I am new to this forum and I am soo glad I have found it .There looks to be great help and advice here. I am a 43 year old female and saw a knee specialist last Tuesday. I have been informed that I need either a partial or TKR due to previous injuries to the knee as a 17 year old. This is really freaking me out and I am having difficulties coming terms with this due to my age I thought this was something old people went through (no disrespect ment).
44 here with a left TKR. I was prepared to get mine done for a few years because of the issues I was having. I too had a knee injury when younger.
I’m 50 & post TKR 3 months. I’ve struggled with my knee since injury at 25, turned into arthritis at an early age & now I’ve got a new knee! Doing ok now but first weeks were hard, I won’t lie. This forum has kept me going over the low points. It’s worth it in the end. Good luck!
Sorry so young. They can do wonders though. I’m about 2 years out on first one. Getting a little discomfort but have put weight on. I am 54.
Thank you all for your kind comments. Good luck all what ever stage of recovery you all are at. What makes it worse is the waiting for the operation nearly 12 months.
They don't like doing it when you are young because of having to do it again in later years. But now the take lasts much longer
Hi there. I’m 47 and two months out of TKR. It hasn’t been easy I have to admit. Because of my age (they say recovery more difficult for younger patients) but more so because of past injuries and surgeries, I’m having trouble with my range of motion. It can be very frustrating but will get there....eventually! There are a few of us in our 40’s. And 50’s on this forum - lots of great advice and support found here.
It’s hard accepting getting TKR so early on in life but I have faith it will be much better than what we were living with!
Take care and good luck!
Apparently more active lifestyles have shown a greater increase in younger people joining the tkr fraternity. I can understand your angst regarding your future. Don't let anyone try and tell you its a piece of cake because it isn't but well worth it to get an active, relatively pain free life back. You can talk to a dozen different people who have gone through it and get roughly that many opinions of the journey they have taken. The 1st thing you will need before starting, patience. To start the process and yes, it is a process, is to understand it isn't lineal. You will have ups and downs, bumps in the road and a million questions about why things are happening the way they are. With this forum you have the most understanding, candid people you would hope to meet if you could hand select them. People from around the globe with all sorts of different medical systems they have to deal with and concepts of rehab will be offering real, honest caring info.
Scroll through here till you come across the writings of Chico Marx, the resident philosopher. His posts will enlighten you to many aspects in a nutshell.
As for me, due to a rare tumor my knee blew up a and consequently I've been through 11 surgeries, 2 staph infections and 5 complete rehabs so I have a little education the hard way.
As far as location, in in the middle of the US.
I was about 47 when I was first diagnosed with arthritis but my doctor kept saying, too young. I eventually got a doctor who didn't care how old I was, I needed a tkr and that was that. Once I got my appointment with the surgeon I waited about 6 weeks for my op. The x-rays spoke for themselves. Don't concentrate on age, it's about how long you can bear the pain
Hi Yolande,
I'm in Cornwall, UK and at the opposite end of the age spectrum. Now 73 and had partial knee replacement at 71. I tore my right knee cartilage in 2000 - age 56, (the result of a stumble when out walking along a river bank) following a sporting injury many years earlier. In fact when the surgeon went in (keyhole surgery) he found the onset of osteoarthritis and so a major clean up was needed.
No more problems until 2013, then began the onset of serious pain in right knee. Xrays showed extensive osteoarthritis in right knee, medial compartment where the knee had moved out of geometric alignment and was moving, bone on bone (medial compartment is basically the right knee, inside edge of the tibia). Over the years from 2000 to 2007 this caused other problems associated with the lower back and the right sacroiliac (Si) joint. Eventually, in July 2015 I saw a knee surgeon who advised either or partial knee replacement is needed. He discussed the pros and cons of both and left the choice to me. I elected for a partial. He agreed with the PROVISO that if when he opened it up he found the knee more seriously damaged by osteoarthritis than showed on the xray in which case he'd go straight in a do a full knee replacement.
Luckily - the damage was only confined to the medial compartment of the tibia as I've described.
On 6 Nov 2015 I was operated as an NHS patient in a private hospital, I was in hospital for 3 days. Hospital policy was to achieve a 90 degree bend before they'd discharge me.
