dkatz1

So, I’m 68…rode a bike when I was a child, quit in jr high school…I grew up in Kansas, and at the time: to get a learner’s permit, you only had to be 14, and a full license at 16. A learner’s permit enabled you to drive to work and to school and got abused plenty. So: bikes were not cool…
A few years later, though, early 70’s, I was a hippie, and got a Peugeot U08…and took up riding, in a frivolous way.
Then, October 1973, I borrowed a friend’s car to go visit my parents, 30 miles away. I’d just gotten going when: all of a sudden, there was a car on the wrong side of the road, headed straight at me.
I jammed on the brakes as hard as I could just as he slammed into me.
My right femur was broken and shattered in three places. I spent 65 days in traction. And four months after that on crutches. And more months after that with a cane.
The drunk who passed out and hit me wasn’t injured.
I sold my bike…I was too broke in those days to keep anything I wasn’t using.
I limped around for the next 27 years…it was always a problem, it always hurt some.

They had told me that someday, I would have to get an artificial kneecap, they didn’t replace joints back then.
In 1999 I took up riding big time. I’ve gone almost 60,000 miles since. And: after I’d been riding for 6 or 8 months, my knee actually improved, it got a lot stronger (to this day, the muscles in my left leg are still much bigger than in my right), and this kept it from hurting as much.
But: gradually, the cartilage was getting destroyed.
The doctor would tell me: someday you should get your knee replaced.
This sounded horrible and intrusive to me.

In probably 2010, my late wife and I took a trip to Colorado, to rocky mountain national park near Estes Park. There’s a road: trail ridge road. The highest “year-round” round in the continental US: goes up to 13,500 feet.
We drove up that road. I expected to see cyclists taking it on…. but only saw one (turns out: it was supposed to and did rain that afternoon). We stopped at one of the many scenic vistas, and shortly after, the cyclist arrived, and I went to talk to her.
A 72-year-old woman. Her husband could no longer ride and was following behind in their van. I noticed that she didn’t have clipless pedals, or even toe clips. I asked her about it, and she told me that she couldn’t, for reasons having to do with having had her knee replaced the year before. Later, we saw that she made it up to 13,500 feet.

I, by the way, also cannot wear clipless pedals, for a number or reasons, one being that the leg that was in traction became: an 1 ¼” shorter. I used toe clips for a while (a hassle when you’ve got a shoe with an extra inch on it) and then switched to straps. And most recently: I abanded all of them.

The Trail Ridge cyclist convinced me that it was okay to get my knee replaced, though it took me two more years to get around to it. I was still reluctant, even knowing that it was a good thing. It really is invasive.

One day I was getting out of my car. Suddenly, my knee locked in place. Painfully. Next day made it to the orthopedist. He told me that even though mostly I had no cartilage left, a piece of it had broken off and got stuck in the joint.
He said it could happen again, any time.

So: 7 years ago, I got my knee replaced. It’s major surgery, always a drag…and recovery was difficult. They get you out of bed the day after surgery, and make you walk, or in my case, try to. The physical therapy for this is brutal…the new knee won’t bend properly until you force it. By doing painful exercise. Every day.
It was really bad for about a month…I was operated on July 2nd. In August, I was driving a car, in September I started getting on an exercise bike, and by the end of the month I was on my bike again. Probably could have done it sooner. The knee works way better than the old one. For me: it made walking less painful, and allows me to go up and down stairs without moving one foot to the next step, and then putting the other on the same.
Prior to the operation, when I walked (or just stood), my left foot was pointing straight ahead, but my right was pointed out at a 45 degree angle. This had been more difficult for me because of the damage to my femur…while replacing the knee, they did something to help that. I met people who had both knees replaced, I’m glad I only needed the one.
But: three years later, I had one hip replaced; the one on the other side (knee on my right, hip on my left). Because walking so poorly for 27 years wrecked it. It was a much simpler and easy recovery.

Anyway, these things were really worth doing and have made my life better. And have kept me at the bike.

I may NEXT have a joint in my hand replaced…index finger, left hand…I’m a guitar player and can no longer play chords I’ve been playing all my life. It’s an outpatient procedure: but requires a cast on your wrist for two months. I’m trying to find the perfect time to do this, which isn’t easy.

I didn’t teach tlasthis summer, but didn’t want to do it then. Why ruin summer, prime riding time?
In conclusion, if you ever need this done: DO it. It’s worth it.

