Robo Knees

luvflyin

luvflyin

Touchdown! Greaser!
Joined
May 8, 2015
Messages
16,169
Location
Santa Barbara, CA
Display Name
Display name:
Luvflyin
Doc says my knees are shot and I should think about getting new ones. It's not about they got crushed or something like that. Just the Cartilidge is mostly gone. I'm bone on bone. Appointments been made with a knee guy for next month. In the meantime, anyone here have new knees? How'd it go?
 
Last edited:
Good friend of mine who weighs 300+ lbs had excellent results and was walking the next day.
 
I have one! It is awesome!! I'm a geologist and when I would do field work, my knee would swell up to the size of a soccer ball and never really go down again until I'd been not doing field work for a week or more. With my new knee, there are days when the only thing that doesn't hurt is the new knee. Get...it...done!

Having said that, be ready for (a) lots of pain and (b) doing all the rehab with a will. Yes, it hurts. Yes, it hurts worse during rehab. YES, IT'S TOTALLY WORTH IT!!

2 bits of (unasked-for) advice: (1) Don't get both knees done at once. I know that means duplicating the pain, but I don't see how you can rehab two knees at once. (2) Get your ortho to prescribe a machine that will flex your leg for you for the first couple of weeks. The biggest hazard with knee replacement, as I understand it, is when people won't do the rehab (i.e., won't flex their legs) because it hurts too much, and what happens is they end up with ever-decreasing range of motion. You do NOT want that to happen because you won't get it back (apparently people think they can restore the range of motion any time--they can't). The machine keeps your leg flexible (and increases the flexibility) while you're getting past the worst of the pain. While it hurts when the leg flexes, it hurts most when you have to do the work of flexing it. So getting past that first two weeks with less pain than it takes when you do the work yourself is really good.
 
I don't know how old you are - but knees typically last 20yr, and need to be replaced. Something to consider.

Can you "get by" for five years or more with a gel injection? Something to consider.
 
I have 2 robo hips, they are great!
 
I have two. Some knees last longer than others. Ask your surgeon what he uses and why. My surgeon was using the same knee as the Mayo clinic. Explained some of what was going on and said he thought my knees would last my lifetime. The oldest is pushing 20 years old and feels the same as it did six months after I got it.

Plan on exceeding the PT people's guidance. Work hard and you will love them. I climbed in my Citabria and went flying at three weeks with the first and was in the office one week after the second.
 
My wife had both total knee replacements. Changed her life completely. Zero pain now.

Another point for my wife is that she was unable to exercise with her bad knees. Since the surgery she has lost 40 pounds and is living her best life. It's not just about the knee, but the health of your whole body.

The comment about it being painful is true. Follow rehab to the letter. When they tell you to take the pain med before you go to rehab - do it! This is one of those times when pushing thru pain is important to your recovery.

I also agree with the above comment about one at a time. The rehab requires having one good leg.

A pilot/A&p at my airport was one of the "I don't need no pain meds and I can recover on my own" type. Didn't take the rehab seriously. And years later he is still limping on that leg.
 
Rgbeard said:
I don't know how old you are - but knees typically last 20yr, and need to be replaced. Something to consider.

Can you "get by" for five years or more with a gel injection? Something to consider.
Click to expand...
I’m old enough that might not be an issue. Doc was hoping to do that injection thing. He called it motor oil. But he said it doesn’t work well when it’s got to the point of bone on bone. Cortisone would relieve the pain. I’ve had a couple of those. It’s not good to get to many.
 
asicer said:
Only $6mil? That's mere pocket change for a few of my friends. :rofl:
Click to expand...

Well it's kinda like the car Johnny Cash built ... one piece at a time. The installment plan ...
 
Rgbeard said:
I don't know how old you are - but knees typically last 20yr, and need to be replaced. Something to consider.

Can you "get by" for five years or more with a gel injection? Something to consider.
Click to expand...
According to my doc, that’s no longer true. My knee will outlive me, and I’m only 71.
 
I haven't done it, but my wife has had both replaced. I agree with the statement don't do both at the same time. Also don't do them two closely together. Just my opinion, but if you haven't been off the pain meds for a number of weeks(6?) the pain meds are less effective on the 2nd knee which makes it even harder to do the required rehab.

