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[Mplsfonz]

I am a prime candidate for a replacement, have been for the last 15 years since I screwed mine up, and can't get it for another 15.... Lots of bone damage.

I find it interesting hearing what the replacement is like - i.e. what to expect.

Why 15?

They want to wait till I am at least 50. Knee replacement hardware have a shelf-life (supposedly) so they don't want a person having too many of them through their lifetime.

Okay. That is true.

[jodaman01]

I am a prime candidate for a replacement, have been for the last 15 years since I screwed mine up, and can't get it for another 15.... Lots of bone damage.

I find it interesting hearing what the replacement is like - i.e. what to expect.

Why 15?

They want to wait till I am at least 50. Knee replacement hardware have a shelf-life (supposedly) so they don't want a person having too many of them through their lifetime.

I was more on the healthcare side and got to know a lot back then about hip, knee, shoulder replacement components. A LOT. I can tell you I believe it also depends a lot on the doctor giving the advice. Some are more interventional than others.

It has now been years since I’ve worked with those product lines, so I am not up on the latest technologies. The components don’t last forever, and doing revisions - having to rip them out and replace them is not a pleasant surgery.

What I can tell you is some last much longer than others, and insurance companies have tried to make sure the equipment they pay for is age appropriate for the patient. They don’t want hospitals putting components designed to last 20 years and provide the most mobility in somebody who is 70, 80 or 90. The components that are designed to last a long time and provide the most mobility for younger patients cost much more.

Do your research, there may be components designed for your situation now. If it’s knees, I believe this is one of the newer technologies they use.

https://www.uchicagomedicine.org/condit ... esurfacing

There may be biological things they can do like micro-fracture surgery as well, and there may be newer technologies, I’ve just been away from it for a long time.

I’m sure there are tons of internet chat rooms dedicated to people who have personally gone through these procedures and can offer their experiences. If they start to talk about the liberal elites drinking children’s blood - you are in the wrong room .

I wish you guys the best!!

[LordNu]

Why 15?

They want to wait till I am at least 50. Knee replacement hardware have a shelf-life (supposedly) so they don't want a person having too many of them through their lifetime.

I was more on the healthcare side and got to know a lot back then about hip, knee, shoulder replacement components. A LOT. I can tell you I believe it also depends a lot on the doctor giving the advice. Some are more interventional than others.

It has now been years since I’ve worked with those product lines, so I am not up on the latest technologies. The components don’t last forever, and doing revisions - having to rip them out and replace them is not a pleasant surgery.

What I can tell you is some last much longer than others, and insurance companies have tried to make sure the equipment they pay for is age appropriate for the patient. They don’t want hospitals putting components designed to last 20 years and provide the most mobility in somebody who is 70, 80 or 90. The components that are designed to last a long time and provide the most mobility for younger patients cost much more.

Do your research, there may be components designed for your situation now. If it’s knees, I believe this is one of the newer technologies they use.

https://www.uchicagomedicine.org/condit ... esurfacing

There may be biological things they can do like micro-fracture surgery as well, and there may be newer technologies, I’ve just been away from it for a long time.

I’m sure there are tons of internet chat rooms dedicated to people have personally gone through these procedures.

I wish you guys the best!!

I am lucky in that I live in Australia and our healthcare system is a hell of a lot cheaper than in the US. I will end up getting whatever my surgeon suggests. Already had microfracture surgery, and a high tibial osteotomy. Don't have an ACL anymore as the graft snapped. Yeah, it's all messed up but manageable. Just very interested in what type of hardware they have now as it should be getting A LOT better!

[jodaman01]

They want to wait till I am at least 50. Knee replacement hardware have a shelf-life (supposedly) so they don't want a person having too many of them through their lifetime.

I was more on the healthcare side and got to know a lot back then about hip, knee, shoulder replacement components. A LOT. I can tell you I believe it also depends a lot on the doctor giving the advice. Some are more interventional than others.

It has now been years since I’ve worked with those product lines, so I am not up on the latest technologies. The components don’t last forever, and doing revisions - having to rip them out and replace them is not a pleasant surgery.

What I can tell you is some last much longer than others, and insurance companies have tried to make sure the equipment they pay for is age appropriate for the patient. They don’t want hospitals putting components designed to last 20 years and provide the most mobility in somebody who is 70, 80 or 90. The components that are designed to last a long time and provide the most mobility for younger patients cost much more.

