Knee ,cartilage problems,

[iantwinturbo]

Hi all , its my first post on here ,
Been working for RM for 32 years , had a problem with my left knee for a while , it keeps locking up while driving,
Roll on the months after scans i had the operation to sort it out ,
Sadly when i went to have the stitches out the surgeon says that the cartilage is no longer in my knee and its full of arthritis, been off since july even though i nip in to work to see what is happening nothing seems to be helping me out ,
Any help would be appreciated as I'm at a lost end
Ian

[Haditup]

Unfortunately our bodies wear out and 32 years of walking the streets have speeded the process up.
Royal Mail should refer you to occupational health ,did your surgeon/consultant offer a knee replacement?

[pieoftheday]

If you are still under the care of a surgeon/NHS, occupational health wont touch you

[SMS1969]

Same thing happened to me, you will eventually need a total knee replacement.

[daveyeff]

Ive had THREE

[iantwinturbo]

The surgeon did say i will need a new knee , but nhs won't do it till im 60 as they only have a 15 year life , I'm only 51 ,

[Jb1969]

Nice thought, but crazy idea to think in the future employers might have to pay for the wear & tear on the bodies of its employees.
I’m saying that Super Si might require a new jawbone!!

[daveyeff]

The surgeon did say i will need a new knee , but nhs won't do it till im 60 as they only have a 15 year life , I'm only 51 ,

Well i got my first done at 52, then the second at 53....then the first revised( done again) last year...they do have about a 15yr lifespan, but thats on "normal" wear and tear. Unfortunately this job goes beyond normal wear and tear and they last about 10-12 yrs.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

If you are in the Union approach the branch Equalities officer, this is the area of expertise and they should be able to guide and assist you.

Most likely because of the length of time, and the type of injury you will have protection under the Equalities Act so I would read up on that as well.

[SMS1969]

The surgeon did say i will need a new knee , but nhs won't do it till im 60 as they only have a 15 year life , I'm only 51 ,

Well i got my first done at 52, then the second at 53....then the first revised( done again) last year...they do have about a 15yr lifespan, but thats on "normal" wear and tear. Unfortunately this job goes beyond normal wear and tear and they last about 10-12 yrs.

Daft question maybe, but how do you know when they are wearing out- what are the signs?

[daveyeff]

Return of knee pain....grinding crunching noise (metal on metal) once the plastic cartilege wears down.

[mickeymacca]

Hi there, as you are relatively young I don't think a knee or partial knee replacement (they can replace the half of the knee) would be a viable option. Depending on the location of the wear there is another option. If it is one side of the your knee that is wearing they can perform an osteotomy....brace yourself.....This involves cutting through your lower leg and resetting the bone at a different angle and thus reducing the impact on that side, essentially it counteracts the effect of bow-leggedness. Its similar to an operation they perform on dogs when there cruciate ligaments go. This is only an option if the cartilage has worn down on just one side of the knee, eg. the inside. I don't believe the results are as satisfactory as a knee replacement, and if the pain is not really acute it is maybe not worth it for the difference it will make, as it is an incredibly invasive operation with up to six months rehab..
You'll be in a much better position to make a an informed decision when you've had your scans.
Good luck and feel free to DM if you want.
Regards

[neviboss]

How about IH retirement?

[iantwinturbo]

Ive had no reply from hr since August, my last physio was a week last Tuesday, I'm thinking that with all thats going on my knee is the last on thier list ,,