It would be nice on your behalf to understand what parts of the joint is it that the TKR would actually replace/repair? A partial knee replacement could be considered because the elements of your entire joint couldn't have just been destroyed in an instant, could it?
My issue is that the doctor who performed arthroscopic surgery on left knee last April cut away a flap of meniscus that was "protecting" part of the joint that kept the knee from going bone on bone. Once he cut that away (without my permission), I was doomed to have bone on bone, and it hurt a lot. I think some doctors are predisposed to wanting to perform TKRs for the financial benefit of it, and do not want to treat a patient in any other way. I started taking oral HLA and my pain began to subside and become more tolerable pain-wise, albeit still a bit sensitive. I'm still a 78-year-old male with arthritic knees. I also just got an injection of high viscosity HLA in that knee, far better and longer lasting than the thin 3-shot HLA treatment that Medicare covers.
On another note - I just saw a surgeon to discuss treatment for lower back pain, and all he could recommend was a full back operation with metal rods and a full year of recovery. He had no recommendations for any other less invasive treatment. So now I'm off for a 2nd opinion.