Knee replacement/ knee braces

[W921]

Have any of you spent $300 on one of those knee braces as you wait for knee replacement?
Worth the money?

[Dewey Cox]

Do you change the oil in a rental car?

[stob]

I tried durolane injections...a brand of syn visc I think...a synovial fluid replacement type of idea...4 months of relief meaning I can do most of what I did...not a cure but significantly increased mobility and quality of life...a brace just gives support for ROM...

[the hammer]

Save your money. I tried the braces and they didn’t help. Get the injections and try and ride a bike as much as possible to get ready for knee replacement. The better shape you are in prior to replacement the easier your rehab will be post surgery. Prepare now for surgery. Get a walker, Kodiak ice machine to chill your knees, raise your bed few inches, get a toilet seat raise and handles in your shower/bathtub, get resistance bands and use now to build up muscle strength.
My knee was replaced 14 months ago and I can now finally say I m happy it was done. Some people will say they are pleased within 3 months, everyone is different so don’t get discouraged.

[bezzola]

I go on Tuesday for a MRI of the knee to see and wait for the doctor to make a desiction. Where all the swelling and unreal pain is coming from.
Told me to buy a brace in the mean time and I can’t wear it. Makes the pain worse.
Have a friend that had his hip done a few years ago and a knee done last year he said the knee was more painful then the hip after surgery.

[Moe]

My knees are toast and I am in the queue eventually for a replacement. Braces are good and help, but not a $300 brace. At minimum a $1500 brace, an off-loader brace. And I am getting a $3,000 brace being custom made. Braces help, but you have to get the good stuff .... and they ain't cheap

[257STW]

Hello,

If your Knee brace helps you and how much it helps you depends on the condition that your knee has causing the pain, the brace and how you respond to it.

Synthetic, lubricating injections, such as Synvisc or Durolane can be helpful for many people. Steroid injection can also be helpful depending on the condition but its frequency is often limited. Platelet rich plasma helps some people – this is private and my next step in struggling with a meniscus tear that is not much better after surgery.

Unfortunately, after all these therapies, the best decision may be knee replacement. Many times the above therapies are just to increase your quality of life and get you through until something more definitive needs to be done. However, some people experience great results, and it can keep them going for many years.

Me, personally, I'm getting measured for a custom medial unloader brace on Monday, because my meniscal tear is medial and there's also arthritis in that compartment.

Your individual situation is best discussed and guided by your family doctor and orthopaedic surgeon. I am not an orthopaedic surgeon, but I am a physician.

I hope this helps some of you. Good luck!

Cheers

Max

[W921]

Thank you everyone

I'm going to web search your info and try to learn more about everything.

My family doctor never suggests anything so these injections are something I never heard tell of.

My family doctor said he would book me with a surgeon. But I know because of a friend that I can wait a long time just to see the surgeon and even when I do he might say I'm not bad enough which basically means they are busy and hope I die before they have to do knee replacement on me.
There seems to be a age cut off so if you are to young they won't do it as well.

Who decides what type of injection is best? Family doctor, surgeon, the clinic's where I get cortisone injections done on other joints or my arthritis specialist?
I waste so much time waiting for appointment with doctor, then tests then put me off with cortisone.
Its not just my knee and I'm running around and waiting and wasting years getting nothing done.
However I hear they have time and money to do sex change operations

[brass410]

Did all of the above, injection cortisone etc braces blah blah after a lifetime (60 yrs) of pure unadulterated abuse of my knees, the best thing I did was get them both replaced bilaterally (same time). Did spine tap, 5hrs post surg stood up and walked to end of ward hall then to my ride home. Three weeks later fell of ext ladder just to try em out (that hurt for a week) but no issues. So ya, you can put it off and try other things, but if they're screwed they're done, and the inevitable is coming why suffer ? I did for about 5yrs and wont be doing that crap again. Yes its a little uncomfortable for about a week and the physio too but when you can sneak to your deer stand, and stand in your boat again, that will all disappear from memory.

[257STW]

A complicated subject that is individualized depending on each persons scenario. I’m going to PM the original poster so that maybe we can have a chat and I can help him navigate the system where he lives.

Have a great day everyone!

[raised by wolves]

I have a really good custom brace, thankfully mostly covered by combined benefits package.

Prior to getting this brace made, I wasted a fair bit of cash on off the shelf braces. They did nothing for my knee. Even the sports-injury specialists that tended to my injuries referred to these products as "overpriced knee warmers" that provided no support.

Start the process with your physician to get to the specialist and either pursue surgery and/or the custom brace. The brace helped me get back to an active life, including my hunts and hikes in the mountains.

[W921]

So last fall I had cortisone in my knee which really didn't do much and normally cortisone works great everywhere else on me.
So last Thursday I had the durolane injection. To my surprise was on crutches for days. Called 811 and nurse told me to go to emergency which I did. Apparently not infected or blood clot. I'm still hobbling along today and knee swollen and hurts right from knee to foot.
I'm looking forward to when this stuff starts working and thank God no cows calved through this last storm.
I wasn't expecting any of this. I actually had dreams of buying colts to start . That's how optimistic I was . haha still Ami guess it just takes longer time to start working? Example have to break eggs to make an omelette.

[WayneChristie]

Originally Posted by W921

Thank you everyone

I'm going to web search your info and try to learn more about everything.

My family doctor never suggests anything so these injections are something I never heard tell of.

My family doctor said he would book me with a surgeon. But I know because of a friend that I can wait a long time just to see the surgeon and even when I do he might say I'm not bad enough which basically means they are busy and hope I die before they have to do knee replacement on me.
There seems to be a age cut off so if you are to young they won't do it as well.

Who decides what type of injection is best? Family doctor, surgeon, the clinic's where I get cortisone injections done on other joints or my arthritis specialist?
I waste so much time waiting for appointment with doctor, then tests then put me off with cortisone.
Its not just my knee and I'm running around and waiting and wasting years getting nothing done.
However I hear they have time and money to do sex change operations

hoping to take off a bit of weight? or reduce sway?

[W921]

Originally Posted by WayneChristie

hoping to take off a bit of weight? or reduce sway?

Thanks for the laugh (smile)

[MR.K]

What I've found out is that it's about 2 to 2 1/2 year (minimum) wait for a knee replacement. You can also do it out of province (Montreal or Vancouver) for abut 30k plus travel. There is also Acumen who are doing them in Calgary for about 32k. Knees now will last a life time even at a younger age as hardware has advanced.

[W921]

Originally Posted by MR.K

What I've found out is that it's about 2 to 2 1/2 year (minimum) wait for a knee replacement. You can also do it out of province (Montreal or Vancouver) for abut 30k plus travel. There is also Acumen who are doing them in Calgary for about 32k. Knees now will last a life time even at a younger age as hardware has advanced.

I have a first visit with a surgeon booked next month. That's great news if new knees last. I thought only good for ten years

[graybeard]

Originally Posted by W921

I have a first visit with a surgeon booked next month. That's great news if new knees last. I thought only good for ten years

Ten years is the life expectancy; plus or minus your activity, your weight (personally I lost 20 lbs.)
My neighbor was told she had to lose 70 lbs as she is huge, before surgery. One pound off your belly = 5 lbs off the knee joint.

The patient has their do their part, as well the surgeon is a doctor not a magician.

Good luck

Note: My new knee is 7 years old and I am looking into another brace for stability and strength... Some weight has crept back on and I am presently addressing that...

[landowner]

Originally Posted by the hammer

Save your money. I tried the braces and they didn’t help. Get the injections and try and ride a bike as much as possible to get ready for knee replacement. The better shape you are in prior to replacement the easier your rehab will be post surgery. Prepare now for surgery. Get a walker, Kodiak ice machine to chill your knees, raise your bed few inches, get a toilet seat raise and handles in your shower/bathtub, get resistance bands and use now to build up muscle strength.
My knee was replaced 14 months ago and I can now finally say I m happy it was done. Some people will say they are pleased within 3 months, everyone is different so don’t get discouraged.

This^. I strongly recommend the ice machine, it’s a game changer for pain and swelling.

[prinny53]

Originally Posted by W921

I have a first visit with a surgeon booked next month. That's great news if new knees last. I thought only good for ten years

I am going on 13 years with my knee replacement. So far so good. I was told prior to getting mine done that changes were made in replacements and they were projected to last 20+ years.

As mentioned, key is to rehab properly, keep weight down, stay active.

[W921]

So the durolane injection made me much worse at first . put me on crutches for weeks. Huge pain from knee right down to ankle. A month later I'm going to say the injection has helped and I'm better now than before the injection.
I think the next time I will look into a different brand of acid injection. I think my body at first had either allergic reaction or kind of rejected it. There are other brands that are more expensive that are supposed to have less risk of this.

[lmtada]

Originally Posted by prinny53

I am going on 13 years with my knee replacement. So far so good. I was told prior to getting mine done that changes were made in replacements and they were projected to last 20+ years.

As mentioned, key is to rehab properly, keep weight down, stay active.

Yup.