TKR Recommended age to do TKR

[marksp]

I have been having knee problems for many years, mainly due to martial arts training. I have managed to persist along the years, with 2 carthilage ops . The pain has now increaesed and it seems TKR is inevitable.

Based on your experience, what is recommended age to do it ? I am 50 and being told I am too young since the implants last 15 years

 

[Roy Gardiner]

Welcome to BoneSmart

I was 59 when mine were done, 71 now and still perfect. Modern TKRs have a much longer life than 15 years - you'll want to check that for yourself of course.

So you have a choice of waiting a decade or so in pain and increasing disability, or risk a 2nd TKR. Easy decision IMO.

 

[Jaycey]

I am 50 and being told I am too young since the implants last 15 years

Old school thinking! As Roy says, technology is on your side. You are not too young for TKR. Get it done and get on with living again.

 

[benne68]

Hi @marksp and welcome to BoneSmart!

As Roy and Jaycey said, 50 is definitely not to young. We have several members who have had TKRs in their 40s. In fact, one of our staff members has her first TKR at age 42 and her second more than a decade later. Both knees are still doing fine. You can read about her first TKR here: https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/my-experience-so-far.7374/ and her second one here: https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/susie-qs-2nd-tkr-recovery-thread.66996/

More important than age is the condition of your knee. How severe is your arthritis -- are you bone-on-bone? If so, there is no benefit to delaying.

Here are some articles that may help
Score Chart: How bad is my arthritic knee?
Choosing a surgeon and a prosthesis
Longevity of implants and revisions: How long will my new joint last?

 

[EalingGran]

I have been told that my Oxford implant has a lifetime guarantee and should see me out ( I am 67). I definitely agree that when to time surgery is more dependent on your symptoms than your age.
I would do the knee scores and think about how your pain/ function is and how the symptoms are progressing. If things are bad and it is getting worse then it may be pointless delaying.
The only problem with going too early is that this recovery is pretty tough and if something goes wrong or recovery is slow you may feel regretful if your knee wasn't that bad to start with. About 20% of people aren't happy post TKR. Although that means 80% are! I read a paper that said poor satisfaction correlated with lower pain scores pre-op, which kind of makes sense.

 

[marksp]

I have been told that my Oxford implant has a lifetime guarantee and should see me out ( I am 67). I definitely agree that when to time surgery is more dependent on your symptoms than your age.
I would do the knee scores and think about how your pain/ function is and how the symptoms are progressing. If things are bad and it is getting worse then it may be pointless delaying.
The only problem with going too early is that this recovery is pretty tough and if something goes wrong or recovery is slow you may feel regretful if your knee wasn't that bad to start with. About 20% of people aren't happy post TKR. Although that means 80% are! I read a paper that said poor satisfaction correlated with lower pain scores pre-op, which kind of makes sense.

yes kind of makes sense.... worse you are , you see the benefit more!

 

[InkedMarie]

I was 57 with my first & 61 with my second. My surgeon told me *not* to wait. He asked why would I want to wait? People wait and get more debilitated prior to surgery and that can cause recovery To be harder.

Marie

 

[Axx72]

I am 50 and being told I am too young since the implants last 15 years

Old school thinking! As Roy says, technology is on your side. You are not too young for TKR. Get it done and get on with living again.

51 when I had mine… non-bonded(newer technology). OS says it could very well last the rest of my life… Def do some research on what’s available.

 

[kneeper]

It's really not your age but the condition of your knee and how it's limiting your life that should be considered.

For me, my first knee was kind of a no brainer even though I was on the young side. I was in so much pain I was clutching the shopping cart for dear life just doing a short grocery run. I also had instability. I was actually happy when my OS told me I needed a tkr!

My second knee was a bit less obvious but it was heading down the road of the first one. I dithered for a while but finally really thought about what I could do and not do, my pain levels and went for it.

It's a major surgery and not something to rush into, but when you really need it, it is worth it.

 

[lovetocookandsew]

I had my knee first done at 58. Back in 2014, 58 was considered "on the young side", but there was no other option. To me, it's not about age, it's about life. If your knee is stealing your enjoyment of life away, then now is the time to do it. Life is for living, and if we can't walk, we can't participate.

As others have mentioned, the implants of today have a much longer "shelf life" than in the past. While no one can guarantee you'll never need another one, you have a better chance today than even 10 years ago.

