening to a bunch of older guys talking about their aches and pains. This was disturbing to me since I never thought I would be listening to a bunch of older men complaining about their backs, hips, necks, etc. :shocked::laughing::laughing::laughing: One of the guys has a bad back and went to the back Doc. The back Doc said the guy needed surgery, but the guy don't want surgery, so Doc said to come back when the guy could no longer take the pain and he will then do the procedure. Frankly, I think that is the right way to do it within reason. A coworkers wife had back issues for years, finally had surgery which went wrong and she is now crippled.

Getting older ain't for sissies.

Later,
Dan

 

[RSKY]

Just got off the phone talking to my friend who had such good luck with her knee replacement last year. According to her the secret to her success was the exercises both before and after surgery. Said she did them eight to ten times a day to strengthen her leg muscles. Kinda like the guy above who plays hockey. Strong leg muscles make all the difference. That will be a problem for me because I have no strength in my left leg. I have favored it for so many years.

She also said she had problems with her hips because she had let the knees go for so long.

Third thing she told me was to stay with my doctor because he was the best. She could not say enough good things about the doctor or his assistant.

Last thing she told me was which home health service to ask for.

Anyway I have made my decision and will discuss it with the doctor when I go in three weeks. I am tired of hurting nearly every step I take.

Thanks for all the comments and advice. Keep it coming if you have anything to add.

RSKY

 

[texasjohn]

I've had arthroscopic left knee surgery, now taking shots.
Everybody, thanks for your candid, complete answers. At 72 it gives me lots of great information.
Several comments have been made regarding obesity confounding the issue.
I can report that gastric sleeve surgery, a year plus ago, has very significantly helped my two sons and wife.
Wife had hip pain so great she always used electric shopping carts. Now, she WALKS thru entire store and is faster than I am.
Older son had knee surgery years ago, skiing injury. He reports that mobility is much improved since gastric surgery.
Younger son, although he has had no knee/hip problems, is very mobile and realizes he has prolonged the use of his OEM equipment.
My net....gastric surgery and it's attendant weight loss (78-115 lbs in our cases) can be a very significant adjunct to hip/knee health.

 

[tow653]

My mom had the stem cell treatment done a few years ago and then went with a knee replacement at 93,had to darn near force surgeon into doing it. A brother has had the stem cell treatment done in his wrist and one knee with good results,think it was out of pocket,due to being elective.

Has anyone had stem cell therapy on their knees? My wife's knees are in worse shape than mine and she also has been having steroid shots with mixed results. A waitress/friend at one of our breakfast haunts told us about another customer's good results with stemcell then got the brochure for us to peruse. However, my wife's heart issues have been taken precident over her other malidies for the last few months so the stem cell thing is on the back burner.

 

[Bird]

I have two family members that have had knee replacements and neither would have been deemed successful. One person simply did not do the PT so their mobility was not good but there was less pain in the knees. You have to do what the Doc and PT says to do.

You sure have that right. My mother fell and broke a hip, had botched surgery, redone in the same hospital, massive infection, moved to another hospital, had that entire hip joint removed, and had one knee replaced, but did not do the PT, so after a year in the hospital she survived, but never walked again, and that knee was always stiff; could not bend it at all.

 

[HEC]

Had a friend who was told not to wait to long to have his knees replaced , but he did wait to long . He has lost most all his ability to just move around in his house with a walker and is in constant pain when doing so . He had another health issue so is no longer even a candidate for knee surgery . He is so sorry for not having it done when he was able to do so . It breaks your heart to see him just try to move around . My chiropractor has a few patients who may have waited to long and then decided to have the surgery with not very good results .

 

[breadtrk]

I've got both knees and right hip replaced. I had the knees scoped twice before getting the replacements. One had the hip scoped once. After having gone through this, knowing how much all that did for me, I would have gone straight to replacements rather than dragging things out with the scope.

 

[MrWhippy]

IF you decide to go the total replacement route, realize there is a lot of work involved. Both before and after surgery. Most programs have a presurgery PT program to get as much strength, balance and flexibility as is possible BEFORE the surgery. It makes a world a difference in the post surgery recovery. Secondly, they will likely want you to get a full dental examination and have everything questionable repaired. Poor dentition is a common source of transient bacteremia which can lead to joint infection and joint failure.

That said, hips, shoulders and knees are some of the most satisfying surgeries in modern medicine. Those with good outcomes (in large part related to the work the patient puts in) can expect 20 years of pain free service from their new joint.

 

[corl]

Hyaluronic acid injections (gel) were first used in racehorses probably for 10 years before its use in people. The posts in this thread show the usual results that are of temporary relief. I had a colleague that had a knee replaced and was back at work in 10 days with no PE. Another colleague who was over weight had both knees replaced and developed infection around the implant. After several revision surgeries he underwent an amputation. All things are possible. Finding a good physician that understands your position is important. Second opinions are also a good idea.

 

[QRTRHRS]

My mom had the stem cell treatment done a few years ago and then went with a knee replacement at 93,had to darn near force surgeon into doing it. A brother has had the stem cell treatment done in his wrist and one knee with good results,think it was out of pocket,due to being elective.

I had a neighbor lady that had one of her hips done at 92. This was in the early nineties. She was pretty spry even before the surgury. It was not long after that she was back out walking at a pace that would make many out of breath, lol!