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Consultation prior to total knee replacement

Joint Replacements | Last Active: Sep 7, 2023 | Replies (38)

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@mabfp3

Thank you! For now, I am going to just stay with a cortisone shot every three months to my left knee. The right knee is replaced, but it doesn’t feel like my natural knee any longer. Kneeling down or getting up from trying to exercise is a major ordeal!!! I depend on the strength of my “non-surgical knee” to get me to a standing position! Not being able to take pain meds after the surgery was the deal breaker for me. The pain was excruciating and I couldn’t do the at home PT very well because of that. Prior to the surgery, I did work at strengthening my quads faithfully, but I guess it wasn’t enough. If I had the other knee done, I would run into that same situation with the pain meds. If it was *absolutely necessary* for the second knee replacement, and there were no other alternatives, I guess that I would have to consent to it, but for now, I’m just leaving this other knee alone!!!

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Replies to "Thank you! For now, I am going to just stay with a cortisone shot every three..."

Keep up the strengthening work on your knees. It's amazing how long you can put off replacement if you keep the muscles strong. It sounds a bit odd that you new knee would not be your stronger knee unless the muscles are just not "there"? Also, having had a TKR for five years I can tell you it will never feel like a natural knee (because it isn't) but you get used to it. Have your doctors mentioned that long term cortisone shots can be harmful to the cartilage of your other knee? I'd be a little skeptical about any doctor that would continue to give shots for more than a year. Has anyone mentioned trying viscosupplementation as an alternative to surgery?