Charles
Elkmont, Alabama
Charles, a 58-year old resident of Elkmont, Alabama, is a modern day cowboy: he works hard, he plays hard and he’ll never let you know if he’s hurt. As a boy and young adult, he played nearly every school sport imaginable and after college, added motorcycle racing to his recreational repertoire. His battle scars include sixteen broken bones and seven surgeries, but living for thirty years with a severely injured right knee proved to be the ultimate test of Charles’ mettle.
The trouble began in 1975 when Charles got into a motorcycle accident and tore the cartilage on the outer portion of his right knee. After surgery to repair the injury, he climbed back on his bike and resumed his pursuits. However just two years later, thanks to a freak softball injury, he tore the cartilage on the inner portion of the same knee and went back under the knife.
Although the surgeries got Charles back on his feet, they were not a long-term solution and the condition of his right knee began to deteriorate. Before long, every step he took was met with searing pain. Over the years, Charles gave up some physically demanding activities such as jogging and racquetball, but despite the intense pain, he continued to ride horses, ski and go dancing with his wife. For nearly two decades, Charles persevered and hid his pain from family, friends and co-workers.
At the turn of the century, Charles began taking medication to manage the pain, but that approach would prove ineffective. At this point, his weight had ballooned almost 50 pounds and climbing up and down stairs was virtually impossible. In 2009, after nearly thirty years of agony, Charles began visiting Dr. Eric Janssen at the SportsMED Orthopedic & Spine Center in Huntsville, Ala. Dr. Janssen diagnosed Charles with a severe case of osteoarthritis and informed his patient that a knee replacement was the only permanent treatment option. Even the toughest of men have their limits and Charles’ tipping point was finally reached in September 2010, when on vacation in Hawaii, he was barely able to complete the hike to the top of the famed Diamond Head volcano. Surgery was scheduled for November.
With a directive to Dr. Janssen to “give me the knee that I need,” Charles didn’t realize that he would be among the first to be implanted with the EVOLUTION® Medial-Pivot Knee System, a next-generation technology from MicroPort.
Upon awakening from the operation, Charles was determined to get better as quickly as possible and his motivation quickly began to pay off. With the assistance of a walker, he was shuffling around the hospital the next day and despite being told that he would be in the hospital for 3-5 days, he went home 48 hours later. In fact, just six days after surgery, he was walking without any support with the blessing of his physical therapist. After being warned that he couldn’t drive for at least a month, Charles received medical clearance to get behind the wheel after two weeks.
Only four weeks into physical therapy, Charles is thinking about the future. He has lost fifteen pounds, is back on the dance floor with his wife and is planning a white water rafting trip. “After dealing with the hurt for so many years, I can’t imagine how it’s going to feel to be pain free,” said Charles, “but I can’t wait to find out and it’s looking really good so far.”
MicroPort’s EVOLUTION® Medial-Pivot Knee replacement implant is the newest and most technologically advanced system on the market and is designed to restore natural stability and motion to the knee. It is comprised of a ball-in-socket mechanism that mimics the stability of the anatomical knee and its curved shape allows the knee to freely bend and rotate.
The EVOLUTION® Knee is designed to help reproduce normal motion by more closely replicating the knee’s natural anatomy, which helps provide stability. It is designed to eliminate the “sliding” feeling common with other knee systems, which may improve patient confidence associated with use of the knee. The system is comprised of implants and instruments designed to accommodate less-invasive surgery, which means smaller incisions and minimal soft tissue damage for surgeons who choose to use less-invasive techniques.
These results are specific to this individual only. Individual results and activity levels after surgery vary and depend on many factors including age, weight and prior activity level.
There are risks and recovery times associated with surgery and there are certain individuals who should not undergo surgery.
Only a physician can tell you if this product and associated procedure are right for you and your unique circumstances. Please consult with a physician for complete information regarding benefits, risks and possible outcomes.