Folks,

This isn't exactly African hunting BUT since a good many of us here are older and have or will have knee issues that can prevent us from hunting I thought I'd share my recent experience.

two years ago I was having some knee pain and had meniscus repair on both knees. That turned out fine and I had no real issues until I went to Mauritius last Oct. The ground in the hunting areas is very rocky and after two days of twists and turns my R knee was done.

Once home I looked at treatment options and finally got a full R knee replacement in March. I know it is major surgery but 7 weeks out I don't think it was that big of a deal. I'm driving, taking care of myself now and my knee gets stronger everyday.

If your having knee issues get it taken care of so you can hunt well into your later years. At 73 I'm looking forward to climbing in Spain in October, walking while hunting in Montana in November and more Africa in the future.

Mark

My younger brother had one knee replaced a year ago.

And the second one about a month ago.

He is very happy with the operation.

Congrats, Mark!

Our 85-year-old neighbor, a former Army helicopter pilot, had a knee replaced last January, and is back to playing tennis already.

He has to be careful, but he already has great lateral and forward mobility.

Everyone I know who has had the surgery is very happy with it.

I have had both of my knees replaced, and it is a godsend. The left knee was almost 11 years ago, and the right was 9 years ago. No more pain, no more cortisone shots, and no more painkillers. Do the post-op rehab religiously, keep your weight where it should be, and stay active, and a good result will happen.

quote:

Originally posted by Tim Ferrall:
Do the post-op rehab religiously, keep your weight where it should be, and stay active, and a good result will happen.

Tim,
You hit the nail on the head here. The rehab is vital to being happy with the surgery. One of our customers is a well known orthopedic surgeon. He makes all his patients check into a rehab center post op or he will not do their operation. He was tired of being blamed for doing a bad job, when in reality it was the patient's fault for not doing the rehab.

Its not just the knees. I have had both shoulders replaced. Its a godsend to not have the arthritic pain. Do the surgery don't keep putting it off. Knee replacements surgery is same day for the most part. After a few months most folks do great. I would also suggest knee pads for those situations where crawling is required.

I have friends that have had, shoulder, hip, knee and finger joint replacements.

I also have some of these friends who have had issues and to have had the replacement joints replaced up to 2 times. One individual showed me the broken hip joint (all the pieces). I am thinking that it was painful when the joint broke, the metal looked like a knife blade.

Another friend, the replacement parts had to be removed, and he was left with a missing knee until the infection cleared up, and then back in for a second try. His reply was if I knew that this might of happen, I would never have had it done the first time.

Some who have had the procedure like it and others not so much.

Like all medical procedures, you are not sure how yours will turn out.

We have had friends die from what was considered a simple procedure.

So I am on the fence on getting my left knee replaced, I just need to be careful on what I do.

It is absolutely true that not all orthopaedic surgeons or hospitals are created equal.

You need to do your homework, and go to the best you can find.

The best is always a surgeon who practices in a large population center, and who does joint, and specifically knee, replacement work as a substantial part of his practice, or better yet, exclusively.

FWIW.

My experience is that you need to have reasonable expectations.

You will not come out of the OR pain free and with a joint like you had in your childhood.

I’ve had patients who had great results, and folks with less than stellar results. Compliance with rehab is the biggest thing, but being willing to accept some restrictions is also key.

Generally, folks with significant arthritis who have tried to avoid surgery while staying active as long as possible tend to have the best outcomes. Couch potatoes who have low pain tolerance usually complain of ongoing issues with pain and lack of strength and range of motion.

It’s not a panacea and it is not 100% risk free.

I’m glad you are doing great, Mark! But I bet Sadie made sure you did what you were told to as well!

quote:

Originally posted by crbutler:
My experience is that you need to have reasonable expectations.

You will not come out of the OR pain free and with a joint like you had in your childhood.

