Why so many more knee replacements?

[Villages PL]

Knee Replacements Double in 10 Years, Study Says - ABC News (http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2012/02/10/knee-replacements-double-in-10-years-study)

It seems to be mostly because of the growing numbers of overweight and obese over the last several decades, plus the desire to stay physically fit by running and other such activities like tennis.

I sometimes worry about my friend who likes to run and play tennis. But I doubt that anything I say will change anything. When it comes to a desire for extreme physical fitness, there are those who are so dedicated they won't heed any warnings.

So we have the overweight and obese on one hand and those who strive for great physical fitness on the other hand.

Arthritis (inflammation) is another cause (worsened by inflammatoy diets, in my opinion).

Your comments are welcome.

[rubicon]

The latest criticism is that these operations are being overdone same as heart stents. what is a person suppose to believe?

[Villages PL]

The latest criticism is that these operations are being overdone same as heart stents. what is a person suppose to believe?

It's not always an easy decision to make. I had an obese friend in The Villages who used to walk about 4 miles every day. Because of her knees hurting, she gradually walked less and less. The less she walked, the more weight she gained. And the more weight she gained, the more her knees hurt. Eventually, she stopped walking altogether and died of a stroke.

You could ask, "why get a painful knee replacement if you don't have long to live anyway?" Or you could say she might have lived several more years if she had the replacement and was able to walk. Walking might have prolonged her life, but no one knows for sure.

It's a difficult decision that everyone has to make for themselves.

[JP]

Easier Surgery, better recoveries, better replacement knees, I don't want anymore pain, I want to stay active. You name it. If my knees become too painful, I'll definitely have it done. Why not.

[ilovetv]

Knees and other joints wear out with normal usage and physical activity. My father needed and got both knees replaced, and was a manual laborer on his feet and lifting all day long for 50 years. That physical activity (and hereditary thinness) kept him, and still keeps him, skinny as a rail at age 85.

You can't blame all knee replacements on obesity and unrighteous eating.

[Duvalboomer]

Advancements in the replacement knees and the desire for many in our generation including me, to stay active. In my parents generation it seems to me many of the folks I knew were not nearly as interested in being able to continue playing sports and biking and (name the activity)

[Barefoot]

Knees and other joints wear out with normal usage and physical activity. You can't blame all knee replacements on obesity and unrighteous eating.

My Surgeon told me I 'wore out' my knees by jogging every morning and playing squash every night. i thought i was doing the right thing! Who knew? Now I believe in balance ... everything in moderation. Meeting a friend for a beer might be just as healthy as a second game of Pickleball! :beer3:

[Villages PL]

Knees and other joints wear out with normal usage and physical activity. My father needed and got both knees replaced, and was a manual laborer on his feet and lifting all day long for 50 years. That physical activity (and hereditary thinness) kept him, and still keeps him, skinny as a rail at age 85.

You can't blame all knee replacements on obesity and unrighteous eating.

My opinion was not meant to be the final word. I just stated off-hand the reasons I could think of. It could be one thing or a combination of all of the above. In your father's case, the manual labor likely was a contributing factor. That would be in the same category as athletic overuse.

If you will go back and read my post I listed arthritis as a cause. Then diet as a contributing factor. There's no doubt that poor diet (especially excess refined sugar) will raise one's risk for inflammation. It's fairly certain it will.

[Villages PL]

My Surgeon told me I 'wore out' my knees by jogging every morning and playing squash every night. i thought i was doing the right thing! Who knew? Now I believe in balance ... everything in moderation. Meeting a friend for a beer might be just as healthy as a second game of Pickleball! :beer3:

Here we go with the moderation thing again. :loco::) Artificial knees can be worn out too. So I would advise caution.

Good luck with your new knees, hope they last a long time.

[senior citizen]

Knee Replacements Double in 10 Years, Study Says - ABC News (http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2012/02/10/knee-replacements-double-in-10-years-study)

It seems to be mostly because of the growing numbers of overweight and obese over the last several decades, plus the desire to stay physically fit by running and other such activities like tennis.

I sometimes worry about my friend who likes to run and play tennis. But I doubt that anything I say will change anything. When it comes to a desire for extreme physical fitness, there are those who are so dedicated they won't heed any warnings.

So we have the overweight and obese on one hand and those who strive for great physical fitness on the other hand.

Arthritis (inflammation) is another cause (worsened by inflammatoy diets, in my opinion).

Your comments are welcome.

