My knees are bone on bone, my meniscus wore out. So I am a bit young for prosthesis, so my surgeon gives me the Euflexxa shots in the fall so I can hunt. They last 6-9 months for me. They are a lubricant and you get 1 shot per week, for 3 weeks. My swelling always goes down after the first shot. I think this is my 5th year, and the 3rd year was not so effective. My third injection was today, and the improvement is night and day.
I did not get the fake crazy bill yet but I think they were something like 1000 per knee per shot. I could be off on that. I think I pay 250 total under my insurance.
Anyway it works for me, and it might be something to help on the hunt.

https://www.drugs.com/cdi/euflexxa.html

Worn out joints are no fun, glad you have some relief.

I had injections for years. When they quit working, there's only one option no matter how old you are. Good luck, and hopefully they'll keep working a while.

Never had the shots but the Doc that got into my left knee was the same that fixed up that Ryan fellow and a lot of other sports folks.

He drilled holes into both bone heads,he said in non medical terms it would piss off the bone heads to make scar tissue.

It has been years and it only acts up once and a while.

By the way no meniscus was left when he got in.

Had to use crutches for about 6 weeks and have very little weight on that knee.

Might want to check out zilretta. Time release and helps a lot of folks. Approved in 2017.

My brother had the same situation. He had both knees replaced, in his early 60s. He is pain free and says it’s the best money he ever spent.

Check into some of the stem cell stuff. Seriously...just check it out.

My wife 1st tried the cortisone, then the Euflexa w/out relief. TKRs put the bounce back in her step. The damage continues while the symptoms are masked by the injections.



mike r

I have one that is beginning to bother me, mine have lots of miles from football, track, marathon running, untold miles of dancing with wifey. It’s probably getting worn out in there.

I am very active at 73... daily workouts. The shots did nothing for me. I had knee replacement, did my own rehab (my retirement jobs are troubleshooting health clubs). I tell all, my new titanium knee is my most essential piece of equipment..... allowing me to continue backpacking deer out. I also keep my weight at 210lbs... 6'5".....

My replaced knee is stronger now at 61 than its ever been since age 17, when I tore it up..I can walk with confidence. But, the ligaments still hurt off & on. It’s still better than bone on bone.

I had my right knee replaced 2 years ago. Perfect now! Physical therapy was something else. But you get out of it what you put into it.

Hope everything goes well !!

I've been looking into that....my knees aren't great but I'm hoping that some of this new stuff might be able to help fix things before it's too late. Apparently there is a couple places in Canada that are starting to do some of this stuff, fortunately.

Stem cell stuff is the way of the future, but the US lags behind and private insurance companies usually refuse to pay for it. Such is the way of life (and death) in the American health care industry. Go to Canada. Or Belgium. Or Germany...

I was o e of the "special" cases where euflexxa/synvisc had no advantage. Cortisone actually made it worse for a week.

TKA is THE answer.

How old a fella are You if I can ask.

The one I went to offers something called "Care Credit". It's like a credit card for medical stuff. My insurance wouldn't cover it, but would have covered spine fusion surgery. Go figure. Couple of places here in Denver area offering treatment.

Euflexa works, but it requires a meniscus to be there to help rejuvinate.

They did nothing for me. I had 2 meniscus repairs on that knee, then an osteotomy which shifted the weight load on that knee, then last October I had a replacement. Night and day. Today I can hike/hunt/snowshoe pain free for miles at a time. NO PAIN. Where 3 months before teh replacement I went on a short hike and was ready to throw up in the parking lot due to the pain.

Or Hell.

Getting sorer every day here.

They do the stem cell shots in the USA too. A friend had his right knee replaced last year and his Doc recommended trying a stem shot in his left knee before doing a joint replacement. It's $2500 a shot and our insurance doesn't cover any of the cost yet.

I had a shot a couple months ago. My first.

I've been bone on bone for about 30 years and 12 years before that had a poorly done surgery that dropped me often and tore up cartilage in the knee that would get into the joint and had to be forced out. Not fun. When it got locked up and neither I or the doc, good doc this time, couldn't free it up, I had another surgery that removed all the cartilage. That was about 30 years ago.

