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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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Both my knees and both hips replaced. It will change your life
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2 ReactionsI was also knock kneed my whole life
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1 ReactionHi Betty, Thanks for replying to my post. This is my main concern is the knock knees. Can I ask what you had done first? If it was a hip did you need the knee to be done very shortly after the hip? If I didn't have my daughters wedding this year I wouldn't be so hesitant. Did I wait too long? Probably? I didn't have pain in my knees but I did have the deformity from the knock knees. I exercised regularly and it kept my legs strong. Every surgeon I saw said "I don't think you're ready because the pain isn't keeping you up at night and you're not begging for the surgery ASAP". Now the hip is doing me in before the knees are. Just would like to hear what you decided to do first. Thank you!
I sympathize with your struggle as it sounds like a catch22. I didn’t have knock knee but arthritis in knees, hip and shoulder. Had right knee replaced in 2018 after years of suffering, PT and every kind of shot or injection they recommended until they thought I was old enough so I would not have to do a second time. It took several years before it felt “normal” so I decided I would not do the left knee until it felt worse than the right. Well, in March 2022 my left hip decided it wanted in on the party and went down hill so quickly I had to use a walker. I had it replaced immediately and it was a miracle. I was walking with a cane and within 2 weeks nothing. Then my right shoulder insisted it get the attention I have been ignoring for ten years and it was replaced five months later. The next year my left knee started to get worse and since my other replacements brought me such pain relieve I did it before I “had”to. My point is, you never know what is going to happen or when. If I would change anything it would to have gotten the replacements sooner rather than later. (btw, I just turned 70 and during all the above my husband went on hospice, (another miracle) ; covid hit, postponing my son’s wedding in Jamaica, that I had to miss anyway) You just never know. Whatever decision you make will be the right one!
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1 ReactionYikes, sorry you went through so much.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I have an appointment with a 2nd surgeon tomorrow. Need to make sure I find the right one before I do this. It is a big decision to make this year. I wish I had a crystal ball.
Has anyone had a Nano Or Jiffy Joint replacement and how were the results
No. But these are merely trademarked techniques.
Jiffy knees are knee replacements using the subvastus method which goes under the muscle and tendon to expose the knee cap. The traditional knee replacement would involve cutting the muscle and tendon to expose the knee cap and then sewing them together at the conclusion of the procedure. Both involve cutting off the arthritic parts of the femur and tibia. Obviously, all things being equal, the subvastus method produces less trauma. But one doesn't need a Jiffy knee surgeon to do a subvastus cut. The originator of Jiffy Knees did create a specialized tool for pushing the muscle and tendon around.
Nano knees are less well documented but here is a good comparison:
https://ochipandknee.com/nano-knee-jiffy-vs-traditional-replacement-what-patients-should-know-socal/
My surgeon, who also replaced my left hip four years ago, did a mid vastus cut with a bicruciate retaining implant (BCR) and repaired my severe valgus misalignment with a Functional Alignment. The mid vastus is similar to the subvastus but goes through the muscle fibers rather than under them. According to my surgeon, it means that recovery is likely to be slightly harder with the mid vastus cut but it provided a better field of work and a better method should a revision ever be necessary.
My point is that I don't care what they call it. What I want is the best surgeon who has the best results both for the short term (recovery) and for the long term (living with the artificial knee). If the surgeon I want calls himself a Jiffy Knee or Nano Knee surgeon, fine. If she doesn't, also fine.
My surgeon replaced my right knee seven months ago. I had zero post surgery pain. He had me resting the first couple of weeks while constantly icing with the ice machine before commencing physical therapy in the third week. That week my therapist measured my ROM at 122 degrees and my extension as essential flat. On the 27th day after surgeon, I (an 80 YO male) was back playing golf.
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1 ReactionThank you so much for your comments! Sounds like you found a great surgeon and yes I do agree that it doesn't matter so much the procedure but if it is done correctly . I am 74 and hope that I am still as active as you when I am 80! Thanks again!
Hello @scwiese2713,
I combined your discussion with an existing discussion titled:
"I need one hip replacement and both knees need replacing"
- https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/i-need-one-hip-replacement-and-both-knees-need-replacing
Here you can meet other members who have had multiple knees and hips replaced who may wish to share their experiences with you.
You may also find the following discussion useful as well:
"Jiffy knee replacement"
- https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/jiffy-knee-replacement/