mooky2923
new member
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2020
- Messages
- 4
- Age
- 44
- Country
- United States
- Gender
- Male
Hi, I am 40 years old and have had knee issues since the age of 12. It was then playing baseball that I suffered my first dislocation leading to a life of pain and issues. I was diagnosed with trochlear dysplasia, where my grooves are near flat, allowing my kneecap to jump.
At the age of 12 and 13, I had lateral releases performed but the drs said my knees were still growing.
My kneecaps continued to dislocate, and at the age of 15, had tibial tubercle osteotomies back to back to realign my knees (this was back in ‘95, before they started replacing the ligament behind the kneecap, and where they still folded/tightened the inside knee muscle).
That seemed to stabilize for the most part. I could do most things I enjoyed but definitely not everything I’d have liked to do.
Fast forward to the present...I’ve had a few times of instability where my kneecap will still jump in/out and I get lots of swelling in my left knee. I have decent arthritis and have started being awake at night.
The drs said arthroscopic is the first step to see what they can repair or clean.
My question, finally, is what is the downside to a knee replacement at 40, when I can recover more easily than 50 or 60, it would get rid of the arthritis, give me more stability through the form of an actual joint? The one you are always told is they only last 10-15 years. I’ve read some are lasting longer. I would rebut with quality of life. Spend another 10-15 years with growing pain and decreasing mobility that WILL happen (hey this is life), then go through this at a older age or be mobile and more pain free, doing the low impact things I enjoy (cycling, hiking, etc), with the possibility my life extends to needing a revision possibly? Just looking for insight from any others who might offer insight. Thanks.
At the age of 12 and 13, I had lateral releases performed but the drs said my knees were still growing.
My kneecaps continued to dislocate, and at the age of 15, had tibial tubercle osteotomies back to back to realign my knees (this was back in ‘95, before they started replacing the ligament behind the kneecap, and where they still folded/tightened the inside knee muscle).
That seemed to stabilize for the most part. I could do most things I enjoyed but definitely not everything I’d have liked to do.
Fast forward to the present...I’ve had a few times of instability where my kneecap will still jump in/out and I get lots of swelling in my left knee. I have decent arthritis and have started being awake at night.
The drs said arthroscopic is the first step to see what they can repair or clean.
My question, finally, is what is the downside to a knee replacement at 40, when I can recover more easily than 50 or 60, it would get rid of the arthritis, give me more stability through the form of an actual joint? The one you are always told is they only last 10-15 years. I’ve read some are lasting longer. I would rebut with quality of life. Spend another 10-15 years with growing pain and decreasing mobility that WILL happen (hey this is life), then go through this at a older age or be mobile and more pain free, doing the low impact things I enjoy (cycling, hiking, etc), with the possibility my life extends to needing a revision possibly? Just looking for insight from any others who might offer insight. Thanks.
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