You're very welcome. And yes, avoid the TKR until you can't. The pain, if it gets to a point where you are always bothered by it, is the best sign that the TKR is due.

I actually felt better after my first visit with the surgeon. I started working with a personal trainer. We worked on the muscles supporting the knee, and I was walking without a lot of bother.

Then one day, I slipped while on a 6" tall balance beam. I didn't fall, but took a stiff-legged hit to my left knee. The pain was immediate and intense, so much so that I couldn't sleep on my left side. I scheduled the surgery and that was done in March of 2022. Four months later in July, I had my right knee replaced. In both knees, there was no cartilage left, just bone on bone.

One last thing, my surgeon did use the Stryker/Mako robotic assistant. "Robotic" is misleading. A CT scan creates a 3D image of the knee and that gets fed into a computer. The computer then guides the cutting arm which is held by the surgeon. Most of the real work is still done by the surgeon. The assistant doesn't allow any bone to be cut that shouldn't be cut.

I had a choice and I'm glad I did it. The only other ingredient for success is hard work after surgery, rehab 3X/day for 2 months. Best investment I've ever made!

I wish you all the best!