I'm sure I've said this before, but I have had two respected knee surgeons tell me to wait as long as I can before having a TKR because there are so many new and innovating treatments coming to help with recovery. I just had a pin placed in my hand/finger due to an injury...this 'pin' will dissolve after helping to heal a torn cartilage..when I had this same surgery years ago in another part of my hand, I had to go back in for surgery to remove the pin...that is just a sample of 'progress'...