 Poster: A snowHead
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I am having my third arthroscopy (knee cartilage op) on Nov 14th on my right leg and my first on the left at the same time. I am optimistic about this op, so much so that we are booked to go to Obertaurn at the end of Feb. My worry is that the surgeon will tell me that I will need a knee replacement on the right leg either now or if it goes again.
Has anyone had a knee replacement or know someone that has and is still able to ski. I can't imagine going through a winter without skiing. To make matters worse, I live 3 miles from the Chill Factore that opens on Nov 9th. I am determined to go before the op, just in case that is my only chance.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Damn and blast, I just saw that they have changed the Chill Factore opening date to the 16th Nov, so that idea is out of the windowm B---er
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Thanks Kevin, I just looked at that thread, not good reading for me.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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AlanUK, I didnt think it looked too depressing.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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AlanUK, Not a knee replacement as such but I once met an old gentleman who'd had both knees shot in the war. Had surgery at East Grinstead (probably pretty basic in those days) and had continued to ski ever since. He was in his 80s when I met him and had just moved from alpine to X country! Surgeons will always tell you 'no' - If you want to - do it regardless! You won't get any insurance either way so what the ?????
nb: this is not medical advice.
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AlanUK, as I understand it, the point that stoatsbrother made in the other thread is the clincher i.e. it depends whether you a total knee replacement (in which case you have no anterior cruciate and should not ski) or a unicompartmental (in which the anterior cruciate may be preserved to allow you to ski).
Try to find a skiing knee surgeon as he may be more sympathetic!
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The surgeon who is doing my op is a skier and he fully understands how I feel about not being able to ski again. I should add that I am not having a KR this time but this will be my 3rd arthroscopy on the right knee and I can't imagine there will be much cartilage left in there after this one.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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AlanUK, Drugs, drugs and more drugs.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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AlanUK, I expect you've done this already, but significant decreases in pain can be accrued from as little as 5kg wt loss (your arthroscopy shoudl give you a window of opportunity to get going on an exercise programme if you aren't already).
Glucosamine sulphate (1500mg/day) +/- chondroitin has been shown to be benificial for the pain and may actually help to stabilise the cartilage loss. There is also increasing evidence (amazingly) for Vitamin D and cod liver oil!
All the best with the arthroscopy - tell us how it goes.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Hi Nick,
I agree about the weight loss, I have actually put on a few pounds as I haven't been able to do a lot at the gym because of the knee and I do like my food. I am just starting on the Glucosamine and Chondroitin. I was told to take Omega 3 fish oil instead of the CLO. I will def keep this page posted on my op.
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AlanUK, Nick L, I have also put on a few kg and am really feeling in the knees at the mo.
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You know it makes sense.
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AlanUK, use the post-op temporary improvement to kick-start a bit of gym usage.
An interesting point - it must be glucosamine sulphate - the vegetarian fomr (forget the name) doesn't seem to work.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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Jonpim, you're right of course about people skiing without an anterior cruciate, but I think the problem in relation to a TKR is that it is not as inherently stable as the original in a front-to-back direction, and I think that the orthopods' view is that this degree of instability, under the pressure of skiing, is more likely to result in component failure.
Having said all that, I would probably rehab like a mad thing and still ski gently if I had a TKR.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Nick L, The pressure is mainly there due to poor technique and I find many docs/sugeons (including my own gp) have little or no idea of modern skiing. My own gp moaned about her aching quads when skiing and was clearly not convinced when I told her that she MUST be skiing with her COM too far back or her quads wouldn't ache (well, not what most people think of as quad-ache). I had to try to explain in about 2 mins the advantages of standing well on the skis and skiing correctly. Wish she was a snowhead!!!! 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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easiski, sounds like she needs a lesson from a decent instructor 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I'd have done it for you
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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AlanUK, you normally need 3 months worth of Glucosamineand Chondroitin to see if there is any improvement .
