Skiing With Bilateral Knee Replacement Surgery
Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash
LETTER TO THE EDITOR from Frank Rickus
You can ski with bilateral knee replacement in your sixties. Eight months after surgery I was back skiing in November and then teaching skiing at Stratton two months later.
I am a pharmacist and was working at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center when I had my surgery in 2017, where I had counselled many patients after surgery regarding pain and rehab. I convinced my surgeon to replace both knees in one surgery. It all comes down to motivation, pain tolerance. and rehab.
Simply, I did not want to miss a ski season and worked diligently at rehab through those eight months between seasons and bought new boots and skis that were easy to flex and turn. That worked out okay, but I was still wobbly with those first turns. But steadily I built up confidence and strength and – low and behold – I could ski the whole mountain and get back to my car afterward.
Prior to surgery my knees were bone on bone, I was bow legged and could just barely manage walking. Skiing was not a problem. No pain, movement was good, but soon after surgery I realized how out of position I had been, and now with proper alignment skiing is even easier. Today after seven years there is no degeneration of the knee parts, I’m stronger than ever, have been through a couple of ski accidents and falling off my ladder.
I am looking forward to skiing and teaching for about 50 days this season. I hike, bike, lift weights, and maintain my weight to keep those knees ready for ski season. If you are ever at Stratton look me up and let’s go bang some bumps together.
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I to had bilateral knee replacements in 2015. To date I have skied 800 plus days on them. I am a 77 year old Killington Ski instructor, I teach 60 days a year to all levels on most of our terrain with the exception of outer limits. I Don’t want to sound like I am bragging I just want you all to know that if you are in shape and with the proper pre hab and rehab, knee replacements are nothing short of a skiers miracle. thank you Hospital for Special Surgery
Great letter! Had my second knee done last November and my doctor cleared me in January, where as I usually ski over 100 days a year, only 68 last year, still working on my strength as, shocker, the muscle memory doesn’t return as it did when younger, hope this encourages others!
Good Work I’ve had a double hip replacement and skied my first day last week, much the same reaction a kinda funny feeling. Find a balance point stance on skis make a round turn by the end of the day breathed a sigh of relief. Any one out there with the same situation let me know how it went. Enjoy the season. CS
I agree with Frank in all aspects of his story. In May of 2007 I had bilateral knee replacement in a single operation in and have been skiing ever since. While I live in Maine I am writing this from Lake Tahoe and am on my way for two weeks of skiing free at Alta. My surgeon told me that rehab would be the secret of success and I was diligent about it. I have no pain and have not had a single sign of discomfort during these seventeen post surgical years. I turn 83 in March of this year and am happy to talk with anyone who is considering knee replacement.
I have both of my knees replaced, not at the same time. I was cleared to ski after 4 months after my first one, but waited for a good snow day. The morning was slow and easy then after lunch I was back to normal. My second knee in June, 2023, and was back on skis in December, teaching. I am a Ski Instructor and I do not have any issues with either knee. Replacing a knee or hip is like replacing a part on your car, the difference is the healing of the tissue around the hip or knee that has to heal. From skiing and riding you should have good muscle strength so PT should be easy. For my second knee I was kicked out of PT after 5 weeks, since I had been doing advanced exercises for over 2 weeks. I’ll be 71 in May.
Athletes are the most motivated to return to activities. It is our love of the outdoors,,,,,,,, and the need for speed!
I just turned 70, retired and active, skiing 20+ days a season in the NE. I’l skiing a right knee that is on its “last legs” with ACL graft in 2005, re torn in 2019 and skiing w/o in brace since. Knee is stable and highly arthritic, almost bone-on-bone but not painful yet. Have had several consults with “the best” joint replacement who have advised to ski it until it becomes painful and then replace. I’ve taken that advice, but don’t want to wait too long as I expect the older I get the rehab will be more difficult and longer.
Any Advice???
I’m 70 and ski Tahoe 20 days last season. Had both knees replaced one in 2019 and second in 2022. First knee surgery was in 1975 with many scopes thereafter skiing was painful waited until bone on bone. Now no pain or swelling. Skiing is great again. Key to success in MNSHO. is rigorous PT starting the day of surgery.
I had both knees replaced ten years ago and have continued skiing 50+ days a season. I am now 75 and plan to continue. One important qualifying point to replacing a knee is your bone density. If you don’t have adequate bone density they will not replace your knee. So you might consider consulting with an orthopedic surgeon re your current bone density. Second, I would suggest the best way to find a good knee replacement doc is to talk to a couple of well regarded sports medicine physical therapists. They see all the wreckage from the bad docs. And they also know who the best docs are for each ortho procedure. They can tell you very quickly who they would have replace their knees! Good bedside manner is irrelevant, from my perspective. I want the best guy with the lowest infection rates
Greg,
I’m turning 70 in March. Lt TKA in 2016 after 20+ injections (trying to get as old as possible before replacement!) and Rt TKA in 2018. My surgeon had me wait about a year to resume skiing but I think I could have started easy at 6-8 months postop. He’s advised me to avoid bumps and super steeps. A classmate of mine from med school does not limit his TKA patients in the same way.
I’ve subsequently had both hips replaced and would say that returning to skiing has been associated with more “weird feeling” after the hips more than the knees.