Do your research, there may be components designed for your situation now. If it’s knees, I believe this is one of the newer technologies they use.

https://www.uchicagomedicine.org/condit ... esurfacing

There may be biological things they can do like micro-fracture surgery as well, and there may be newer technologies, I’ve just been away from it for a long time.

I’m sure there are tons of internet chat rooms dedicated to people have personally gone through these procedures.

I wish you guys the best!!

I am lucky in that I live in Australia and our healthcare system is a hell of a lot cheaper than in the US. I will end up getting whatever my surgeon suggests. Already had microfracture surgery, and a high tibial osteotomy. Don't have an ACL anymore as the graft snapped. Yeah, it's all messed up but manageable. Just very interested in what type of hardware they have now as it should be getting A LOT better!

Ouch..... sounds painful..

I don’t know how your Country regulates medical components, but the US companies always expanded their lines by buying small companies that were being used in the UK. UK approved components much faster for use, and then US companies bought them and started the long expensive process of FDA approval for US usage. If Australia is more like the UK, research what is the latest and greatest there...you may have access to stuff that is newer and more cutting edge than what is available for use in the US.

Good luck.

[LordNu]

I was more on the healthcare side and got to know a lot back then about hip, knee, shoulder replacement components. A LOT. I can tell you I believe it also depends a lot on the doctor giving the advice. Some are more interventional than others.

It has now been years since I’ve worked with those product lines, so I am not up on the latest technologies. The components don’t last forever, and doing revisions - having to rip them out and replace them is not a pleasant surgery.

What I can tell you is some last much longer than others, and insurance companies have tried to make sure the equipment they pay for is age appropriate for the patient. They don’t want hospitals putting components designed to last 20 years and provide the most mobility in somebody who is 70, 80 or 90. The components that are designed to last a long time and provide the most mobility for younger patients cost much more.

Do your research, there may be components designed for your situation now. If it’s knees, I believe this is one of the newer technologies they use.

https://www.uchicagomedicine.org/condit ... esurfacing

There may be biological things they can do like micro-fracture surgery as well, and there may be newer technologies, I’ve just been away from it for a long time.

I’m sure there are tons of internet chat rooms dedicated to people have personally gone through these procedures.

I wish you guys the best!!

I am lucky in that I live in Australia and our healthcare system is a hell of a lot cheaper than in the US. I will end up getting whatever my surgeon suggests. Already had microfracture surgery, and a high tibial osteotomy. Don't have an ACL anymore as the graft snapped. Yeah, it's all messed up but manageable. Just very interested in what type of hardware they have now as it should be getting A LOT better!

Ouch..... sounds painful..

I don’t know how your Country regulates medical components, but the US companies always expanded their lines by buying small companies that were being used in the UK. UK approved components much faster for use, and then US companies bought them and started the long expensive process of FDA approval for US usage. If Australia is more like the UK, research what is the latest and greatest there...you may have access to stuff that is newer and more cutting edge than what is available for use in the US.

Good luck.

Did the patient actually get a say? I don't think we really do, we just have our surgeon select the best components?

[jodaman01]

I am lucky in that I live in Australia and our healthcare system is a hell of a lot cheaper than in the US. I will end up getting whatever my surgeon suggests. Already had microfracture surgery, and a high tibial osteotomy. Don't have an ACL anymore as the graft snapped. Yeah, it's all messed up but manageable. Just very interested in what type of hardware they have now as it should be getting A LOT better!

Ouch..... sounds painful..

I don’t know how your Country regulates medical components, but the US companies always expanded their lines by buying small companies that were being used in the UK. UK approved components much faster for use, and then US companies bought them and started the long expensive process of FDA approval for US usage. If Australia is more like the UK, research what is the latest and greatest there...you may have access to stuff that is newer and more cutting edge than what is available for use in the US.

Good luck.

Did the patient actually get a say? I don't think we really do, we just have our surgeon select the best components?

I don’t know how your system works.

Here if somebody has the money they can get what they want if they are going out of their own pocket and they have a physician that has agreed they are a qualified patient and uses the product line you are interested in.

Most of the product vendors (Smith Nephew, Stryker, Zimmer were the big three where I worked, but there are more..) will have contacts on their sites that may show who to contact in your country. Doctors often times are bought and paid for by these companies through product development agreements. Once a company gets a physician developing their products or trained on using and implanting their products.....those doctors are unlikely to use anything else from another company. Money, Product Familiarity, as well as the Vendor Rep that is often in the case (OR) with the physician making recommendations on product line and sizing - will determine what that physician implants.

I would look at the Vendors (Manufacturer sites).