Brian
 
brcase said:
I haven't done it, but my wife has had both replaced. I agree with the statement don't do both at the same time. Also don't do them two closely together. Just my opinion, but if you haven't been off the pain meds for a number of weeks(6?) the pain meds are less effective on the 2nd knee which makes it even harder to do the required rehab.

Brian
Click to expand...
Good point. I really don’t think any doctor would do both at the same time even if I wanted to.
 
I have 2 and the surgery went fantastic and was walking without a cane or walker 48 hours after surgery. Pre-hab with a professional personal trainer prior to surgery to strengthen my legs prior to surgery was very beneficial for me.
 
My ankles are shot. Anybody know of any "robo ankles" on the horizon?
 
judypilot said:
I have one! It is awesome!! I'm a geologist and when I would do field work, my knee would swell up to the size of a soccer ball and never really go down again until I'd been not doing field work for a week or more. With my new knee, there are days when the only thing that doesn't hurt is the new knee. Get...it...done!

Having said that, be ready for (a) lots of pain and (b) doing all the rehab with a will. Yes, it hurts. Yes, it hurts worse during rehab. YES, IT'S TOTALLY WORTH IT!!

2 bits of (unasked-for) advice: (1) Don't get both knees done at once. I know that means duplicating the pain, but I don't see how you can rehab two knees at once. (2) Get your ortho to prescribe a machine that will flex your leg for you for the first couple of weeks. The biggest hazard with knee replacement, as I understand it, is when people won't do the rehab (i.e., won't flex their legs) because it hurts too much, and what happens is they end up with ever-decreasing range of motion. You do NOT want that to happen because you won't get it back (apparently people think they can restore the range of motion any time--they can't). The machine keeps your leg flexible (and increases the flexibility) while you're getting past the worst of the pain. While it hurts when the leg flexes, it hurts most when you have to do the work of flexing it. So getting past that first two weeks with less pain than it takes when you do the work yourself is really good.
Click to expand...

My mother at 80 years old got both done at the same time. One of the "benefits" of getting both done together is that you qualify for inpatient rehab. It's certainly not a choice for everyone.

10 years later she rides a bicycle (3 wheeler) goes to the local Y for water and chair aerobics 3 days a week.

Also get one of these https://supplypt.com/products/polar...VwADyepgcGBjNGbhHioCh4Dh2XtGj4pAaAiDbEALw_wcB
 
NHWannabe said:
My mother at 80 years old got both done at the same time. One of the "benefits" of getting both done together is that you qualify for inpatient rehab. It's certainly not a choice for everyone.

10 years later she rides a bicycle (3 wheeler) goes to the local Y for water and chair aerobics 3 days a week.

Also get one of these https://supplypt.com/products/polar...VwADyepgcGBjNGbhHioCh4Dh2XtGj4pAaAiDbEALw_wcB
Click to expand...

Those are pretty sweet, but useless for anything else. I just used the long, thin, flexible refreezable ice packs. Useful for all kinds of things once you don't need them for your knees any more. For example, I used one last night to calm down some horrible, itchy insect bites enough so I could sleep!
 
NHWannabe said:
My mother at 80 years old got both done at the same time. One of the "benefits" of getting both done together is that you qualify for inpatient rehab. It's certainly not a choice for everyone.

10 years later she rides a bicycle (3 wheeler) goes to the local Y for water and chair aerobics 3 days a week.

Also get one of these https://supplypt.com/products/polar...VwADyepgcGBjNGbhHioCh4Dh2XtGj4pAaAiDbEALw_wcB
Click to expand...
Hmm. Both at the same time might actually be cheaper than two separate surgeries and rehabs. Do you remember how long she was inpatient.
 
Clip4 said:
I have 2 and the surgery went fantastic and was walking without a cane or walker 48 hours after surgery. Pre-hab with a professional personal trainer prior to surgery to strengthen my legs prior to surgery was very beneficial for me.
Click to expand...
Now that’s a good idea. I’m going to look into that. My guess it will probably be the same exercises as I did after the other knee surgeries I had. Meniscectomies. Have you had one of those?
 