100%. I had my right knee replaced in late 2019. I think a lot of the stories about the miracle cure knee replacements come from people that were enduring so much persistent knee pain before surgery that the replacement does, in their case, represent a dramatic change in circumstance. However, the truth is that the recovery is not pain free and you will never have the range of motion and feel that you had with your God-given equipment. I did the therapy faithfully including the daily home exercises. I get around fine, do the elliptical, treadmill and ride a bike for exercise four or five times a week. If I did not tell you I had my knee replaced you would never know it from my gait, movement, etc. But I am still reminded every day that my knee is artificial and that my range of motion in the new knee is limited. I think the point about having realistic expectations is spot on . . . if your knee is such that you are in constant pain, have trouble walking and transitioning, you are likely to feel that the surgery was a Godsend despite the post-operative pain and recovery. Otherwise your opinion is likely to be a bit more tempered. I would always encourage folks to consider seriously non-surgical options and look at replacement as the last option. Hopefully the day will come when medical researchers discover a way to regenerate joint cartilage.

I forgot to add: A surgeon who has privileges at a nationally recognized medical school affiliated teaching hospital is also a huge indicator of skill.

Rule No. 1 - Get the best you can.

Do any of you have knowledge on ankle replacements? I broke mine about 45 years ago and it didn't heal right. The doctor told me I need a replacement. I've been putting it off as I've read they only last 5-10 years. I'm 62 years old.

I had both knees replaced at the same time a few yrs ago. Still have some soft tissue pain. Lots better than what it was. My tip for finding a good Dr. Is to talk to the PT’s in your area. They can tell you which Dr’s patients do the best. They see how well the patients do. After a few yrs they can tell you a lot about who to go see.
Bruce

I'm mighty happy for you guys with new knees getting along so well. Back about '90 I had both scoped to clean the torn cartilage out. That really helped.

I've had bad knee's since Aug 1970 at 26. Over did it deer hunting in the steep mountains.
I know I've lost at least five years of my life's doings from them. Braces off and on for years.

In spring '03 a friends wife sent me several bottles of Glucosamine pills. "take 5 a day and don't argue". In two months I was out of the braces and little pain.

Medicos wouldn't replace them as I still had space between the bones. Hell with the pain! Live with it.

Finally Oct '18 had the R replaced. A friend was going to stay with me until I got back on my feet. IT was done on Thursday, he left the next Tuesday. I live alone. A week later trying to toss out the trash bag I slipped out of the wheel chair and folded my leg up tight. Two weeks after that I tried stepping up with that leg and went down again. Dislodged the knee cap. Doc that put it in refused to fix it. I had to find another doc. He moved it back mostly in place 5 months later. It infected and had to be opened twice to clean the crap out.

Dec '19 I tripped over the dog and fell full weight on that knee and broke a part. Replaced again, infected again!

I fully believe the first guy trimmed too much bone off and shortened that leg as it's at least an inch short now and I hop on it some. It's never been worth a damn. The left one is bad too. I'm plumb afraid to have it replaced.

I tore both rotators at one time. Had them scoped, the R one had been scoped twice, left once. Around '15 I had both shoulders replaced.

With this back fused, Sometimes a nerve pinches and drops me. Sure as hell, I fell and caught myself on both hands and tore the right cuff again. Had it scoped. So three scopes and replaced of the right shoulder so far.

Last week doing some exercises with light weights I felt the R one pinch and pop again. So far it's not bad at all. Just enough I know not to do those movements with weights again.

Do your PT and keep in condition, don't fall on those joints they CAN be broken, and hope like hell you don't get infection in them. IF you do CIPRO is your friend to clear it up.

George

I started to have knee problems at 48. Had to give up tennis. Now use a golf cart. Gave up water skiing.
Had stem cell treatment about ten years ago and that has helped me get through to 60. Noticed I’m getting quite bow legged now and know it’s time for double replacement. Not looking forward to it although it seems if you can avoid infection then you are on the right track.
My knees have certainly limited my physical activity for a long time so new ones will probably be an improvement.

quote:

Originally posted by MARK H. YOUNG:
Folks,

This isn't exactly African hunting BUT since a good many of us here are older and have or will have knee issues that can prevent us from hunting I thought I'd share my recent experience.

two years ago I was having some knee pain and had meniscus repair on both knees. That turned out fine and I had no real issues until I went to Mauritius last Oct. The ground in the hunting areas is very rocky and after two days of twists and turns my R knee was done.