Half of the people we knew who received the double knee replacements or single knee replacement were SKINNY. The rest were average weight to slightly overweight.......not morbidly obese.

All of the folks were in their 50's and 60's.

Many were avid snow skiiers in their "prime".

Not sure where you originate, but those in the northern climates seem to have an awful lot of severe knee pain in the winter months during cold weather.

Now, our son who is now almost 42 played soccer as a youth and teen.
He was kicked during a soccer match once which caused a broken leg.
He had many dislocated knees during soccer matches........long story.
He had many atheroscopic surgeries on his knees plus one major surgery on his knee.......his orthopedic surgeon said that (back when he was still a child of ten with Osgood Schlatters Disease and his first broken leg) that he was a "good candidate for adult onset arthritis".

When he was playing ultimate Frisbee up at college, his knee would "go out"......it was very painful.
To this day, in his 40's, he remains active, stretching each morning............taking a morning jog when able to.
Biking when able to.........skiing, hiking, etc.........stays slim and trim. But he does get stiffness in his knees after long car rides.

So often the very athletic end up with knee damage and subsequent surgery. Again, the healthiest of the healthy.

They also found that he did not have the proper groove to hold his knee in place........forget the terminology; long time ago. Patella?

p.s. He is the healthiest eater out there. Not everything is because of diet.

[Barefoot]

Here we go with the moderation thing again.


Yes, here we go with the moderation thing again! You say that in a scoffing way, as if moderation is unhealthy. I personally believe that a balance of physical and emotional factors are essential for a healthy and happy life.

[senior citizen]

My Surgeon told me I 'wore out' my knees by jogging every morning and playing squash every night. i thought i was doing the right thing! Who knew? Now I believe in balance ... everything in moderation. Meeting a friend for a beer might be just as healthy as a second game of Pickleball! :beer3:

There really is something to be said for your surgeon's comments.........

Plain old walking is less harsh than jogging..........

My mom walked everywhere at a fast clip and stayed slim and trim her entire life. When she came to live up in Vermont, our male neighbors would admire the fact that she walked as briskly as a teenager.........she did.

However, hubby and I often joke around that neither of our moms, nor our aunts as we recall them.........rode bicycles, or participated in any of the "sports" of today's more modern seniors. To even picture them doing so, in our mind's eye, is hilarious, to say the least........they were the last of the older generation........

Perhaps too much activity as we age in place, just might be a shock to the joints and such??? Mild walking is good of course. Mom always stretched too.......and remained limber.

[senior citizen]

My opinion was not meant to be the final word. I just stated off-hand the reasons I could think of. It could be one thing or a combination of all of the above. In your father's case, the manual labor likely was a contributing factor. That would be in the same category as athletic overuse.

If you will go back and read my post I listed arthritis as a cause. Then diet as a contributing factor. There's no doubt that poor diet (especially excess refined sugar) will raise one's risk for inflammation. It's fairly certain it will.


NOT ALL ARTHRITIS IS CAUSED BY FOOD.

Our cousin in N.J. has a meat route. He lifts heavy boxes all day long.
He has to "jump off of the truck" and has been doing that for a good 30 plus years.......ruining his knees in the process. His surgeon says he has osteo arthritis which is the "wear and tear" type and it's bone on bone.
He needs double knee replacement surgery as he can barely walk.

You are always mentioning obese folks as if you hate them.

This fellow has experienced the vicious cycle such as when he is in PAIN which is from morning till night.......he cannot exercise. Thus, one does tend to put on weight as they age.........he's in his mid 60's and should be retiring soon.........plus some body builds are stocky and husky which his is. Not everyone is skinny by nature.

He also has a bad back and has had all type of cauterizations and procedures and tons of physical therapy............nothing works.

He's been on all kinds of pain killers including the worst of the worst which they had to wean him off of......like oxycodone or oxycontin......vicodin, etc.......all the heavy duty pain killers.

Arthritis isn't always caused by food.........but from everyday life and wear and tear............such as sports athletes suffer from.

Read my earlier post about our son and his knee surgeries.
It runs in my husband's side of the family as his cousins and his aunts all have had their knees "pop out" and had multiple knee surgeries..........

THEY ARE ALL SKINNY.

[Villages PL]

Half of the people we knew who received the double knee replacements or single knee replacement were SKINNY. The rest were average weight to slightly overweight.......not morbidly obese.

Those who compile statistics don't go by someone's group of friends (or people you knew) who had knee problems, which may be 4, 5, or 6 people. Studies usually look for patterns among large numbers of people.