A little off topic, but my sister-in-law is an OR nurse, and brings the boxes home to use for Christmas and birthday presents. Always odd to tear the wrapping paper off and see 'knee,' 'hip,' etc. Then open the box to see what it really is.
 
One done three years ago, one last year. I waited too long to do the first. Got the second about right.

Back to 100+% after four weeks on the first, second took longer. As my Doc said, every knee is different.

Been back to bike riding and skiing at 80 with zero pain. I’m gradually getting mechanically rebuilt piece by piece just like a B-52. Shame I can’t update my brain like avionics.

JUST DO THE EFFING REHAB or you’ll be worse off than before the operation(s).

Cheers
 
X3 Skier said:
One done three years ago, one last year. I waited too long to do the first. Got the second about right.

Back to 100+% after four weeks on the first, second took longer. As my Doc said, every knee is different.

Been back to bike riding and skiing at 80 with zero pain. I’m gradually getting mechanically rebuilt piece by piece just like a B-52. Shame I can’t update my brain like avionics.

JUST DO THE EFFING REHAB or you’ll be worse off than before the operation(s).

Cheers
Click to expand...
Skiing on them is a real selling point.
 
Just got one done. Needed it 5 years ago but no doctor would do it when I was 34. Now I'm 40 I guess I'm old enough now. The surgeon used the MAKO robot and it's so simple I feel like any pilot could perform the operation. I'm 6 weeks post op so I'm still overcoming some of the little aches and pains but it's going well.
 
Joint replacement technology is amazing. Had both hips replaced in the past 12 months. Surgery at 8:30 in the morning and walked to the car to go home at 3:00. Pain killers for the first few days and then nothing more than occasional Advil. I hear knees are a little more rehab-intensive. I had no rehab until I asked for PT at 6 months to improve range of motion ahead of a walking vacation in Portugal, which wasn’t surgery related. If you’re a candidate for joint replacement you’re living with a handicap and your body is adapting to it. The longer you wait the more difficult the journey back to normal. Don’t wait.
 
Rgbeard said:
These people advertise here nonstop, and their "stuff" looks like more-than motor oil.

https://arthritiskneepain.com

https://www.ispot.tv/ad/t_b1/arthritis-relief-centers-knee-pain-relief
Click to expand...

I had been going to them. Did they help? Maybe a little bit. It certainly wasn't oh boy pain free.
I'm a chicken and don't think I'll have my knees done. I'm 84, how many years do I have left? I don't want to spend them in a haze, popping pills to keep the pain away.
I watched my wife go through hell with hers. Two years down the road she still isn't pain free.
The chap across from us has had nothing but trouble with infections. Right now he has a temporary plastic joint while waiting for his permanent replacement.
 
pmanton said:
I had been going to them. Did they help? Maybe a little bit. It certainly wasn't oh boy pain free.
I'm a chicken and don't think I'll have my knees done. I'm 84, how many years do I have left? I don't want to spend them in a haze, popping pills to keep the pain away.
I watched my wife go through hell with hers. Two years down the road she still isn't pain free.
The chap across from us has had nothing but trouble with infections. Right now he has a temporary plastic joint while waiting for his permanent replacement.
Click to expand...

These experiences aren't typical, as you might have gathered from the other posts. Are you popping pain pills now because your knees hurt?

Of course, everyone's calculation of the balance between ongoing pain, post-surgical pain, and remaining life is going to be different.
 
Are you popping pain pills now because your knees hurt?
No just aspirin. I really hate the narcotic stuff. They ease the pain but leave me feeling drunk which I hate.
 
pmanton said:
Are you popping pain pills now because your knees hurt?
No just aspirin. I really hate the narcotic stuff. They ease the pain but leave me feeling drunk which I hate.
Click to expand...

FWIW, I'm allergic to all opiates and their derivatives, so once the pain-killer he injected directly into the knee when it was still open (I don't know what it was, but it lasted a couple of days), I had to get by with an acetaminophen/ibuprofen combo recommended by my doc. It was enough--barely. But really, it was fine.
 
I just got back from seeing the knee doc. I'm going to do it. Full replacements. Right knee first. Thank you all for your input here. It really helped me in talking to him. Knowing what questions to ask and in understanding his answers.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top