Once home I looked at treatment options and finally got a full R knee replacement in March. I know it is major surgery but 7 weeks out I don't think it was that big of a deal. I'm driving, taking care of myself now and my knee gets stronger everyday.

If your having knee issues get it taken care of so you can hunt well into your later years. At 73 I'm looking forward to climbing in Spain in October, walking while hunting in Montana in November and more Africa in the future.

Mark

Hi Mark,
good to hear you are doing well.
Sounds you are getting into the mountain shape to come and hunt chamois with me

All the best and quick recovery to you,
Dennis

My knees have been beat to hell and back. I ran track in college . Ran for a lot of years afterwards. My best guess is that I have run 150,000 miles in my life .

My right knee gives me a lot of grief from time to time . I cannot move it like my left . A friend who is a knee surgeon says it will have to be replaced . I can hardly wait .

Sucks to get old. Beats the alternative.

If you live an active life you will most likely wear some joints out.

Replacements do not work as well as the real thing. My right knee was done last (2X within a year's time) in '11. It is clunky/noisy and forget about kneeling anymore. Not nearly as much flexibility but it does not cause pain most days.

Left knee is on it's way out. Same surgeon said I would be lucky to get 5 years out of it back in '11. Both thumb joints are worn out as are other joints. Activity does this stuff.

quote:

Originally posted by Nevada Wapati:
Do any of you have knowledge on ankle replacements? I broke mine about 45 years ago and it didn't heal right. The doctor told me I need a replacement. I've been putting it off as I've read they only last 5-10 years. I'm 62 years old.

I have a fused ankle which was the result of a fracture and compression on the joint surfaces that eventually caused a lot of bone spurs and other issues. I had to have 9 surgeries with a variety of hardware positions and grafting to get pain free. I am quite unhappy with the fusion. It has added serious damage to my knee since the ankle no longer flexes. I was told ankle joint replacements were 'difficult' and 'problematic' for active people.

quote:

Originally posted by Aspen Hill Adventures:
If you live an active life you will most likely wear some joints out.

Replacements do not work as well as the real thing. My right knee was done last (2X within a year's time) in '11. It is clunky/noisy and forget about kneeling anymore. Not nearly as much flexibility but it does not cause pain most days.

Left knee is on it's way out. Same surgeon said I would be lucky to get 5 years out of it back in '11. Both thumb joints are worn out as are other joints. Activity does this stuff.

That is not strictly true.

I think I lead a very active life, but have been very lucky for not having any problems.

I do have back problems but so far it has not stopped me doing anything.

Sometimes I cannot put my trousers on unless I lay down!!

We are in our fasting month, Ramadan, where not much outdoor activities are on.

So I have set a target of walking 500 kilometers in 30 days on our treadmill.

Went a bit overboard - I watch movies or series - a bit.

By yesterday - 26 days - I have walked 617 kilometers.

I work at home, and go to watch an episode or two throughout the day, while walking.

Seven knee surgeries between 1981 and 2010 and then a replacement in 2012. I've been pain and issue free since then. I don't have the same range of motion as my right knee but it's 10 times better than it used to be.

Inside of left knee


Outside of left knee

Hey! That looks familiar. Love those staples. Ugh!

We did some research and this Dr. B rose to the top. He takes more time with the surgery but he cuts less into your thigh muscle. That means less pain and less rehab time. I really have had no significant pain at all. I've been taking Tylenol only for the last month.

Mark

quote:

Originally posted by MARK H. YOUNG:
Hey! That looks familiar. Love those staples. Ugh!

We did some research and this Dr. B rose to the top. He takes more time with the surgery but he cuts less into your thigh muscle. That means less pain and less rehab time. I really have had no significant pain at all. I've been taking Tylenol only for the last month.

Mark

The reason you have no pain is simple Mark.

