If pain in your knees or hips is making it difficult to enjoy life, you may be desperate for relief. Perhaps you’ve tried every conservative treatment option – from medication to physical therapy – but nothing helps.
Every year, more than 1 million people in the U.S. turn to hip or knee joint replacement. For many people, it is the only way to offset the damage caused by osteoarthritis, a degenerative joint disease that slowly breaks down tissue in your joints. The disease affects more than 32 million (usually older) adults in the U.S.
Some people, however, are hesitant to pursue this treatment option, often because of misconceptions based on outdated information. With that in mind, let’s examine some of the more common myths.
1. That pain in your hip or knee is just part of getting old.
This may have been true 40 years ago. But today there is no reason to accept chronic pain in your joints as an unavoidable part of growing older. Of course, you aren’t going to feel the same at 70 or 80 as you did in your 20s. But debilitating pain isn’t a result of aging. It’s usually a problem with cartilage or bone damage in the joint. Replacing that joint can offset the impact of arthritis.
2. Joint replacements only last about 10 years, so you need to time them right.
This was once an important consideration for anyone considering a joint replacement. But significant improvements in the plastics used in joints have changed this equation over the past 15 years. With current manufacturing techniques, it’s not uncommon to see replacement joints last 30 years or longer.
3. You can be too young or too old for a joint replacement.
On the younger end of the spectrum, the longer lifespan of replacement joints means you don’t have to worry about having to redo the procedure every 10 years. And on the older end, the determining factors are your overall health and stamina. If you are active and your body can tolerate the surgery, there’s no reason you can’t have a knee or hip replacement, even into your 80s and 90s.
4. You won’t be able to play sports after the surgery.
This one is largely false. After the procedure, you’ll be able to enjoy an active lifestyle and a wide range of athletic endeavors. You shouldn’t have difficulty with activities like jogging, pickleball, golf, biking, swimming and ellipticals. But you will need to avoid high impact activities that put considerable stress on your joints. This includes heavy running, competitive basketball, tennis or soccer.
5. You won’t be able to walk for weeks after the surgery.
Many people are surprised to learn that they will be up and walking around within a couple hours of their procedure. This is the result of improved surgical techniques, with faster-healing incisions, and the fact that getting you moving sooner will boost your recovery. That doesn’t mean you’ll be ready to hit the jogging track the next day. You’ll be limited in what you can do for three to six weeks, as you build up strength in your reconstructed joint.
6. Expect to spend at least a week in the hospital.
This is another throwback to the 2000s, when a knee or hip replacement was a serious surgery, with the potential for significant blood loss. The procedures were done under general anesthesia and were followed by lengthy recoveries starting with a couple weeks in the hospital. With modern surgical improvements, joint replacements today are done on an outpatient basis. Many patients go home the same day.
7. You won’t be able to have an MRI after joint replacement.
With new metal parts in your body, it’s natural to fear complications during an MRI, which relies on powerful magnets to help create images of your body. There’s nothing to fear, however, with implants using MRI-friendly metals. Still, you may set off metal detectors at the airport or other security checkpoints.
8. You can increase your height with joint replacements.
Technically this is true. Your leg length can be modified if the hip joints on both sides of your body are replaced. However, these procedures are not performed for cosmetic purposes.
9. My entire knee is going to be replaced.
When people hear about knee replacements, they often think their doctor is going to install an entirely new joint. Instead, the replacement is more like a resurfacing that replaces damaged tissue. The procedure preserves your bones, ligaments and knee cap.
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