Jean
Little Rock, AK
Retirement was keeping Jean, a 79 year old Little Rock resident, very busy. In addition to spending time with friends and family, Jean was an avid outdoorswoman who enjoyed hiking and international travel. However, a freak injury would quickly bring her active lifestyle to a crashing halt.
In the waning days of 2008, Jean was cleaning under some furniture, a chore she completed without incident many times before. However this time, as she began to stand up, she felt pain in her left knee. Although she originally shrugged it off, the discomfort became progressively worse over the course of the next few months. In the spring of 2009, Jean visited an orthopedist who delivered the surprising news that not only did she suffer from arthritis, but her knee would one day need to be replaced.
Not yet ready to go under the knife, Jean tried to manage the pain through a series of lubrication injections that were designed to cushion the knee joints. However, this approach had virtually no effect and over the next year, Jean’s knee – and quality of life – continued to deteriorate. Finally, in March 2010, on the recommendation of her son, Jean visited Dr. Lowry Barnes at Arkansas Specialty Orthopedics in Little Rock. Dr. Barnes, one of Arkansas’ premier orthopedic surgeons, also recommended a knee replacement. Jean knew the day was coming, but she wasn’t ready just quite yet.
However, the day of reckoning arrived six months later. Packing for a September trip to Washington State, Jean was in enough pain that she asked Dr. Barnes for an injection in hope that it would help her get through the week. Upon her return, she was asked by a friend to participate in a charitable hike and much to her dismay, had to decline the invitation due to the unstable condition of her knee. Jean realized it was time to take action and after another consultation with Dr. Barnes, the operation was scheduled for early November.
Jean could not have been more pleased with the results. Just a few hours after surgery, and with the assistance of a walker, she was moving around the hospital. After just five weeks of physical therapy, she was given a clean bill of health. Having been on the sidelines for a couple of years, Jean is celebrating her recovery by planning her next international getaway. “I’m grateful that Dr. Barnes was able to get me back on my feet so quickly,” she said. “It’s time to get back out there and pick up where I left off!”
MicroPort’s EVOLUTION® Medial-Pivot Knee replacement implant is the newest and most technologically advanced knee system from MicroPort and is designed to restore natural stability and motion to the knee. It is comprised of a ball-in-socket mechanism that is designed to mimic 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.
Dr. Barnes is a surgeon who contributed to the development of the EVOLUTION® Medial-Pivot Knee System, a next-generation technology from MicroPort.
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.