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I need one hip replacement and both knees need replacing
I am 60 years old and have been knock knee since my teen age years. As the years went on it progressed. I lost 80 pounds when I turned 40 and have kept it off. I was a regular at my gym daily and worked through the bone on bone issues and was able to function pain free. Since COVID i stopped my gym days and worked out from home still using a spin bike, treadmill and weights. Last summer i started getting an ache in my left upper thigh. I thought I strained something but it never went away. Fast forward I went to 2 orthopedic surgeons to see what my issue was and found out I am bone on bone in my left hip. This has slowed me down tremendously. I have discomfort daily trying not to take an anti inflammatory on a daily basis. I take tylenol which takes the edge off. I was told by both doctors to do the hip before the knees. My issue is my daughter is getting married Dec. of this year. My left knee has gotten worse because of the hip issue. I'm hesitant to have any surgery before the wedding. My fear is once I get the hip done will it make my left knee 10x worse? Right now I can walk and manage my pain with medication. I still exercise daily on my exercise bike and do a ton of stretching. I'm afraid of the domino effect happening before the wedding. If the knee gets worse I don't want to have to walk with a cane for the wedding or worse, need my knee replacement sooner rather than later.
Has anyone been in a similar situation having knock knee in both knees with total bone on bone and also having a hip issue also bone on bone. My brain is in overdrive and if I knew the knee would stay the same and my recovery would go well I would do it before the wedding since I still have 9 months until the wedding. I was told a cortisone shot is not advised for the hip because it can cause the hip to shatter. So I'm trying to manage my pain and may need to look for some pain alternatives like acupuncture. I did 4 sessions of PT to get some hip exercises but don't know if there is anything I could do physically to get some relief at this point. I know all 3 need to be done which scares me to death but I would be working on this next year one step at a time. Looking for some advice or suggestions from someone who has been in a similar situation.
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Hi Tervin,
If you get your hip replaced in the next few months you'll be fine by December. Sounds like your weight and workout regimen are fine. Ya never know with surgery, but it sounds like you'd have plenty of time to recover.
Would the same surgeon do your hip and knees? I'd just ask him what to expect and go from there.
I'm 70. Had both knees replaced in 2022 and just had my right hip replaced. Do all the pre-op and post-op exercises and things usually work out fine.
Joe
Good morning Joe,
Thank you so much for answering my post. The doctors are telling me the same thing that I would recover by December. My concern is my bad knee on the same side. If I go through with this I'm afraid that if I go forward with just the hip this year will my knee get even worse than it is now and give me issues right before the wedding. I know with any surgery there is no guarantee. I wish there was! It's a big decision to make. I've had the knee issues for over 20 years but did work through them with exercise. The knock knee deformity has gotten worse and I can feel it in my knees.
I appreciate you sharing your experience with me. This is the hardest decisio I have to make along with being the biggest gamble of what the outcome will be. I've never won big at gambling LOL
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1 ReactionActually, my "worse" knee got so much better after my hip replacement that I have been able to tolerate it for over 10 years! The doc said he expected that to happen once I started walking correctly on the hip. Sadly, it is now telling me - often quite loudly - that I need to begin considering replacement. After many issue in 2024, I am trying for a surgery-free 2025, so will be seeing my orthopedist about delaying to Spring 2026.
If I were you, I would go forward with the hip replacement & get it healthy ASAP, then do the knees after the wedding. Be sure to allow yourself plenty of healing time between surgeries.
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2 ReactionsI’ve had many cortisone injections. Bone shattering I never heard of. I believe it will weaken tendons & ligaments.
I can tell that for me and many others I’ve talked to a hip replacement is easy peasy. Very little post operative pain. The worst part is the doctors don’t want you to do much of anything for 2 months except for physical therapy which is a must to continue for life. Both of my knees are arthritic and both meniscus’s are torn. I just finished 5 injections of hyaluronic acid and 1 cortisone in each knee. Holding off surgery as long as this keeps working for me.
Hoping the best outcome for you.
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1 ReactionThanks for your input. Doctor had said women are more prone to fractures and sometimes the cortisone shots can make the bad hip more brittle. He said "it could cause the bones to shatter" which maybe he meant fracture?
What are hyaluronic acid injections? Years ago I had the series of 3 gel shots in my knees. First time worked great 2nd shots didn't do anything. This was many years ago. Is this a new type of injection?
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1 ReactionWOW this is encouraging! Thank you for sharing your experience with me.
The gel shots are hyaluronic acid. Two things. Go to a medical provider that the use five injections in each knee and piggy back with cortisone . I prefer getting the cortisone injection first followed by the hyaluronic acid. Also, physical therapy is a must to strengthen your legs. You have to do PT
6 hip replacements.. recalls..need knee replacement.. hips first ..alignment..will help knee
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1 ReactionI had hip replacement three years ago. Not only was it easy peasy, but my pain level was so terrible for months before the surgery, the post surgery was pretty much pain free. Prior to the hip replacement I was 5'-11" tall and by the time I went in for the surgery I was 5-8. After the surgery I was pain free and could walk up my stairs that night. In short, arthritis is all through my body. I have a knee almost ready to replace and a shoulder that's shot. The shoulder is hopefully a year away. It takes a long time to recover. Last thing... about one thing helping another. Four weeks ago I had three hernias repaired. Another easy procedure. I had two hernias for at least 15 years. The third one was irritating. Anyway after the surgery, a pain in my previously non surgery hip eased. I thought I was having hip joint problems and began thinking I'll need another hip replacement. So far it's been doing better. If there's one thing I do worry about post surgery, it's falling. I'd hate to go through a lengthy PT after wearing a cast for a month and fall down and have to do it again.
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3 ReactionsI recently had those gel injections (a series of 3) and they didn’t do anything for my knee. I went back and got a cortisone shot, but it only helped a tiny bit. On top of that, the gel shots were “approved and covered” by my pharmacy plan, but I am now getting a bill for $1200 from Mass General Hospital ($400 a shot) because they tell me that that $400 per shot was for “the injection”. I am tired of so many phone calls and emails to them, my health insurance and pharmacy insurance. I can’t get anywhere with them, so yesterday, I just “gave in” and paid it!!! I feel like I “paid for nothing”!!!