Due to arthritis and a divot in the back of my knee cap from doing deep squats in the gym, I had found it painful to sit with my knee bent for more than 5 minutes. Going to theaters or arenas where there was no leg room or flying in coach was a nightmare (I’m 5’11”).
I got a cortisone shot and it worked great for about one day. I next tried three OrthoVisc gel injections spaced two weeks apart. My knee felt worse (as expected) for a day or so after the injections because the bulky gel expands the joint. It then went back to the normal amount of pain. I got no relief whatsoever.
The cost for the gel wasn’t that much. I think it was something like $275, but with copays for every trip to the doctor it really added up. My copays are $50 for a specialist. So the initial visit, the one to get evaluated for the gel, the three for gel shots, and the followup visit added another $300. It was a real waste of money.
Dr. Oliverre then recommended scoping my knee to smooth out the rough spots. I decided to try it. Although my knee still can get uncomfortable when it is bent for long, it is no longer painful. Getting it scoped was outpatient surgery with a six week recovery. I got serious about cycling to rehabilitate it and am now up to 200 miles per week and have lost 18 pounds.
Your mileage may vary.
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