The skinny people you mentioned above may be the runners or joggers who continually put stress on their joints over long periods of time, not to mention they may have had poor diets consisting of energy bars etc..

You mentioned they were not morbidly obese: Why did you insert the word "morbidly"? Statistics show that excess weight, in general, puts extra pressure on knee joints and tends to wear them out faster. But excess weight isn't always necessary to wear out knee joints.


Many were avid snow skiiers in their "prime".

Doesn't matter if they were in their prime or not. Too much pressure on the joints.

Not sure where you originate, but those in the northern climates seem to have an awful lot of severe knee pain in the winter months during cold weather.

I'm from the north-east and I never heard of that.

So often the very athletic end up with knee damage and subsequent surgery. Again, the healthiest of the healthy.

Is that suppose to prove that it doesn't pay to try to be healthy? It doesn't prove that at all. It just proves that some athletes put too much wear 'n' tear on their knees.

p.s. He is the healthiest eater out there. Not everything is because of diet.

Show me where I said that everything is because of diet. Did you read my opening post?

[lovsthosebigdogs]

Villages PL, you may not have said it in THIS post, but having read most of your posts since I signed on to TOTV I feel I am familiar with your style of post and writing and I too feel you often attribute whatever goes wrong with people to their diet. If that's not true then maybe it's something you don't mean, but it appears that I am not the only one who gets that impression. I have bone on bone arthritis in my one knee and arthritis that isn't as severe in my other knee (as well as in my hip and other places). I am a woman's size extra small so it's not from extra weight and I am not an exercise fanatic so it's not from that. However, I have a family history of arthritis and I spent many years caring for and carrying a handicapped child who could not walk or care for herself so I am certain that lifting and carrying her all day long did cause joint damage and wear for me. My doctor has recommended replacements for me but I am not going to get them (yet). There are many reasons a person's joints can wear out. And living in the NE I can tell you that winter's cold is terribly painful for me and the warmth of summer is much easier on my joints. Now you have heard that from 2 people. I don't need a published study to say if that is true or not. I know that's true.

[Villages PL]

Villages PL, you may not have said it in THIS post, but having read most of your posts since I signed on to TOTV I feel I am familiar with your style of post and writing and I too feel you often attribute whatever goes wrong with people to their diet. If that's not true then maybe it's something you don't mean, but it appears that I am not the only one who gets that impression.

Let me explain how this post came about. I read the other thread "stories about knee replacements". I thought it was a helpful thread but there was no talk about what causes knees to wear out. And I didn't want to hijack that thread by changing the subject. So I decided to start this thread.

I have some knowledge of this subject but decided that it would be a good idea to provide a link as a backup. I should have provided two links because not all of the causes are on one link. The link I provided mentioned arthritis in paragraph 3, obesity and knee injuries in paragraph 5. I believe another link would have provided the rest including something about diet. I'll see if I can find it again.

I hesitate to explain my philosophy on diet because it's not easy to explain. Should I try again? And if I do, will anyone bother to remember? No, I don't think so because it's easier to slap a label on someone as being all this or all that.

If you like, I can make a general statement: Most degenerative diseases are caused by lifestyle. How's that? Will that do it?


I have bone on bone arthritis in my one knee and arthritis that isn't as severe in my other knee (as well as in my hip and other places). I am a woman's size extra small so it's not from extra weight and I am not an exercise fanatic so it's not from that.

Okay, good, we know what it's not.

However, I have a family history of arthritis and I spent many years caring for and carrying a handicapped child who could not walk or care for herself so I am certain that lifting and carrying her all day long did cause joint damage and wear for me.

A family history could likely mean a predisposition. Lifting and carrying a handicapped child could very likely be the cause. Wouldn't that essentially be the same as being a heavier person? If you're a small size woman carrying a heavy child, I don't see that as being good for your knee joints. As I have suggested, wear 'n' tear is wear 'n' tear, regardless of how it comes about. For some it's athletics, for some it's their job, and for some it's being heavy or carrying someone heavy.

My doctor has recommended replacements for me but I am not going to get them (yet). There are many reasons a person's joints can wear out.

And what reason do you feel I left out? The fact that you were lifting someone heavy? It still comes under the heading of "pressure on the knee joints" whether you are overweight or whether you are carrying someone heavy.


And living in the NE I can tell you that winter's cold is terribly painful for me and the warmth of summer is much easier on my joints. Now you have heard that from 2 people. I don't need a published study to say if that is true or not. I know that's true.

