Too Young for Op? - Severe Patellofemoral Arthritis

I had my left tkr when I was 55½ and the right 2 years later . I have hah no problems at all , and on my last check up and x-ray 2 years ago was told both were fine and should last for many more years . I am now 75½ so I really don't think you are too young for the op . I think the younger you are the better the recovery is , and if you look after it your knee will last possibly 25+ years . I had 2 arthroscopys which didn't help .

Hi.  I had my surgery last year at 54. I was told by three surgeons that I was too young!! Oh!! And that I didn’t have a knee problem...I had a weight problem. Yes I was a little overweight....but not to the degree they were talking. I couldn’t even walk around the block. But thanks to a friend of mine....who had her TKR at the same age that YOU are....47.....she sent me to her surgeon. He looked at my X-rays and mri & thought the other surgeons were nuts.  Long and short of it....he says it isn’t about your age....it’s about your QUALITY of life.  It’s easy for them to say you’re too young....they aren’t the ones living in pain, and unable to do the simple things....going for a walk, dancing, just standing for longer than five minutes pain-free! It’s a difficult, painful (initially) surgery to recover from....but it’s LIFE CHANGING!! Talk to your doc again. And good luck. Oh! I get a shot of Synvisc One shot into my other knee every six months. So far so good. Other knee which has arthritis is holding up good!! Ask about that!!

50 is not too young as we've heard of people younger with severe conditions getting TKRs...but in those situations, it's always last resort.  If the doc can relieve your pain with a scoping, then do it.  There's also SynVisc which can delay the need for a TKR.  Worked great for me for years as cortisone had no effect.  I had four scopes (two each side) plus the SynVisc and then a move to a very warm Texas from freezing New Jersey.  The combination of all three put off my first TKR for 15 years...still have one to go...

Hi I am 55 ...5 years ago I had keyhole surgery on both knees to clean up ...this helped a great deal for 4.5 years ..for the last few months my left knee has been awful. And I had back problems due to limping .MRI and x-ray showed I definitely needed something done ASAP...I had a total knee resurfacing on my left knee 3 weeks ago ..I wasn't prepared to suffer for another 5+ years just because of my age..I was struggling to work ( full time) and had to stop all the things I love to do .....are you in USA ?

What is your BMI?

This does affect funding for the op on NHS... I think it may be a factor.

If possible good to go to GP stating that weight has been mentioned as a concern, get weighed then and there and make sure GP records it. And seek a get active or weight management programme to help you. Then lose a couple of stone...easy said, harder to do, but will make a difference if you do need a knee replacement later on, as you can show you have taken steps to lose weight.

I am 52 had knee replacement in march this year. Scared the life out of me...not the surgery I hasten to add but the decreased mobility, increased disability and increased pain in the preceding two years. I saw a mobility scooter ahead...like a vision.

Lost three stone.... along with the TKR I now have my life back.

Now I still need to lose some weight...BMI is 31, but now more mobile it feels a lot easier!

Quality of life is very important, as is doing all you can to increase improvements...physiotherapy, weight reduction, ....both these are challenging but both would be helpful long term even if you did have a knee replacement.