Paul Barnard

Glad the surgeries went well and that you are doing well. My shoulder replacement didn't. The doctor that installed it, put the wrong parts in the wrong place. Two more surgeries later and I have half of an artificial joint. It's causes discomfort on longer rides. It wakes me up several times each night. Knees and hips seem to do better than shoulders.

MoAlpha

I have prosthetic discs on either side of a C5-6 fusion, courtesy of the taxpayers and a fine neurosurgeon at Walter Reed. The plates on the anterior side of the vertebral bodies, where the screws go, dent my esophagus and can make swallowing a bit of a chore, but they let me ride (in the mythical drops) with my stem nice and low and trim sails. I love them.

zjrog

I'm a Kansas kid too!!! Similar tales of bicycle to learner's permit and driving... I joined the Navy at 18, took my bike to my first duty station, and rode a bit. But gave it away a year or so later. Married, transferred to a ship and later to Hawaii, where I got back into riding again. And kept a bicycle when I transferred to another ship years later. Fast forward... I retired from the Navy in 2001, I had some knee pain issues but it was tolerable.

Well, by mid 2009 the pain was becoming more severe and finally went to an orthopedic. Bone and bone and wearing grooves... Went through the gel injection routines, but in Nov 2010, I had my left knee replaced. At 47 years old. Up later in the day to walk. Yes, the first weeks of PT SUCKED BAD! But, I found my groove at about 5 weeks with the bike on a trainer. Which got me out on the bike more and more again. Nine months later, in Aug 2011, I crashed that bicycle bad. Broke my back and suffered a massive concussion. Had back surgery the day after with 2 rods and 10 screws. But that is all chronicled elsewhere here in Bike Forums...

Since, I've had to have my right achilles tendon repaired. Had an injury to the other ankle that I'm still messing with. And last year I had weight loss surgery. I'd got myself to 378 pounds... Today, back on my bikes, I'm under 250 and still losing. And the bike is certainly a major factor... As I am facing my right knee needing replaced, the weight loss has helped me push it out a bit farther. But I still need it done. Not looking forward to it, but it needs to be done and no fear of it...

FolderBeholder

Good advice....

Do whatever possible to enjoy as much of each day, and the activities you wish to pursue each of those days.

I had a THR at 57 and don't regret it (although I didnt feel that way at the time)

Jicafold

Have you considered different length crankarms to accommodate the leg length discrepancy?

jcoyle

I had a THR on the left side in 2017 came home the same day. It was a pretty quick recovery. I was back to work (heavy equipment mechanic ) in just over four weeks. Now it's like it never happened. Rode my bike over 3900 miles last year ( riding year 8/18-8/19) and still do static line round canopy parachuting. Our son had a shoulder done two years ago and I don't think it will ever be right... Hips seem to be easier to do then shoulders or knees.

CodyDog

The right surgeon and then right circumstances, an artificial joint can be the answer. I had a shoulder replacement 5 years ago after having three previous shoulder surgeries. The shoulder replacement was a success.

rosefarts

I think it's repetition for the surgeon. The might do as many as 3-4 total knees or hips in a day. They might do this 2-3 days a week. Total shoulders and reverse total shoulders (same same but different), probably one every 2 weeks. Not infrequent but still not as wired as the other ones.

OldTryGuy

Fantastic that new part's working properly but as with anything being replaced, YMMV. Very good doctor friend went to "best ortho around" and 1 year later her knee still is not functioning properly. Can't bicycle, dance, yoga, swim ---- get around like prior.

ME, decades with right shoulder issue, bone on bone/spurs blah-blah-blah. Saw 3 shoulder ortho guys and all said same replace, sling for a while to keep motion minimized, PT and things would be fine some months later. NO WAY!!!! Went to a recommended ortho about knees, also bone on bone and hurting but also spoke about shoulder. He tells me that the knees would be replaced and take time BUT required both legs to be straightened (take away bowed legs) by a high tibial osteotomy (https://rebalancemd.com/wp-content/up...very_Guide.pdf) I don't think so at that time since centuries coming up and then says the shoulder can be done. I said "NO THANK YOU" and he asks "WHY NOT." I mention lengthy time to heal with his reply, "You can get back on the bike 2 days after replacement."

Had him replace shoulder Monday morning, sling was removed Tuesday morning and told I could ride Wednesday. I waited until Thursday and haven't had an issue since. Done October 10, 2016 exactly 3 months after 66th birthday.

Knees are acting up again so thinking about replacement AND left wrist that Dr. Hand said needed replacement or fusion back 6 years ago.