Sailing with replacement knees

[CapnBazza]

I'd rather go sailing with replacement knees than suffer the pain whilst not sailing.

[sck5]

One other thing:

Do NOT click on the youtube video of knee replacement surgery. Some images you dont need to have in your brain

[Captndave1]

I am 72 and had both knees replaces 4 years ago. Did them both at the same time. After, I pushed hard to regain motion. I now can even squat, which they told me i would never be able to do. I race sailboats every other weekend and our boat holds the club championship 4 years straight. Can't sail with titanium knees? Hell yes, I can, and do!.

[SV DestinyAscen]

Originally Posted by Captndave1

I am 72 and had both knees replaces 4 years ago. Did them both at the same time. After, I pushed hard to regain motion. I now can even squat, which they told me i would never be able to do. I race sailboats every other weekend and our boat holds the club championship 4 years straight. Can't sail with titanium knees? Hell yes, I can, and do!.

You can squat? I demand a handicap on your boat

[FSMike]

In addition to two total knee replacements I have various other pieces of metal scattered around my 71 year old body which doesn't exactly help my agility. If it doesn't have arthritis it has rust.
My knees were done about 10 years ago. From what I've seen the technology evolves quickly, so put it off as long as seems sensible. I did mine when they started keeping me awake at night (and I kept a cane on the boat and a cane in the car lol). Therapy is mandatory regardless.

Probably nobody wants to hear this, but most multihulls I've seen don't require kneeling to grind a winch due to a higher location. I also find them much easier to get around on in general. I'm a cruiser, not a racer. Heading to the Bahamas again this year, hopefully without a cane lol.

P.S. I just did a deep knee bend to remind myself I can still do one.

[Sailorbob8599]

As we seem to be bragging about age, I'm 83 ... next month, I'll be celebrating 60 years of wedded bliss to a wonderful Irish colleen who does all the winch grinding on our boat, and not on her knees either; Needless to say, I do not understand what this complaint is all about ... oh, I've just re-read the OP and I now see what his problem is ... he's a 'single handing' ... oh well, like I said, find a strong healthy Irish girl (you did say you're Irish didn't you?) and your problems will be over (or just beginning) ... providing she likes sailing of course.

[dw1979]

I'm with Ted and the injections from synthetic cox comb (chicken shot). I get a series of three Synvisc shots every three months. I am bone on bone on my right knee and it was very painful walking especiall going down hill. I'm an avid snow skiier tha still loves cruising the moguls, and with the shots and the help of a Donjoy custom brace I'm still able to do it. I do read of some people having pain from the shots but three years into this and I have not had a problem. The shots provide lubricant to the joint to help with the OA tha occurs as we age. Exhaust all alternatives before going the replacement route is my advice.

[Ketchcalimbo]

Many thanks for all the thoughtful replies. I was rather depressed by my surgeons warnings, but feel immensely reassured by all your experiences. I'm not afraid of a bit of pain for a few months, but the idea of having to give up my sailing is beyond appalling. There is light at the end of the tunnel!
Perhaps I should take the surgeons caution as a responsible warning, given that all surgery carries some risk. It seems significant to me, however, that nobody has written to say that it was a disaster for them.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, michaelbull, & TedS10Mile

Hyaluronic Acid ➥ Hyaluronic Acid Injections for Osteoarthritis

[Blue Stocking]

Originally Posted by Captndave1

I am 72 and had both knees replaces 4 years ago. Did them both at the same time. After, I pushed hard to regain motion. I now can even squat, which they told me i would never be able to do. I race sailboats every other weekend and our boat holds the club championship 4 years straight. Can't sail with titanium knees? Hell yes, I can, and do!.

----=- and with both knees done, you wont pull the compass Gogetum Capt'

[midnite44]

Originally Posted by Ketchcalimbo

I am in my mid sixties and still very fit and healthy, except for osteo-arthritis in my knees. I cruise from Ireland for two months or more each summer on the Atlantic coast of Europe, largely single handed, venturing as far as Portugal and the Azores and exploring the countryside on my fold up bike.
This last summer, my knees gave me more grief than before, waking me in the middle of the night with pain, so I went to see a surgeon to discuss the possibility of prosthetic replacements. I happened to mention that for the past few years, I have found work-wear trousers with built in knee pads very useful, allowing me to kneel to grind a winch without too much thought. His response was that most people with replacement knees find it impossible to kneel without pain, and suggested that I should not elect for replacements until I find it impossible to sail at all without them, otherwise the operation may well put a premature end to my sailing - perish the thought!
There must be others out there with experience of sailing with and without prosthetics, from whom I would love to hear. How far should I go in putting up with sore knees before trying the prosthetics, and how good are they for the cruising sailor?

Had both my knees done 2 years ago and found that a good set of knee pads that construction workers use makes getting down tolerable . Also depends on how tough you are going through rehab , will you work hard to get beyond the 90degrees of flex /bend that most people accept because it hurts to push past that , I'm at 120 degrees and still pushing to get as close to 140 degrees which is what a 20 year old can do , it all depends on your willingness to push through the pain , American pro football players do it all the time . By the way the worst part of getting older is getting up.

[artisthos]

I have a knee replacement and find myself slithering on deck. I do not kneel on it. Keeping down is a good idea. I do all my work laying on the deck.

[barnakiel]

I cannot refer to your specific challenge but I have friends who sail:

- past Polio,
- without both legs,
- in a wheelchair.

We also met a great US sailor who was at the end of his rtw when we met up in RSA. I cannot recall what his challenge was but I can remember him saying his knees were very bad.

From this I can tell limitations are just limitations and once you find your way round them, sailing/cruising is possible.

You may get some valuable feedback by contacting your national paralympics sailing team. These people not only sail with various limitations but also have already sorted out many solutions on how to do their sailing differently.

Best of luck,
b.