However prior to surgery, some 8 weeks prior I consulted a sports injury massage therapist to concentrated to building up the strength of my lower and upper leg muscles...... so as to give the surgeon the best quality knee and leg to then go and butcher.
I was home on day 3 post op, 10 days later dressing was off and the incision free from infection, 2 days later still given the all clear by hospital. 8 weeks I was off crutches and driving my car and at 11 weeks I was back at work bus driving. no problems since.
One thing I would say is that after your dressing is off and you are pronounced clear of infection I got my massage therapist to work for about 6 weeks strengthening my leg and massaging all along the incision line - the objective being to prevent scar tissue forming within the knee itself. If it does form then it will become very difficult to do your PT exercises during the post op period.
Now, 2 years post op I'm fine and still driving buses, still passing my DVLA medical each year AND - the big bonus - little or no lower back and Si joint pain. The surgeon was able to realign all the skeletal geometry when he did the partial.
Now, if osteoarthritis occurs again in future I could still have a TKR.
Surgeon estimates that the spare part he put into the medial compartment will last some 15 years, plus.
Hope this helps - may the force be with you.
John
I'm 48 and 12 weeks post LTKR. I damaged the meniscus cartilage in my knee at the age of 23 by the Time I reached 32 I had mild to moderate arthritis which shocked me because I thought I was going to get it when I'm old. By my mid 30s I had my last arthroscopy to be told that I needed a knee replacement but because of my age they didn't want to do it. I managed it for a further 13 years but this last year has been too painful so I bit the bullet and had it done. Now I have to warn you the younger people seem to have a more difficult time with pain and recovery especially with flexion so please take that into consideration. My surgeon gave me 6 weeks to think about if I wanted the op but I said I was scared Incase something went wrong but he assured me that if I did everything they told me to do I would be fine. He said if you look after your knee it can last 20 plus years and then they can do a revision after that and medical technology is improving all the time do we will all be cyborgs later on in life, half man half machine although Chico Marx on here is nearly there already 😂 Good luck
Hi Yolande
im 42 and had a TKR 6 weeks ago. I had juvenile arthritis and needed a new knee by time I was 30 but kept getting told I was too young. Snoozy is right in saying that recovery appears to be harder for younger patients. I'm still really struggling with flexion. I know it will get better eventually and I couldn't carry on like i was. Good luck
Hi I am 52, now 9 month post op.
So very grateful for my TKR which has given me my life back.
If you experience disability and daily pain which restricts your life to the point you cannot bear it, a knee replacement is a wonderful thing. Not easy, but a lot easier than not being able to have anything done.
You need to want it...it can take some months to get your head around things.
Are you in UK?
You may like to go to my profile by clicking on the image next to my name. I kept a journal of my own knee replacement journey, and I have been told by several people they found it helpful to read, or skim through. It has a lot of useful suggestions and information. Hopefully it might be useful to you.
Are you using a stick to help you? How is it affecting your life? I found a TENS machine helpful. Might be worth a try.
What pain relief are you taking?
It gets even better over the next few months Sharon! I am now 9 months post op, and I feel like a new woman!
Ten years younger, whizzing around, living life again to the full!
Keep up exercise, stretches, and looking after yourself, and the benefits start piling in!
Thank you all for your support. I am using crutches at the moment and had a very active lifestyle. Its so frustrating at the moment not been able to do things. The hardest part is my love for horses ridden all my life. I have a warmblood (horse) whom is not doing anything at the moment.
If your quality of life is affected to this extent, it really is a no brainer. Even though I’m struggling with range of motion and worried about that, I dont have the same arthritis pain at all! I have some pain if I don’t rest my leg enough because it swells. But other than pushing it in physio I’m pretty good.
I have 4 horses that have had little done with them the past couple of years. Riding too long caused a lot of knee pain and stiffness especially when I was done. I’m looking forward to riding again without that pain! Here’s hoping!
Take care and good luck. 😊
Hi Amy,
I’m 42 and struggling with recovery. I didn’t realise that it was more difficult the younger you are until after the surgery. I’m 6 weeks in and ROM is only about 60. I know it will improve life but feeling that’s a long way off.
How’s your recovery been?
Hi Amy Hope you get back to riding soon good luck with your recovery
Thank you. Good luck with your recovery