I never said it wasn't true. I simply said I lived in the north-east and hadn't heard of it.

[senior citizen]

Let me explain how this post came about. I read the other thread "stories about knee replacements". I thought it was a helpful thread but there was no talk about what causes knees to wear out. And I didn't want to hijack that thread by changing the subject. So I decided to start this thread.

I have some knowledge of this subject but decided that it would be a good idea to provide a link as a backup. I should have provided two links because not all of the causes are on one link. The link I provided mentioned arthritis in paragraph 3, obesity and knee injuries in paragraph 5. I believe another link would have provided the rest including something about diet. I'll see if I can find it again.

I hesitate to explain my philosophy on diet because it's not easy to explain. Should I try again? And if I do, will anyone bother to remember? No, I don't think so because it's easier to slap a label on someone as being all this or all that.

If you like, I can make a general statement: Most degenerative diseases are caused by lifestyle. How's that? Will that do it?




Okay, good, we know what it's not.



A family history could likely mean a predisposition. Lifting and carrying a handicapped child could very likely be the cause. Wouldn't that essentially be the same as being a heavier person? If you're a small size woman carrying a heavy child, I don't see that as being good for your knee joints. As I have suggested, wear 'n' tear is wear 'n' tear, regardless of how it comes about. For some it's athletics, for some it's their job, and for some it's being heavy or carrying someone heavy.



And what reason do you feel I left out? The fact that you were lifting someone heavy? It still comes under the heading of "pressure on the knee joints" whether you are overweight or whether you are carrying someone heavy.




I never said it wasn't true. I simply said I lived in the north-east and hadn't heard of it.

Your mea culpa is too late. You've insulted so many people's intelligence over numerous posts of yours with your high and mighty attitude.

I can relate to the lady above.......hers was an intelligent post.

You have no way of knowing our friends who were health fanatics and still died of cancer..........nor knowing our son who was born without a groove to support his knee, as per his orthopedic surgeon who told him he would be a likely candidate for "adult onset arthritis".........not all arthritis is caused by food.

You have a very narrow way of looking at things.....sad to say.

We've lived a long life.....had a successful marriage of almost fifty years and raised healthy active intelligent children who are likewise raising their own healthy active intelligent children (our grandchildren).

We always had tons of food in the home and yet these adult kids of ours and all of their teenaged and college aged friends would choose the healthy foods and still do...........they are physically active and world travelers..........not living some narrow life "assuming" what others eat.

They do not eat energy bars. You always insinuate that everyone eats energy bars that is athletic.
How do you know this? Are you psychic?

Rather than energy bars, they eat moderately from all food groups........portion control and choosing wisely what they consume.

Osteo arthritis is not caused by food.

Rheumatoid arthritis is not caused by food. It's an auto immune disease.
Are you a doctor? I doubt it.

You should get yourself a television set for some wider contact with the outside world........and a big glass of PRUNE JUICE.

[asianthree]

here is a needless useless imformation.....until a few years ago..asians had a dificult time getting knee replacement because the implant was too big for their bone structure...

[Barefoot]

Your mea culpa is too late. You've insulted so many people's intelligence over numerous posts of yours with your high and mighty attitude.

I can relate to the lady above.......hers was an intelligent post.

You have no way of knowing our friends who were health fanatics and still died of cancer..........nor knowing our son who was born without a groove to support his knee, as per his orthopedic surgeon who told him he would be a likely candidate for "adult onset arthritis".........not all arthritis is caused by food.

You have a very narrow way of looking at things.....sad to say.

We've lived a long life.....had a successful marriage of almost fifty years and raised healthy active intelligent children who are likewise raising their own healthy active intelligent children (our grandchildren).

We always had tons of food in the home and yet these adult kids of ours and all of their teenaged and college aged friends would choose the healthy foods and still do...........they are physically active and world travelers..........not living some narrow life "assuming" what others eat.

They do not eat energy bars. You always insinuate that everyone eats energy bars that is athletic.
How do you know this? Are you psychic?

Rather than energy bars, they eat moderately from all food groups........portion control and choosing wisely what they consume.

Osteo arthritis is not caused by food.

Rheumatoid arthritis is not caused by food. It's an auto immune disease.
Are you a doctor? I doubt it.

You should get yourself a television set for some wider contact with the outside world........and a big glass of PRUNE JUICE.

