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Before her arthritis, Mary enjoyed an active lifestyle that included swimming, walking, bicycling, and working at the hospital as a courier. But when she started getting arthritis in her knees, everyday life became difficult. Mary says, “the more I walked the worse it [the arthritis pain] got.” Mary describes the pain “like a knife twisting on the inside of the knee.” She was in pain from “the minute I got out of bed.” Mary says, “I was limping all the time and it was getting worse.” She was no longer able to walk, swim, or work at the hospital.

“The pain is so great that you know you need to do something. I decided to see a surgeon about the Oxford?? Knee and I found out that I was a candidate for it.”

Mary felt that she would recover more quickly than with total knee surgery. Mary says, “After [Oxford?? Knee] surgery, I got to my room around 5:00 pm and at 6:00 pm I was walking up and down the hallway with a walker and I was doing great.”

Mary only spent one night in the hospital, and one week after surgery she could bend her knee 142 degrees. She says, “the staff couldn’t believe it.”

Mary says that being a good patient involves, “following your doctor’s orders. Do what your doctor tells you. Move your knee. That’s the whole trick to recovery.”

Mary’s advice is, “you don’t have to live with joint pain. You can get it [treated].” As far as the surgery, Mary says, “there is nothing I would change. I would do it again. I have an Oxford?? Knee and I feel wonderful. I have my life back.”

The decision to have joint replacement surgery can be intimidating. We hope Mary’s story gives you valuable information regarding joint replacement surgery. When asked to summarize her experience, Mary says, “People need to be without pain.” Now Mary is without pain, and she is definitely glad she talked to her doctor about the Oxford?? Knee.