Popping in Hip

[curt]

     Also have "weak" knees.  Already did arthroscopic on both for cleaning them up and removing torn meniscus tissue.  Aware of three knee interventions:  knee replacement; partial knee replacement and arthroscopic surgery for smoothing the rougher areas.  A more recent surgery is using a dental type drill to make hundreds of holes in the femur and tibia ends to cause them to "leak" or ooze boney material that mimicks articulate cartilage that protects the bone ends from the bone-on-bone contact.  Down-side is that you are completely non-load bearing for 6 weeks.  Crutches only.  It does not allow full impact but does offer relief from the OA pain.
      At six week checkup with Dr. Gross I asked him to evaluate my knees and he stated that arthroscopic would do me zero good and because my knees had medial bone on bone, a partial knee was out, and a total knee drastically limits higher end activity. He recommended doing nothing surgically until I basically can't take it.
       Right now my knees are my weakest link in my hip recovery as they too try to remember how to be increasingly active.  As my impact increases in my workouts the muscles are sore, but the knee joints are recovering quicker with the help of a few Alleve.  Good luck, but its part of getting older I guess.  As I tell my friends, "my hip feels great, its the rest of me that feels like &*%%$!"

Curt

[John C]

Hi Curt,
I don't know much about knee replacements, but in terms of limiting higher end activity levels, here are some of my observations. Here in Sun Valley, there are at least 4 or 5 full time ski instructors, and a similar number of full time ski patrollers who have one or two knee replacements each. Also, one of our local helicopter ski guides who guides heli-skiing all winter, and guides trekking through Nepal, etc, all summer, is about 4 years into his new knee. I think that they do try to avoid bumps, but all of these folks are skiing and active full time. I also had one student who had both knees replaced last year and is back on skis better than in years, and two more students who are having knees replaced this spring.
It is too early to tell how these will work out long term, but all of these folks are happy and active right now.

[curt]

     John, et. al., don't get me wrong.  If you can't get around and are impacted severely by knee arthritis, I wouldn't hesitate to have them replaced.  That's what led to my hip getting fixed.  I would not have hesitated to have a total hip done if HR were not available, but was lucky to have a procedure available that MIGHT have superior longevity.  Hope it works.  I do trust Dr. Gross enough to shake off the knees until I can't take it anymore, or until a better longevity solution presents itself.

Curt

[Memphis Rob]

Thanks John C and Curt. I am using Ibuprofen to alleviate the knee pain. My Doc is suggesting Supartz injections and said this will get bme by on my "God -Given" knees for a few years. I'll be trying it

[Jimt]

I hear that they are making quick progress with stem cell treatment.  You may want to Check out what they are already doing in Europe. I just heard about this over the weekend so I have researched but the source is in the medical field and needing a knee replacement.

[imgetinold]

There is a doctor named Kevin Stone who is doing biological knee replacements, and working on "humanizing" animal tissue to make the supply of biologic replacements abundant and cheap.

Check it out:  http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/kevin_stone_the_bio_future_of_joint_replacement.html

[curt]

Can I have the knees of a Jaguar or Cheetah?  The rhino ones aren't that good!!

Curt