Everyone posting here, like you, is tough for their age and very motivated, so they are the “cream of the crop” as far as recovery. Generally, pain is the primary indicator for proceeding with surgery, BUT, if asked, we would ALL probably say that we dealt with some pain or issue (bow legged, knee that won’t fully straighten, instability like you have, etc) before we noticed pain significant enough to have surgery. I suspect most would say that they wish they had done it sooner. So, I would pay attention to that, as well. I highly recommend the DePuy Attune total knee implant/prosthesis/joint. It is super stable with a rail on one side of the implant that the other side rides on, including a “stop” to prevent hyperextension. The ACL is removed with total knee replacement so no issue there. I’d say, if you’re really noticing instability, pick a time, and
“get ‘er done!”. Like others, I’d be happy to talk further. Shoot me an email and we’ll connect. If you are near Charlotte, NC, I have THE guy for you to see!! Good luck!!
I am 79 and an instructor at in Oregon. I had knee replacement surgery 5 months ago and resumed skiing last month; I am not yet back to teaching but will do so in February. My ski form came right back but at the end of the day I have some knee swelling and some pain in my patella tendon. This, knock on wood, should be less of a problem as my knee gets stronger. The pleasure of skiing outweighs the discomfort I may feel.
I am 77, with total knee replacements done 16 and 13 years ago. I had reached a point where skiing had become no fun. After 3 months of post-op rehab for each, I have had many deliciously pain-free years of skiing. Best of all, these knees show no sign of wearing out!
Good to hear you had a good outcome! My best friend, was a competitive mogul skier, 62yrs old, just had a TKR in Sept, now 4 months post-op, and he’s still struggling to full straighten his knee. Unfortunately, he put off surgery for many years, and everything is still very tight. We’re supposed to ski at Snowbird/Alta in 6wks, about 6months post-op, but I don’t think so. We’ll have to try again in 2026.
I’m another with two knee replacements still skiing at 74. I had mine done in May and Sept of 23 and started skiing again in January last year. I give my physical therapist a lot of credit for getting me ready. Lot’s of balance, reaction, and strength exercises so I was skiing good on my first day. I am an expert recreational skier who prefers off piste and made it up 10 times last year. I even managed a couple double diamond runs (7th Heaven @ Steven’s Pass) by the end of the year. So nice to be pain free.
In 2016 (age 77) I suffered a comminuted compound fracture – tib-fib plus tibial plateau – wheelchair 3 months. Took a long time for bones to heal. With terrific rehab I was back on the slopes almost a year to the day from my “operator’s error.” Last season I skied 40+ days. Now at 85, based on comparison X-rays (then & now) my trauma surgeon who did a spectacular job inserting much metal in my tib-fib, putting “Humty Dumpty” back together again said, after nine good years, your knee is shot; time for a new one. But the op reqires two surgeries: first removal of the hardware first (9 big screws in the tibial plateau, then bone healing); then a second operation – total knee replacement, bone healing plus rehab. My goal is to ski at least another five years unless I end up on the wrong side of the grass first. I’m motivated and in shape, but still unsure. Am I nuts?
78 y o… TKR 5 and 10 years ago. Teach and ski Deer Valley daily but stay out of trees and moguls. As the surgeons said… “enjoy skiing but listen to your body..”.
76 years old and had a bone on bone knee replaced in June 2023 and was skiing in November of 23. Key for me was doing lots of PT exercises ahead of surgery and then lots more after. I think strengthening the muscles in your legs and back before surgery helped me recover faster. Also if it hurts when you exercise don’t be afraid to take some pain medication like Tylenol and maybe back off on repetitions and move on to an exercise that doesn’t hurt. I know a few people who wouldn’t do the exercises because they hurt and did not want to take any pain medication for fear of getting addicted. They never seemed to improve and gave up skiing. Be healthy to ski, ski to be healthy.
Knee replacements were in 2006 and 2010. I skied with CADS after the first replacement and used them ever since, 20-25 times a year. I feel comfortable with them though they certainly look strange and can sometimes be a hassle working with the system. I find that if I don’t ski with them I tire much more quickly. I demoed the MoJo system 5 or 6 years ago and liked it but they never followed up on distributing the system. If you have concerns on your knees I would highly recommend contacting Walter Dandy at CADS. His website will help you get information.
Thank you all for the above posts. It is very encouraging to hear the success stories. I am 60 yrs old and have bone on bone in both knees. I have been skiing for 38 + years. I’ve had cortisone shots (which did nothing) and then gel shots about 2 yrs ago. The only way I am able to hit the slopes these days are with arthritis cream and lots of Tylenol and Ibuprofen along with knee braces. Still I am not nearly pain free on the slopes. My Primary Care Physician told me to wait as long as I can to have them replaced but I don’t know exactly what that means. I would like to get them both done at the same time for two reasons: to shorten recovery and I simply can’t tell which knee is worse. I say that my left knee is really bad but my right knee is worse at times. I would like to know how Frank convinced his Dr. to replace both at the same time. I am hoping to retire in about 18 months and I would like to have 2 “pain-free knees so that I can enjoy the slopes as a retiree. Just need to courage to make the move.