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FIRST-LINE FIXES
“A big thing we recommend is
weight loss,” says Dr. Werner.
With every footfall, your knees
bear three to eight times your
weight, so a few pounds of
body weight matter. Physical
therapy and anti-inflammatory
injections may also help. So
can resistance training.THE DECISION
“This [surgery] is not for the
guy who goes out for a hike
or swings a golf club and
has pain,” says Dr. Werner.
“This is for a man who can’t
straighten or fully bend his
knee, or who has a defor-
mity.” If your knee is bowing
or your stiffness and loss of
motion are progressing, don’t
wait. The more mobility you
lose before having surgery,
the less you’ll regain post-op.WHAT HAPPENS
The surgeon will place metal
caps on the bottom of your
thighbone and top of your
shinbone. Then you get a
new knee in the form of a
plastic insert that allows for
smooth movement. You’ll
walk the day of surgery, but
you’ll need months of physi-
cal therapy to recover fully.CONTINUED ON P. 128Bum Knee
You probably know at
least a few people who’ve
had knee replacement
surgery—your dad or
grandfather, perhaps. In
fact, total knee replace-
ment is one of the most
common operations per-
formed in the United
States. “An early sign of
a future need for the sur-
gery is activity-induced
swelling—usually from
high-impact sports like
running,” Dr. Werner says.
“Stiffness, problems
sitting down or standing
up, and problems nego-
tiating stairs are all early
signs of arthritis.”