Why a TKR? - Background

I am an advanced western skier who recently had a total knee replacement (TKR) of my right knee.  Most of what I read on TKR forums is negative.  It seems that those who are driven to post on a forum are generally unhappy, dissatisfied, and in pain.  For those who are about to undergo a TKR, or have recently done so, I want to tell you my experiences.  I'll start with a little background, then discuss the operation and the healing process.


Please feel free to post your comments and questions.  I will try to answer them in my next installment.

This is a work in progress.  I am a work in progress.  It's been about 6 weeks since my TKR and I am doing well, but have a long way to go.


Whether you have already had a TKR and want to compare your experiences with mine, or if you are contemplating a TKR and wonder what it's like, please join me as I recount my journey.  I promise you that it will take fewer than 6 weeks to bring you up to the present, and then we can complete the journey together.

Me at Mammoth in 2010

Background

I suffered a tibia plateau fracture in mid-November, 2006. I was skiing in Breckenridge, CO in flat light and hit a mound of snow and took some air, then hit the second mound and lost it. I did not know it was broken. I actually skied down to the bottom (not far!), took the skis off and tried to put weight on the injured leg. Then I knew I was in trouble.  I had a tibia plateau fracture with enough displacement that I needed surgery.

I had the surgery on Dec. 1.  After surgery and 3 days in the hospital, I went home with a walker and instructions to be non-weight bearing for 3 months.  My 2006 ski season was over almost before it had begun.  I had the cast on for about a month, then it was cut off and my staples were removed as well.

At this time I began non-weight bearing PT. Separate from the prescribed PT, I went back to the gym and started riding a stationery bike. The first few times my husband and the trainer had to help me get onto the bike, and I had the seat very high to accommodate my limited ROM. Gradually my ROM improved.

After about a month of PT and biking at the gym, my husband Randy and I went up to Mammoth, CA.  I could not yet fit into my normal ski boots, but had an older pair that were a size too large, and they fit fine. He reluctantly agreed that I could try a couple of runs on the beginner chair. By the afternoon I had skied about 15 intermediate runs, and was ready to quit. Then we ran into a some friends who couldn't believe I was out there skiing, so I had to ski a few more runs with them. By the end of the day I had skied 20 runs.

I had no ill effects and was able to ski the next couple of days as well. No steeps, no powder, no moguls, but I was back.  I was 53 at the time, so I was not some crazy kid trying to prove something. I just felt ready and for some reason was not scared to get back on the slopes.

The bad news is:  Not all the damage from a tibia plateau fracture can be repaired during the operation.  Statistically, a fair percentage of people who have endured this fracture require a Total Knee Replacement in 5 - 10 years after their surgery.  No one told me that at the time.

Over the following winter seasons, I did very well skiing all but the steepest and bumpiest runs.  However, by spring of 2011, I was again experiencing pain in the right knee.  A fall at Mammoth on June 4 (my 58th birthday!) further decreased my ROM and increased my pain.  I began to contemplate knee replacement.  However, scheduling difficulties and a disbelief in my actual need for a new knee led me to postpone it until the following summer (2012).

This is what I wrote in late March, 2012:

OK, I've muddled through the season and since the season was pretty muddled anyway it really didn't matter. It's March 23 and I've skied about 30 days, not a single day in any decent powder. If I had known the season was going to be like this I would have had the surgery last July.  I think it's time for the total knee replacement. I haven't been skiing that well, though I pulled out an old knee brace that helps a little. The knee hurts almost all the time, and sometimes it really hurts.

I began an intensive on-line search for the best surgeon in my area who also took my health insurance.  After meeting with a couple of surgeons, I scheduled the operation for May 2, 2012 at Hoag Hospital in Irvine, CA.


Check out my 2nd chapter:  Surgery and My Hospital Stay



Coming soon (Chapter 3):  My First Few Days at Home, and What I Should Have Done Differently




If you have enjoyed reading this, please take a look at Chapter 2 and come back in a few days for Chapter 3.