For a lot of people with chronic joint issues and aches, it’s hard to pinpoint when and where the pain began.
But Dublin resident Rick Robinson vividly remembers tearing the cartilage in his knee during a high school wrestling match. He was an active, athletic kid, so bumps and strains were expected, but he couldn’t have predicted the pain would follow him throughout his life.
Just like 790,000 Americans in 2020, Robinson went through a knee replacement in August. The decision had been years in the making after two arthroscopic surgeries. Robinson consulted with Orthopedic One and scheduled the replacement.
“The pain slowed me down and made things difficult,” Robinson says. “I remember a few vacations where we did a lot of walking and it was really hard for me.”
Robinson knew early in his 40s that he was a candidate for early knee replacement, but like many people do, he tried alternative means of recovery before opting for surgery.
“I went on a whole health crusade – losing weight, eating right and doing everything I could to avoid that,” Robinson says. “I just didn’t want to add another surgery.”
Would he advise others to do the same? It’s a very personal decision, he says.
“I think it’s different depending on where you are in life,” he says.
“At some point, living with day-to-day pain is more exhausting than people realize,” Robinson says. “It’s more subconscious, kind of like sleep problems. You might be grouchy, snap at people or be less patient and at the end of the day you wonder why. It’s often because of that pain.”
The recovery period for a knee replacement is generally two or three months, and Robinson went to physical therapy with Orthopedic One for eight weeks, three times a week.
“It hasn’t been necessarily painful, but it’s work,” Robinson says. “Doctors have told me it might take up to a year to be fully healed, but I’m feeling much better already. Within a week of the surgery, I could completely tell the pain on the inside of my knee was gone.”
“Doctors have told me it might take up to a year to be fully healed, but I’m feeling much better already."
Now, Robinson is able to engage in all the activities he loves with full enthusiasm, rather than taking a seat on the sidelines when his knee pain flared up. He coaches bowling and goes on long walks and hikes.
“I feel great,” he says. “I feel really great.”
What you knee-d to know
According to the Boston University School of Public Health, one in five, or 1.5 billion people, suffer from untreated chronic pain. 80 percent of adults in the U.S. will experience back pain at some point in their lives, and 15 million adults report severe joint pain due to arthritis. With these statistics in mind, it’s no wonder technology is constantly evolving in the world of orthopedic surgery.
MIRA, a miniature robotic assistant, is designed to perform minimally invasive abdominal surgeries. It’s small, it’s easily transported by doctors and it requires fewer incisions than larger, more complex robotic assistant tools. Its purpose: to offer less invasive surgeries and make orthopedic procedures as easy as possible for doctors and patients.
Another new development in orthopedic surgery comes hot off the press. 3-D printing is not new in the medical space, but a team of researchers at Rice University in Houston, Texas is developing custom printed implants that contain live tissue. These printed tissue replacements can be made in any size or shape to adhere to someone’s wound or need.
Possibly one of the strangest but most helpful additions to orthopedics is Xenco Medical’s surgical vending machine. These machines may soon be available for clinicians to choose disposable spinal tools and implants.
Five alternatives to knee replacement
- Physical therapy – Working with a physical therapist can increase muscle strength in the knee and can reduce pain.
- Medications – Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications can help reduce pain, stiffness and swelling associated with knee pain.
- Arthroscopic surgery – This surgery is less invasive, since it’s performed by inserting a small scope into an incision. The practice can repair cartilage and tears inside the knee.
- Injections – Corticosteroid injections can reduce inflammation, swelling and pain. On top of that, they can be long-lasting.
- Osteotomy – This is a procedure is recommended to younger patients or to people with damage in only one side of the knee.
When should I see an orthopedic doctor?
Many people endure chronic pain on a day-to-day basis, but are willing to suffer because either they don’t know who to turn to or don’t want to bother with surgery. Others simply may not know the signs that they should schedule an appointment with an orthopedic doctor.
- Shoulder pain
- Trouble climbing stairs
- Tingling or numbing hands
- Pain from repetitive movement
Mallory Arnold is an editor. Feedback welcome at marnold@cityscenemediagroup.com.