I say, if your quality of life is gone, or nearly so, due to not being able to walk, or not being pain free when you walk, or similar, then don't even consider your age, just what you want out of your life now, and in the coming years. Do you want to sit on the sidelines more and more as your knee worsens? Or do you want to get the surgery and recovery behind you and begin the process of taking back your life? Only you can answer this, and only you can decide.

 

[marksp]

I had my knee first done at 58. Back in 2014, 58 was considered "on the young side", but there was no other option. To me, it's not about age, it's about life. If your knee is stealing your enjoyment of life away, then now is the time to do it. Life is for living, and if we can't walk, we can't participate.

As others have mentioned, the implants of today have a much longer "shelf life" than in the past. While no one can guarantee you'll never need another one, you have a better chance today than even 10 years ago.

I say, if your quality of life is gone, or nearly so, due to not being able to walk, or not being pain free when you walk, or similar, then don't even consider your age, just what you want out of your life now, and in the coming years. Do you want to sit on the sidelines more and more as your knee worsens? Or do you want to get the surgery and recovery behind you and begin the process of taking back your life? Only you can answer this, and only you can decide.

thanks for your reply. The more I read, more i understand that age is not a hurdle... and the turning point should be the knee condition.
Have appointment with the knee specialist today.. fingers crossed
Once again thanks to all for your responses

 

[marksp]

I had my knee first done at 58. Back in 2014, 58 was considered "on the young side", but there was no other option. To me, it's not about age, it's about life. If your knee is stealing your enjoyment of life away, then now is the time to do it. Life is for living, and if we can't walk, we can't participate.

As others have mentioned, the implants of today have a much longer "shelf life" than in the past. While no one can guarantee you'll never need another one, you have a better chance today than even 10 years ago.

I say, if your quality of life is gone, or nearly so, due to not being able to walk, or not being pain free when you walk, or similar, then don't even consider your age, just what you want out of your life now, and in the coming years. Do you want to sit on the sidelines more and more as your knee worsens? Or do you want to get the surgery and recovery behind you and begin the process of taking back your life? Only you can answer this, and only you can decide.

thanks for your reply. The more I read, more i understand that age is not a hurdle... and the turning point should be the knee condition.
Have appointment with the knee specialist today.. fingers crossed
Once again thanks to all for your responses

Update:meeting with OS went well. Basically it's up to me when I go for operation . Will try extend to end of year to avoid doing it in Summer

I own a large dog (Labrador). In your opinion, how long should I house him somewhere else until i can take care of him by myself ??

 

[benne68]

I own a large dog (Labrador). In your opinion, how long should I house him somewhere else until i can take care of him by myself ??

It's hard to answer since we all recover at different rates. You will need help during the first month since you won't be able to walk him yourself (although you will be able to feed him).

Many of us hire a dog walker or have a neighbor to come to the house and take care of it until we are steady on our feet. Folks who have fenced-in yards are often able to just let their dog out and in, skipping walks for a while.

Also depends a lot on his temperament. If he's a jumper, then it might be better to have him out of the house for a couple of weeks so you don't risk a fall.

I'm sure others will weigh in with their experiences.

 

[EalingGran]

Will try extend to end of year to avoid doing it in Summer

As someone who had surgery in October- I wish I had had my operation in Spring/ Summer. If I ever have to do this again I would definitely try to go for these seasons.
My reasons are these:
1. Walking outside after knee replacement on crutches is terrifying enough without worrying about wet leaves,ice and snow. One of my biggest fears even now is of falling. I am not so worried now about damage to the implant which now feels pretty solid but of grazing the knee and getting an infection.
2. The one thing that really helped the pain post operatively was ice and my Aircast Cryocuff. Lovely as that was for the pain it was miserable feeling generally cold and I was often snuggled up to a hot water bottle at the same time as putting ice on my knee. It would have been much nicer in Summer sitting icing for hours at a time!
3. My immunity was definitely reduced post surgery and I got endless colds/ flu ( I even ended up in hospital with one infection- but that really was bad luck).
I think the evidence is that there are a lot more bugs around in Winter and people being outside more reduces the general risks of infection spread.
4. I found recovery tough and depressing at times. The cold Winter weather didn't help and I think nice sunny Spring/ Summer weather would have helped my mood.