Where there is sense, there is no feeling!

Glad you are OK.

My brother had an ankle replacement after trying everything else. He now thinks he has died and gone to heaven. Told me sometimes he goes several days without giving the ankle a thought.

Interesting to hear these experiences. Knee surgery is about the only orthopedic surgery I have not had. Ten ortho surgeries involving ankles, shoulders, back, elbow and wrist.

At the moment I am 3 weeks post-op from my 4th shoulder surgery. Two on each one. The latest being my right. My shoulders are shot from a life time of over head motion and trauma, and at 72, it's all catching up with me.

Not much left of either AC joint, serious arthritis invading all the spaces, and rotator cuff tissue that tears easily. Any further problems and it'll be joint replacement. Not much left to work with.

Probably on the bench most of this summer, unable to do any shooting or play any golf at least until September. Had an Argentina duck trip set for June which I have put off until mid-Sept.

Thank God my knees are healthy. I feel for those of you who have gone through the replacement(s). It doesn't look like fun. But I can assure you, shoulder surgery is not any walk in the park. I would wish it only upon my ex-wife--and her lawyer.

I had my left knee replaced last September and my right knee in February. I am very pleased with the results to say the least. The biggest issue with knee replacements is the patients ability to tolerate pain and work through it during rehab. It seems some people just cannot handle the pain of increasing range of movement. I have heard this over and over again from nurses and surgeons that work in the joint replacement arena.

It takes about a year from the knee replacement to really know what the end result will be, so it is important to keep at it and not slack off after a few weeks.

I do not agree with the advice of going to a major population center or University affiliated teaching hospital to have your surgery.
Knee replacement is an extremely common surgery and can be done with excellent outcomes at smaller community hospitals. My advice is to find a physical therapist, OR nurse or surgical scrub tech and ask them "Who would you have do your knee replacement?" This will get you an honest answer.

I honestly think it is easier for poorly performing surgeons to operate in the anonymity of a big city than it is in a smaller community hospital. In a small town it quickly becomes apparent who does and does not have skill.

I was told by a knee specialist that technology in knees is moving so fast.

And the variety available is big.

According to him, the make of the knee, the person doing the operation, can mean all the difference.

Also, he said if a person who has knee problems, can hold on for a year or more, he is most likely going to get a better product.

quote:

I do not agree with the advice of going to a major population center or University affiliated teaching hospital to have your surgery.

Agreed unless you want to be their guinea pig and run the risk of undergoing further major repair surgeries or being crippled for life.

quote:

Originally posted by fulvio:

quote:

I do not agree with the advice of going to a major population center or University affiliated teaching hospital to have your surgery.

Agreed unless you want to be their guinea pig and run the risk of undergoing further major repair surgeries or being crippled for life.

They're your knees. Stay in the sticks if you think you're better off. Pay your money and take your chances.

But the best surgeons operate in these select hospitals, not in the sticks, and are board-certified, best-informed and well-schooled in the best and latest medical products and techniques.

They do these particular surgeries year-round, day in and day out, and they teach other surgeons to do them as well.

Not saying there aren't a lot of fine doctors out there, but it's the ones who don't specialize in knee work that are likely to make you their guinea pig.

Fantastic information!
I'm soon to have both knees replaced. 20 years in SEAL Tm and the last 20ys beating around Iraq & Afg have taken their toll. Any of you still able to do weighted squats or lunges? Have some MTB races anticipated 6mos after the replacement. Live in Big Sky MT so am also curious as to any skiers experience with the procedure ?

As some others have said, the surgeon and PT you have work on you makes a huge difference.

I’ve been a baseball coach for over twenty years, so I’m on closer terms with a great orthopedic surgeon than many people. I was initially referred to him by some of the Arizona Diamondbacks coaches when my son needed Tommy John surgery. He’s not a Diamondbacks doc, but rather the San Francisco Giants orthopedic surgeon. He did a great job on my son and over the last 16 years I’ve referred probably 40 baseball players, both high school and college level, to him for various injuries, most of which are shoulder or elbow. But he also does knees and ankles (curiously, he doesn’t do hips) and when Giants catcher Buster Posey suffered a devastating, career threatening lower leg and ankle injury in a home plate collusion (multiple broken bones in leg and ankle, torn ligaments, etc.) Ken Akizuki was the doc who put him back together and saved his Hall of Fame career.