The doc I went to to talk to about a replacement called the shot "steroids" and it took a while before it helped but now, my knee feels better than it has for about 42 years, prior to the "accident".

I'm going to try and have a replacement either this year or right after. I've been doing PT to strengthen my legs, which have atrophied over the years due to two surgeries.

Agreed . Beats major surgery.

tag

I know two people that received stem cell injection into their knee(s).
Both went TKA in less than a year.

I had my last two “rooster booster” injections last month. I have TKR X 2 set for February. It’s been a looong painful ride. Gonna be hell on earth for about 6 weeks after surgery I’m told. OTOH one surgery, one anesthesia, one stay in rehab. I want to get this done so I can get on to better health. That Airedale is wearing me like a hat trying to stay up. I’m glad he seems to understand!

My knees have been an issue for forty years. First surgery on the left in '79 before arthroscopic. Left scoped in 2001 and right in 2002. Had both replaced 2009. The inside half of both was bone on bone. Couldn't bend the left knee enough to change gears on the motorcycle and looks like I had been on a horse for all my life. They have been good until about two years ago. Left was giving trouble. Hurting. Getting stiff. Finally went to the doc. Left knee is pretty much permanently about half again as big as the right. Doc tried twice to get fluid out, but none to be had. Scheduled for surgery early January to replace the plastic pad in the left one. X-rays showed it was wearing and shouldn't be. Whatever else is a problem will be fixed at the same time.

Before the replacement and scopings, I had cortisone in the left knee. It helped for a little bit, but not lone.

I've been down the replacement road in 17. Physical therapy is a PAIN! Best thing after about 3 weeks is a stationary bike to get the knee moving and bending.
Hope the best for all with your surgeries.

Steve

I wish you luck. Not to be a wet blanket, but my surgeon won't do doubles. Too high a risk....not of complications, but of death!

Three months apart is mo betta. Otherwise, a feller ain't got a leg to stand on.

My surgeon will only do singles. He is pretty big time and does a ton of pro sports guys.

Just don't do what my wife did. She didn't move her knees enough and let the soft tissue get stiff and made her not able to have normal range of motion. She waited too long to get surgery and when she finally did, it was 10 times more painful and she was several weeks longer in therapy than usual. Keep moving and flexing your knee and get it as loose as you can before surgery...you think it hurts to move it now? Just wait until they split it open and it is healing and swollen. ........you will thank me later.

I thought about getting a Frankenstein stitches tattoo on my scar line. Wife objected heavily. I don’t have any tattoos at all. The scar is there nonetheless.

Mine was glued together, no stitches.

No staples for me either.

PA closes and had a previous stint w a plastic surgeon. He uses those skills to stitch from the inside leaving only a barely visible line on the skin.

It’s not like I was concerned what with previous knee insults, but some clients are, so that’s how they do it.

Would you do it again?

My Growler has had both knees replaced 4 months apart. PT started 1 day post op and was attacked like a wildwoman.. Then she fell in Idaho and broke her patella. Yet another surgery ad more PT. Today, 11 weeks post op, we hiked 4.7 miles in the mountains north of Jackson, Wy. Never quit. Pain is just weakness leaving the body.


mike r

I'd do it again in a heartbeat!

My dad had both done at once, said he wouldn't do that again. I thought I needed them both, turns out I didn't, but surgeon said he STRONGLY says no to that. The additional time under raised the chances of heart issues/death astronomically. PT is WAY worse as well.

PT starts in the hospital and continues from there. Work it, but don't over do it, do what they say. Friend of mine went at it to hard and it caused SERIOUS swelling issues that put him on the couch for a week with his leg elevated, no PT, no walking etc. That made it harder to get started again

Wife had one knee done a year after a shoulder fix. Said the knee was a piece of cake in comparison. She didn't hit it hard enough on the PT by my estimation, but after 2 years is fairly pain free and gets around pretty good. Keeps putting off the other knee though.

I also had bone-on-bone and got shots for about a year or so. They helped but didn't work in the end. I've had both knees replaced and things are good again.

Yes! Fixed all my knee problems. Make sure you have the best surgeon you can find.
They are staples not stitches.