SC ... I wish your post would be allowed to remain by the Admins. I think it might possibly be helpful if VP could understand how his posts are sometimes perceived by others as disparaging rather than helpful. 'Keeping It Real' wrote a post yesterday in a similar vein and it was deleted.

I think Villages PL has good intentions. I do. He has offended so many readers with his 'one-trick pony' theories. But I think he is genuinely trying to be helpful. I honestly don't think he understands that his comments can be construed as preaching and bragging.

Oh well. We could all use the Ignore function. But I just keep posting the same kind of comments myself, so perhaps I'm also a one-trick pony. I keep talking about a balanced life, about enjoying food and wine in moderation, about how having friends and contributing to the community also can lead to greater happiness and a happier and more fulfilling life.

Time to move on to happier threads. As my mom used to say "Least said, soonest mended".

[jimbo2012]

Meeting a friend for a beer might be just as healthy as a second game of Pickleball! :beer3:

But over time all that beer drinking could cause U to need an elbow replacement :1rotfl:

[KeepingItReal]

:Originally Posted by Villages PL View Post
Let me explain how this post came about. I read the other thread "stories about knee replacements". I thought it was a helpful thread but there was no talk about what causes knees to wear out. And I didn't want to hijack that thread by changing the subject. So I decided to start this thread.

I have some knowledge of this subject but decided that it would be a good idea to provide a link as a backup. I should have provided two links because not all of the causes are on one link. The link I provided mentioned arthritis in paragraph 3, obesity and knee injuries in paragraph 5. I believe another link would have provided the rest including something about diet. I'll see if I can find it again.

Your mea culpa is too late. You've insulted so many people's intelligence over numerous posts of yours with your high and mighty attitude.

I can relate to the lady above.......hers was an intelligent post.

You have no way of knowing our friends who were health fanatics and still died of cancer..........nor knowing our son who was born without a groove to support his knee, as per his orthopedic surgeon who told him he would be a likely candidate for "adult onset arthritis".........not all arthritis is caused by food.

You have a very narrow way of looking at things.....sad to say.

We've lived a long life.....had a successful marriage of almost fifty years and raised healthy active intelligent children who are likewise raising their own healthy active intelligent children (our grandchildren).

We always had tons of food in the home and yet these adult kids of ours and all of their teenaged and college aged friends would choose the healthy foods and still do...........they are physically active and world travelers..........not living some narrow life "assuming" what others eat.

They do not eat energy bars. You always insinuate that everyone eats energy bars that is athletic.
How do you know this? Are you psychic?

Rather than energy bars, they eat moderately from all food groups........portion control and choosing wisely what they consume.

Osteo arthritis is not caused by food.

Rheumatoid arthritis is not caused by food. It's an auto immune disease.
Are you a doctor? I doubt it.

You should get yourself a television set for some wider contact with the outside world........and a big glass of PRUNE JUICE.

Since my post was deleted I want to applaud your post senior citizen, well said ...

And yes OP VPL, my niece had a kidney transplant in her teens which caused a breast tumor and has damaged her bones and joints due to the rejection medicine cyclosporin she has to take, another niece died of ovarian cancer at 22, and my mother has had a joint replacement, CAUSE, years of hard work on the farm and not her diet.

Going through these with family has educated us far more than you could ever imagine....


: :BigApplause: :highfive:

[KeepingItReal]

SC ... I wish your post would be allowed to remain by the Admins. I think it might possibly be helpful if VP could understand how his posts are sometimes perceived by others as disparaging rather than helpful. 'Keeping It Real' wrote a post yesterday in a similar vein and it was deleted.

I think Villages PL has good intentions. I do. He has offended so many readers with his 'one-trick pony' theories. But I think he is genuinely trying to be helpful. I honestly don't think he understands that his comments can be construed as preaching and bragging.

Oh well. We could all use the Ignore function. But I just keep posting the same kind of comments myself, so perhaps I'm also a one-trick pony. I keep talking about a balanced life, about enjoying food and wine in moderation, about how having friends and contributing to the community also can lead to greater happiness and a happier and more fulfilling life.

Time to move on to happier threads. As my mom used to say "Least said, soonest mended".


Barefoot I totally agree with you that in some strange way he really thinks he is doing a good thing educating the rest of us but the results are not positive and only upset those that have actually experienced these problems and then to have them minimized by someone that has no training in the medical field.

But then he won't stop...

[CFrance]

But over time all that beer drinking could cause U to need an elbow replacement :1rotfl:

And thanks, Jimbo (who I know is also very serious about diet), for injecting a little levity into this tense post.:wave: