Hi everyone, I’m an upper level dressage rider with osteoarthritis in both knees and a torn meniscus on the right side (complicated tear). I haven’t been able to ride in months and I’m contemplating double knee replacement, but my pain doctor wants me to hold out a bit longer as I’m nowhere near bone on bone. I’ve tried Synvisc, cortisone and PRP injections and PT. Dr says knee replacement is not as stable as a normal knee because they remove the ACL and possibly the PCL, so I should try stem cell from bone marrow before choosing surgery. I’m trying to locate a specialist who does this. I’d love to hear from any dressage riders who have successfully been treated with stem cells for their knees and any other riders who have gone back to competitive dressage training and showing after knee replacement. I could probably (gently) trail ride like this, but my heart is in training and competing. I know all about hip replacements as I already have one of those, so my question is specifically about knees.
Thanks!
i had one knee replaced in 2002 with a titanium insert. To this day, i have to THINK!..“now, which knee is the fake one?”. They told me i only had 15 years guarantee with it and it could only be re-replace one time. Knock-on-wood it will continue to last and i’ll not have to re-replace. No issues so far, 20 yrs plus later. I have good torsion strength in both knees. No issue gripping or applying pressure in saddle. What else…what else… Oh yeah, i was told to never jog again, and not to ski, but riding was perfectly fine.
I have two teammates who both went the stem-cell route, and both are now getting/got full replacements. Perhaps they were just unlucky? Dunno.
My husband is not a dressage rider, but he is a full time farrier and he rides and competes cutting horses. He had his knee done about 10 years ago and was riding after 6 weeks. The only problems he has had is that he has to use a mounting block now and he can’t kneel on hard surfaces. He also had both hips and one shoulder replaced, so he’s pretty bionic. 
Following this thread, since I am bone-on-bone osteoarthritis and my “meniscus got really sad and went bye-bye” after an ice slip injury, as described in baby-talk by an ortho specialist who gets paid half a mill a year for this. 
OP, hope you get some good info! My own attitude is wait, holding pattern. I can ride, hike, etc. but in limited ways, and the knee just always feels hyperflexible and knotty at the same time.
They want to do my knee also. Due to old injuries my left femur comes into the knee joint at an angle. Last year I had a lot of pain. Knocking wood, better now.
I started taking Lubrisyn. They make a human version but I started with a squirt of the equine version in my morning coffee. It has really made a difference.
The other thing that made a difference is leg and knee sleeves from Incrediwear. Not compression but they actually increase blood flow through a slight “electrical” impulse created by the minerals in the knit. I have a knee sleeve I often ride in, and a pair of leg sleeves I sleep in almost every night.
And I swear by my Birkenstock shoes for correct support.
Too many of my friends “of a certain age” have had really difficult knee replacement recoveries and I don’t have time for that. I’ve spent too much of my life injured already. I have things to do……
Hope you find a good solution.
I haven’t had a knee, but a good friend’s husband did. He rides cutting horses and is back competing with no issues. He didn’t have all that other…As to recovery, I’ve seen different stories…mostly active folks seem to recover well as they do the PT and work to get back to “normal”.
So not much advice, but I don’t think riding after a replacement is a problem.
Wrong. Get the replacement(s). What’s your age? The healthier your knee is before you have the replacement, the better your outcome will be. Waiting until the knees are bone-on-bone is old school. Stem cells will do nothing for your arthritis. Do some research. If I were in your position, I would be looking for a new doctor. I’ve had both knees replaced. While I had to stop running so that my replacements would last longer, I am thrilled with the outcome. Pain is gone and knee mobility has returned to normal. I’m 70, BTW.
My 84 year old stepmother is recovering from a knee replacement at the moment. She’s always been fit and active and is being super-compliant with the PT and is making a very good recovery. Driving again at 6 weeks post surgery.
Left knee replaced in 2016, right knee replaced January 2023. My surgeon had me wait 3 months before riding again each time, but I have been thrilled with both surgeries. Mind you, I’m just a Training/1st level hacker, but it is a godsend not to be in pain, to have better leg position because I’m not in pain, to not have my knee lock up while riding so that I couldn’t dismount, etc. etc. etc. The only accommodation I’ve had to make is to start dismounting with the mounting block because I don’t want to drop down hard on the artificial knees.
Keys to success: pick a great surgeon. Do all the exercises they recommend before the surgery. Follow the surgeon’s directions for post op care. Do all the exercises after the surgery. Go to PT. FOLLOW DIRECTIONS! I can’t tell you the number of people who have reported poor outcomes but… when you press for details you find out they didn’t follow instructions! As my ortho PA said, ya gotta do the work with a knee replacement if you want a good outcome.
Don’t wait, just get it done. You’ll be glad you did.
ETA: I am 71.
OP I think your doctor is overlooking (or trivializing) and not considering that you are an athlete. I am not sure if they are a surgeon or a “pain management” specialist.
I would seek a second opinion or a third opinion . My eye doctor said said my cataracts were progressing but not at a point MOST people would have them done. He acknowledged that I am a competitor that uses my eyesight as a vital part of my skill. I might wish to get them done sooner. He took the “me” into the equation
Your riding is your passion and important to your lifestyle. Does your doctor have your best interest in mind or their bottom line?
@UDC --totally agree with @hoopoe. Get a second opinion from a knee replacement specialist. Suggest calling the local or nearby hospitals and asking how many total knee replacements they do in a year, and ask which doctor does the most. See him or her. Someone doing 300 knee replacements in a year is going to be a better person to discuss your options than someone who does one a year or none. Be aware, however, that some surgeons are not “people friendly.” I’ve had two shoulders, one hip, and two knees done (did both knees at the same time --not usually done that way but my kiddo is an OR/PACU nurse, so we could promise good care after). Of the three surgeons I saw for my new parts, only one was personable. The others were (clearly) competent, but extremely clinical and abrupt to the point of arrogance. I had ore insightful, pleasant conversations with their respective PAs than with the surgeons. --DD who is the RN said the surgeons are “nice guys” to work with, but just very busy. And I should imagine that being asked 10 times a day, “Will it hurt? How long until I can walk?” becomes a little redundant. FYI numbers of surgeries done in a hospital and the surgeons who do them is Public Knowledge in my state . . .
It really, really helped that my surgeon’s daughter competed in saddle seat in a very very high level, like the US team for the saddle seat world cups. He understood the horse world/horse crazy.
You need to talk to an orthopedist who does total knees…NOT a pain doc. The best way to find such a doc is to talk to people in your local area who have had the surgery SUCCESSFULLY.
There are different products (knees) made by different companies (Zimmer, DePuy, Stryker, Smith & Nephew) and docs have preferences for one or another.
I know one person with 2 knees and is successfully riding. She was religious about following pre and post op protocols and PT.
I had knee surgery where they repaired a partially torn ACL, this was well over a year ago and I haven’t been able to ride more than 5 or 10 minutes without being in significant pain. Which means, I basically can’t ride anymore and my knee stiffens up after sitting for a while leaving me gimping around. The doctor assured me I’d be back riding in no time. I think he screwed something up in the surgery.
A friend had that happen.
Dr went back in there to repair again and same result.
Friend went to another surgeon and third time in, it worked, she is back 100%.
Go get a second/third whatever opinion you need until someone fixes it!
I am 72, had my first knee done a year ago today, and will have my second one done this coming Monday. I am not a competitor, really, but am a hard working amateur. I have full extension, and excellent flexion. I was driving by ten days (could have been sooner but I was afraid to drive if I had had any oxycodone within 8 hours) and riding at six weeks. This one will be my left knee, so driving should be easier and mounting should be as well. I am not sure that stem cells work for knees.
Had mine done at HSS in West Palm, buy a well known (here) surgeon who did a great job. Get an opinion from a knee surgeon, as others have said.