So, when I needed to have meniscus surgery about 5 years ago, there was no question who I was going to have work on me. Doc ‘Zuke’ cleaned up my knee, but when I woke up in recovery, he walked in and told me “Your knee is shit”. Said it was one of the worst he’d ever seen for meniscus and that he’d be doing a knee replacement when I turn 65. I’m 63 now. Problem was, my knees were really giving me trouble a few years ago, I was in quite a bit of pain if I did much walking at all. And then I got a wonderful surprise in June; I’d drawn a Desert Bighorn tag in California after 34 years of applying! But, as bad as my knees were, there was no way in hell I could do another sheep hunt. So, I looked into stem cell therapy…

There are several approaches that stem cell practitioners go by. The most common is to use embryonic or amniotic stem cells that they purchase. Another approach is to harvest your bone marrow, process the stem cells from your marrow and inject them back into whatever joint is being treated. This was the approach I chose, as I believe you get a superior outcome with your own stem cells that are a few hours old, vs someone else’s stem cells that are days or over a week old from an aborted fetus or afterbirth. I had both knees done on the same day. Long and rough day, no fun at all. But, 6 months after my procedure, I was climbing slowly in the Mojave Desert mountains. There is no way in hell I could have completed that hunt without getting stem cell therapy. That knee procedure enabled me to take a wonderful 11 year old ram that was heavy and broomed, just missing B&C by a few inches.

Now, coming up on 2 years since my treatment, I’m more active than I was 3-5 years ago. I did a hunt with Alan Vincent last October and some days we walked for 5 or 6 hours on buffalo tracks. My knees held up well.

There won’t be any knee replacement when I turn 65, but I will be walking all day long when that birthday arrives, as I’ll be following Alan on Lord Derby Eland tracks in Cameroon for my 65th. I’m confident my knees will still be fine.

I’m extremely fortunate in that my niece is an Orthopedic Surgeon specializing in Sports Medicine. When my left knee was hurting me quite a bit, she referred me to her mentor at Northwestern Hospital, Dr Jim Hill. Jim has been the Ortho Doc for two US Olympics and after tests, said I had a torn Meniscus that had folded over. He did the surgery via Orthoscope and it was extremely successful. He insisted on a specific PT regimen and luckily I lived two blocks from an excellent Rehab clinic. All of the Physical Therapists were attractive female PHD’s which made my rehab almost enjoyable. My scar tissue is almost inperceptible.

.

Ireland used to have some of the best knee and ankle surgeons in the world up to the mid 1990s. Go figure!


.

Knees are fine however I had to have my right hip replaced some years ago.

Best decision I ever made. I was in pain 24/7 and limping. Cortisone shots helped only temporarily. I was up to 4 Advils every 4 hours during the day when active.

Now, I can walk miles and miles with no pain and no limping.

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
My knees have been beat to hell and back. I ran track in college . Ran for a lot of years afterwards. My best guess is that I have run 150,000 miles in my life .

My right knee gives me a lot of grief from time to time . I cannot move it like my left . A friend who is a knee surgeon says it will have to be replaced . I can hardly wait .

Sucks to get old. Beats the alternative.

My goodness, Larry. That is 10 miles a day for 365 days a year for 40 years. Outstanding!

I used to run a lot for a lot of years but am now down to walking about 2 1/2 hours a day. And for me, that takes a serious commitment.

My hips are fine as are my knees, still. But at my age, I know that I am bloody lucky that not much hurts.

I shall worry about tomorrow - tomorrow.

Good hunting!

Scruffy:

Similar to what Dad used to say:

"anyone that's lived as long as he had
and never had any major health problems
is Just Damned Lucky, that's all".
He lived to 92 & 8 months.

George