Note: I am offering the information below to anyone browsing the web who is experiencing knee pain and may be considering a Total Knee Replacement (TKR). I know that when I was in that same situation I scoured the web for any and all information that could help me understand more about it and what the ramifications of the surgery might be. I am here to tell you that it altered my life forever in a most positive way. I would do it again in a heartbeat. Although it takes a long time to fully recuperate, it is all worth it and the new knee is far better that the original. One very important caveat to this statement is that you must follow all the doctors orders to the letter and aggressively go through all the associated physical therapy religiously. This is very important as the amount of effort you put into your therapy will define how successful your new implant will be. This last part is 100% up to you - not the surgeon - you and you alone must be willing to do what it takes to go through the physical therapy necessary to restore full functionality to your knee.
That being said, here's my story:
On January 26, 2004 I went into the hospital to have my left knee replaced. The operation is known as a Total Knee Replacement (TKR). I am writing about it here because t has truly changed the quality of my life.
When I was younger I was on the Ski Team in High School and raced competitively for many years. I used to love to race and ski at very high speeds and skied some of the steepest slopes in both the Eastern US and Colorado. I used to ski allot in Aspen, Colorado and that is where I went out of control one day on a very steep slope at a very high speed. I was 20 yrs old at the time and I knew I was in big trouble as I literally flew off the trail and into the woods. That dumb move (in retrospect of course) resulted in a badly damaged left knee that initially healed but then began to bother me 25 or so years later.
When a joint suffers that kind of trauma, it is very likely to develop degenerative arthritis when one gets older and that is exactly what happened to me. As it became more and more painful I consulted an orthopedic surgeon who scheduled me for arthroscopic surgery. After the surgery, the doctor told me that he had done all he could. Although he repaired much of the damage, unfortunately he could not repair the degenerative arthritis that was left behind. He said that could only be fixed by a Total Knee Replacement. He estimated I would need the replacement in 5 to 10 years. Sure enough, 7 years later my knee became so painful I couldn't walk without a cane and even then it was too painful to walk any distance.
After much careful consideration and consultation with my doctor, I scheduled my date for the TKR surgery. There is a lot to consider in an operation like this - first and foremost is the fact that it is no small operation. It is considered major surgery and there is much that can go wrong. Basically your entire knee is removed and replaced with metal and plastic. The knee is dismantled and the bones are sawed off and drilled with mounting holes. The metal implants are then attached and then the knee is reassembled. There is quite a bit of postoperative pain for the first few weeks and one should be prepared to experience moderate pain for three months after the operation during which time you must undergo intensive physical therapy in order to get the new knee to bend and walk properly.
It
takes 6 months to a full year before you recuperate fully but once
rehabilitated the knee is stronger and better than it ever was originally. I
love my new knee and can honestly say that it was the best thing I have ever
done. I can now walk as much as I want where previously I could barely walk at
all even with the aid of a cane! I can play golf better than before and have
absolutely no ill effects whatsoever.
Left is an X-Ray view of my knee showing the replacement with metal implants on both the top and bottom bones. This view is looking straight on at the knee from the front. All of the bright white areas are titanium metal and the gray areas are bone. In between the two implants is a special plastic piece (invisible by X-Ray)
At right below is a view of the knee from the side showing the metal implants and the kneecap (which was also resurfaced and has a new metal piece attached to its backside).
As you can see, this is no small amount of metal. A TKR actually involves a massive amount of metal that totally replaces the bone of your damaged knee.
DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor and take no responsibility for anyone reading this. If you think you need a knee replacement, you should consult a real doctor - not me. My surgical experience does not mean your experience will be the same, nor am I recommending that anyone should ever go through this surgery! However, if you want to learn more about TKR, there are many links on the web including these:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knee_replacement
and this one:
http://edheads.org/activities/knee .
Also, just put the words "total knee replacement" into google or any other search engine for allot more info.