Severe knee osteoarthritis (OA) is debilitating, making it difficult or impossible for patients to do the things that they want and need to do. Four patients—Wade Rademacher, Kevin Ply, Susan Simpson and David Huxtable—found relief for their pain and a way to make life great again at Shelbourne Knee Center.
Restoring Function with Physical Therapy
As a retired orthopedic surgeon, Wade Rademacher often performed total knee arthroplasty (TKA). When he went to see his long-time colleague K. Donald Shelbourne, MD, about his severe knee OA, he expected to hear that he needed a TKA. Instead, Dr. Shelbourne, an orthopedic surgeon at Shelbourne Knee Center, suggested that the 73-year-old try the center’s Knee Rehabilitation Program for OA. Developed at Shelbourne Knee Center, the program provides a non-surgical solution for many patients with stiff, arthritic knees.
“I told Wade that if he regained his knee’s full extension and flexion and recovered some muscle strength, I thought that his pain would subside and he would be able to walk and probably avoid surgery,” says Dr. Shelbourne.
Like most patients who complete the program, Dr. Rademacher was indeed able to avoid TKA. Shelbourne Knee Center’s OA Rehab Study shows that only 24% of 396 participants went on to have surgery (1).
About four years after completing the Knee Rehabilitation Program for OA, Dr. Rademacher is doing great. “I have a little pain in my knee, but I can walk without a limp, play 18 holes of golf, and go up and down stairs with no trouble,” he says. “I don’t take any medications.”
Preventing Early Retirement with Surgery
Kevin Ply came to Shelbourne Knee Center to avoid being forced into early retirement at age 54 due to severe knee pain. The firefighter had been treated with arthroscopic surgery and cortisone shots at another orthopedic practice, but his pain was getting worse. Kevin knew that he wouldn’t be able to pass his fire department’s annual physical abilities test.
Like Wade, Kevin participated in the Knee Rehabilitation Program for OA. Unfortunately, Kevin’s pain continued to worsen. He and Shelbourne Knee Center orthopedic surgeon Rodney Benner, MD, decided that TKA was the best option. Dr. Benner performed the procedure in June 2018.
Six weeks later, Kevin returned to work.
Shelbourne Knee Center is about 65 miles away from Kevin, but he didn’t mind traveling to Indianapolis. “I was disappointed that I didn’t have that level of care locally,” he says. “I would recommend Shelbourne Knee Center to anybody.”
Enjoying Life Again after TKA
By the summer of 2018, Susan Simpson couldn’t walk in the park, play with her seven grandchildren, or even finish grocery shopping due to severe pain in her right knee. Getting in and out of the car was excruciating. “My life wasn’t enjoyable,” she says.
Susan returned to Shelbourne Knee Center, where she had received treatment for other knee problems. X-rays showed that she had no cartilage left and surgery was the only way to relieve her pain. In April 2019, Dr. Benner performed the procedure on the 66-year-old grandmother.
Recovery was easier for Susan than for friends of hers who also had the procedure. She went home the day after her surgery and rested her knee for the first week, while her friends were in the hospital for up to three days and were told to walk the day of surgery. Susan also regained her range of motion faster than her friends. “The doctors and physical therapists at Shelbourne Knee Center have got this down to a science,” says Susan.
Relieving Ongoing Pain with Revision TKA
After having TKA on his left knee at age 70, David Huxtable’s leg started collapsing and his pain was worse than before the procedure. The surgeon who performed the procedure told him that nothing was wrong.
The retired aerospace engineer wanted a second opinion and went to see Dr. Benner. “Mr. Huxtable’s ligaments were too loose and the implant components were tipped inward and toward the back in a way that wasn’t properly aligned with his knee,” says Dr. Benner. “He needed revision TKA.” After two more surgeons confirmed the need for revision TKA, David went back to Dr. Benner and scheduled the procedure.
Unlike many orthopedic surgeons who perform primary TKA, Dr. Benner also regularly performs revision surgery. He has extensive expertise in the technically challenging procedure, which requires meticulous preoperative planning and the use of specialized tools and patience during the procedure to preserve as much of the bone as possible.
Dr. Benner performed the revision surgery in August 2017. “I woke up afterward and everything was fine,” says David. “The job Dr. Benner did was remarkable. I did not need to take a single pain killer.” Since then, David has been able to travel and enjoy life again.
For more information about treatment for knee osteoarthritis at Shelbourne Knee Center, call 888-FIX-KNEE.
Reference
1. Shelbourne DK. Thirty-five Years of ACL Reconstruction, presentation at Andrews University, February 2018.