@andoman my sympathies! I have lots of AUS relatives; their experiences with gov't healthcare have made me aware that we in USA do not want full gov't healthcare. Cortisone is not a good solution; IDK why Docs use it. The side effects are scary. HA is a naturally-occuring fluid in the body, but maybe not so financially beneficial to the "big pharma". I know many people (probably 6 or 7) who have had knee replacement and are happy with the results; I don't know anybody who is unhappy with that procedure. I pray that you'll be fine.