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AlanUK,
FWIW, I don't think a 3rd knee op is the time to start thinking about knee reps...or parts thereof. I reckon you are just wearing out your natural ones a bit too quick. My mate has had one done and he wants the other done so he can ski...both were shot but because of his advanced years and the fact that he is delighted with the one new knee, he might not risk it. He has skied with terrible knees for years, and feet for that matter, all football injuries, at a time when a cartlidge was a BIG deal. He thinks his new knee is much much better and of course, pain-free than his old one. He probably will ski with his family, but not with us anymore, IMV.
To stall this action of a new knee..he is scared stiff of hospitals..he used to swear by cider vinegar and voltronol...sorry about the spelling.
I'd think and guess your best ever chance would be getting good/great muscles around the knee to stabilise it.
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JT, I think you probably mean Voltarol (diclofenac)
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Hi JT,
You have made me feel a whole lot better. Knee replacvement hasn't been suggested yet but I was wondering how much meniscus they could take away before it becomes ineffective, like I say this will be my third on the right leg. I am 56 years old and only started skiing 12 years ago, I cannot imagine a winter without it. We have already booked for February so I will be working flat out at the gym as soon a I am able to post op.
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AlanUK,
He started late at 40... he is now well into his 70's but is so happy with his new knee that he is playing golf again.
This tends to emphasise how bad the other knee is compared to the new one but he is doing 9 holes regularly.
He cannot wait to get the next one done...and it should be imminent. I can't tell how bad his knees were but he thinks he had virtually no cartlidges, and even said he was missing a patella, plus the usual ligamnets tears blah... I don't know how confused he may be with all this but walking 200mtrs or so wasn't a good thing for him at all. When I recommended him to a very good (IMV) sports physio, she asked him to walk the lenght of the studio. He has the most awful bow legs and gait due to these injuries, whatever they may be, and she said she thought she could get him walking properly again. To which he replied, "bug that, I'll be going skiing..." The poor girl had to go and sit down herself...!!!
I mention this because I feel that it is a tale about how determined people can be v the advice of a Dr whose main concern might be to get you walking better than before and therefore have a better quality of life.
Of course, they know you may want to do it, they just don't want you to think it's easy so never put that idea into your head.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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My mom (73) had a total knee replacement this summer. Pain was brutal in the beginning, but she faithfully did the therapy and her recovery has been amazing. Two months post surgery and hiking in the mountains again, feeling 100 plus percent. She's not a skier anymore, but if she was I'd think she'd be up for doing so very soon, if not already. They say recovery to 100 percent can take up to a year. Appears to me if dedicated to doing the therapy, it can happen much sooner. And I would think the younger the recipient, the faster the potential for recovery.
Also have an acquaintance who IS a skier who had double total replacement (both knees done at once) late this summer, and went into it with the desire/plan to recover quickly and ski this winter. Age somewhere in her 50's. I'll drop an update here when I hear how it goes for her.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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AlanUK, strictly speaking "Arthroscopy" just means "having a look" [from the greek: "arthro" (joint) and "skopein" (to look)].
But while your surgeon is in there he can also poke in no end of interesting gougers and shavers and other instruments of torture.
If you want to know more just Google Arthroscopy Knee. Clicking on the pictures is a good place to start.
As mentioned here (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons), you could have the operation under regional anaesthesia and then you could watch the operation on the monitor. Worth asking about if you fancy it.
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| Quote: |
The consensus of the surgeons present was that skiing is ok
Running is not.
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That figures. When you see some of the people jogging round on tarmac, overweight, terrible gait, in need of a good sports bra (and that's just the fellas) you do wonder what ghastly things they are doing to their knees. They're mad. My knees are far from 100% and even walking down mountains (which I did a bit today) feels dodgy, though I use walking poles to reduce the impact. Whereas a competent skier, in control, on moderate terrain and the right skis.... no problem at all.
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Poster: A snowHead
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FIL should have both knees replaced, but has been told he can't have the surgery.
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FAQ
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