Conditioning Makes A Huge Difference To This Skier’s Post-Op Experience.

A lifetime of abusing my body never really bothered me until it did. Coming down a blue trail five miles long at Park City, UT, one of my all time favorites because of the killer views, suddenly posed a problem.

My knees were killing me. The pain traveled into my hips and the last three miles of the slope seemed to be as long as a trip around the world. It was never going to end. My knees seemed to be grinding into each other.

What a new knee looks like when it is all over. Credit: Bob Nesoff

At the base, the skis came off, and I used them as crutches on the way to the lodge. With some help, I made it back to our accommodations and iced my knees. Walking they felt as though the bones were rubbing against each other. Fortunately, this was the last day of the trip, and before the flight home, I called and made an appointment with my orthopedist.

The day after arriving home, he x-rayed my knees and, as I feared, was told my ski season was over. The bones in the joint were actually rubbing against each other and the only realistic course of action was a replacement. The question then became one knee or both at the same time.

The skier’s mind went to work. I’m 80 years old and not getting any younger. The surgery won’t be any easier when I’m 81 and why do one at a time and then have to come back and rehab all over again.

With a recommendation from my doctor, I made an appointment with Dr. Gregg Klein of the Hartzband Center for Hip & Knee Replacement, Paramus, NJ.  Doing due diligence, I looked them up and found out that they arguably do more knees and hips than any other medical facility in the country. That gave me some comfort.

Meeting Dr, Klein for the first time I was pleasantly surprised to learn that he too was a skier and was able to not only answer my questions, but had an understanding of my special desire with regard to skiing.

“Age is not a problem in knee replacement surgery,” Dr. Klein said. As long as the candidate is in relatively good health, there is no adverse problem.

“However,” he said with a smile on his face, “you won’t be doing moguls any more. You’ll be able to ski more comfortably, but stay away from high impact slopes.”

Physical conditioning is one of the most important factors both prior to and following the surgery. Dr. Klein prescribed six weeks of physical therapy, three times weekly, both prior to and following the operation. I added another two days of workout at my home gym. That, I was told later, made the operation and recovery go faster.

Three hours after the surgery I was up, standing and walking. No great distance, but there was far less pain that I anticipated. That, according to the nurses was due to my pre-op workout regimen.

After only two nights in the hospital, I was released and the following week a therapist visited daily for two weeks. He called my recovery “absolutely amazing,” again due to the workout I had done before surgery.

The two weeks at home were followed up by six weeks of outpatient physical therapy three times a week. Here I threatened the life of my therapist when he bent my legs into positions God never intended them to go.

Less than three weeks following surgery, I was walking without a walker. For jaunts outside of the house I used a cane but was able to walk comfortably without one at home. Another couple of weeks and things returned to normal.

There is some debate as to whether holding the prosthesis in place with special cement or using one that adheres to the bone is better for sports such as skiing. The cement holds and heals more quickly. Waiting for the bone to adhere to the replacement will take longer. The opinion appears to be that one is not better than the other.

“If you are a good skier and enjoy the sport,” Dr. Klein commented, “keep on doing it.”

There are a couple of long scars on my knees but they’ll fade with time. I won’t be doing moguls or extreme blacks, but I don’t care. I’m working out on a regular basis and by the time of the first decent snowfall in the fall of 2019, I’ll be waxing my boards and heading for the hills. As a prelude to the ski season, I’m also planning on making a parachute jump this summer. Hey, George H.W. Bush ain’t the only one who can do that kind of stuff.