Roslyn
Eastpointe, Michigan
As fall approaches, Roslyn, a Kindergarten teacher in Eastpointe, Mich. for over 25 years, is eager to get back into the classroom. And this year will be the first year, in her professional career, where she will not suffer with constant knee pain.
As a teenager Roslyn suffered sports-related knee injuries and developed bone chips in both of her knees that caused debilitating pain and limited her activities for more than 20 years. She eventually underwent arthroscopic surgery to remove the bone chips, which provided temporary relief, but her doctors told her she would likely develop arthritis. Sure enough, in 2008, she began to experience acute pain in her right knee that quickly limited her mobility and function.
“In the classroom I would stand instead of walk and would often sit instead of stand. I was becoming much more sedentary,” said Roslyn. “My family and friends began noticing that I was limping, which I hadn’t realized I was doing because I had been dealing with the pain for so many years.”
Roslyn’s condition left her increasingly restricted and forced her to limit vacations and curtail any activities that required endurance. In early 2009, at the recommendation of her nephew who is a physician assistant, Roslyn scheduled an appointment with Dr. Don Knapke at Troy Orthopaedic Associates. Dr. Knapke took one look at Roslyn’s X-ray and was shocked at how well she was moving around because there was hardly any cartilage in her right knee. He discussed her options, including a knee replacement, but Roslyn, who was preparing for the wedding of one daughter and awaiting the birth of another daughter’s first child, decided to endure the pain. She bought orthopedic inserts for her shoes and for two years received cortisone shots to reduce the inflammation in her knee.
Finally, in early 2011, Roslyn reached her breaking point and decided it was more important to be able to continue working, enjoy time with her grandchildren and take family vacations, so she scheduled the knee replacement surgery.
On June 14, 2011 she was implanted with the EVOLUTION® Medial-Pivot Knee System, a next-generation technology from MicroPort. It is comprised of a ball-in-socket mechanism that mimics the stability of the natural knee and its curved shape allows the knee to freely bend and rotate. The EVOLUTION® Knee System is designed to eliminate the “sliding” feeling that is common with other knee systems. The system is comprised of implants and instruments designed to accommodate less-invasive surgery, which means smaller incisions and less soft tissue damage, for surgeons who choose less-invasive approaches.
After a successful morning surgery, Roslyn was able to stand up later that day. She attended physical therapy in the hospital for two days and returned home. She continued physical therapy on an outpatient basis to strengthen her knee and was driving her car just three and a half weeks post-surgery, surprising her family who were impressed by her fast recovery.
Roslyn is excited to be able to return to teaching; something that she wasn’t sure would have been possible without her new knee. “My husband recently commented that I have walked further in the six weeks after the operation than I did in the years before surgery. The implant feels very sturdy and steady and I’m glad to have my mobility back,” said Roslyn.
MicroPort’s EVOLUTION® Medial-Pivot knee replacement implant 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 less 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.