I had an Oxford knee replacement performed in November 2008 at age 53, for arthritis, with great results. I did physical therapy, 3 days weekly for 2 months and twice weekly for another month. The pain was manageable and I worked hard to recover full mobility. I have full range-of-motion and can kneel again. I will have my second knee done in May. I believe that correct patient selection determines best outcome for this procedure. Only those people with damage on 'one' side of their knee should have this done.
I will be 63 in a month. 5 1/2 years ago I had a Repicci Partial Replacement and it has worked great. 3 years ago I had the Oxford Partial Replacement done on my other knee. While this was supposed to be a more advanced procedure I had some healing issues. Actually I think my physical rehab was not as good. I took control of the rehab and worked hard on my quads to balance out my legs. Bingo that worked. I have been playing golf (walking and riding), biking, working out 4 dayss a week, spinning 2 days a week and just living.
Just the other day I had an experience that had me worried. While walking my oxford knee just locked and it felt like something broke in my knee. Lots of crunching and limited movement. I called the doctor and scheduled an appointment for early the next day. I went home and iced and rested. Later in the day out of nowhere my knee felt fine (except a little swelling). The doctor took x rays and the prosthesis looked good. So what happened? One possibility is that a bone chip or piece of scar tissue broke loose and got lodged within the Oxford pieces. What a relief. I thought for sure that the replacement had broken and that I would have to have a total replacement.
My plan is to enjoy the summer and see what happens. If this happens again I will probably have the doctor go in and scope and see up front what is happening.
My advice to anyone planning on this surgery is to lose weight and strengthen your quads before surgery. Then follow therapy like a religion. Especially the strengthing of the quads. If your therapist is not aggressive enough go find another one. Don't worry about hurting someones feelings. It is your body.
Just the other day I had an experience that had me worried. While walking my oxford knee just locked and it felt like something broke in my knee. Lots of crunching and limited movement. I called the doctor and scheduled an appointment for early the next day. I went home and iced and rested. Later in the day out of nowhere my knee felt fine (except a little swelling). The doctor took x rays and the prosthesis looked good. So what happened? One possibility is that a bone chip or piece of scar tissue broke loose and got lodged within the Oxford pieces. What a relief. I thought for sure that the replacement had broken and that I would have to have a total replacement.
My plan is to enjoy the summer and see what happens. If this happens again I will probably have the doctor go in and scope and see up front what is happening.
My advice to anyone planning on this surgery is to lose weight and strengthen your quads before surgery. Then follow therapy like a religion. Especially the strengthing of the quads. If your therapist is not aggressive enough go find another one. Don't worry about hurting someones feelings. It is your body.
Afterr reading all this now I conclude that the results for the Oford Uni can be highly variable. Guess I should have read more BEFORE the surgery which I had exactly 4 weeks ago. I have always been extremely active, just finished the ski season using a Breg Fusion OA (great brace btw!), then went in the get the Uni. I was walking short distance albeit very stiffly and with a walker for support, the next day after surgery. I did the test stairs the following day and was released from hospital.
Since I am a bit of a gym rat I pursued PT as a vigorous challenge determined to "beat the recovery curve". In a week, my knee blew up like a basketball, and I had to rest and do nothing for two days to get the swelling down so I could move it again. Btw anyone here who says it didn't hurt is full of it - prepare yourself mentally to work through pain even with pills. YES you can overdo it. And the person who says ran a 5k 21 days post-op, what planet are you from???? Right now at 4 weeks I am just recovering a "normal" fluid walking movement without the extra hitch. On a good day I'm about 115 degrees flex, on a bad day with swelling I backslide below 100. I went back to work half days at 3.5 weeks. I'm a little disappointed with results so far, keep waiting for that big breakthrough - maybe I expect too much. I should add that I was still recovering from a ruptured quad tendon on that knee when I had the surgery, so I didn't have full range of motion to start with - maybe only 90% going in. This is probably contributing to my current difficulty.
Since I am a bit of a gym rat I pursued PT as a vigorous challenge determined to "beat the recovery curve". In a week, my knee blew up like a basketball, and I had to rest and do nothing for two days to get the swelling down so I could move it again. Btw anyone here who says it didn't hurt is full of it - prepare yourself mentally to work through pain even with pills. YES you can overdo it. And the person who says ran a 5k 21 days post-op, what planet are you from???? Right now at 4 weeks I am just recovering a "normal" fluid walking movement without the extra hitch. On a good day I'm about 115 degrees flex, on a bad day with swelling I backslide below 100. I went back to work half days at 3.5 weeks. I'm a little disappointed with results so far, keep waiting for that big breakthrough - maybe I expect too much. I should add that I was still recovering from a ruptured quad tendon on that knee when I had the surgery, so I didn't have full range of motion to start with - maybe only 90% going in. This is probably contributing to my current difficulty.
The Oxford knee is partial knee replacement that only replaces the medial side of the knee, or inside part of the knee as opposed to the outside part. Only 15-20% of the arthritic patients who would otherwise need a total knee are candidates. The research says the Oxford knee is just as successful at 20 years as the best total knee results. It is not a "new" operation, but only became available in the US a few years ago. Companies are always coming out with something new, but they won't really know how well it works until at least a few hundred cases are followed for 5 - 10 - 15 plus years. The problems people have with an Oxford/partial knee can generally fall into one of three categories: 1. They were not a good candidate for this procedure in the first place. A trained surgeon knows which patients to exclude based on the area of the knee that is affected by arthritis, the condition of the ligaments, etc. 2. The positioning of the implants. This is why surgeons must be trained properly in this technique. 3. Some patients don't do well in ANY type of surgery. Not all total knee patients are happy - not all partial knee patients are happy - not all lottery winners are happy. Nothing is 100%, but this is a great surgery for the right patient 95% of the time. There may be complications for the "perfect" patient, and generally, when a patient has a partial knee replaced with a total knee they are usually still not happy. Keep in mind that people that have problems with their surgery are more likely to post on a website like this than those who are satisfied. They best advice comes from the nurses who work on the ortho recovery floor at the hospitals, so ask around. The doctors and nurses want to help people and hopefully improve the way they feel, but like life, surgery isn't always perfect, there may not be a clear understanding why, and it's not always someone else's fault.
I had a Oxford knee replacement and had it done by a Doctor who has done over 2000. His knowledge and expertise convinced me it was the best option when others told me that I should get a full knee replacement (mostly because it is what they were use too and did). My replacement left me pain free. I was told not to run but I am able to hike, walk and stand completely pain free. I wasn't a runner anyways. I was only 55 when I had it done in 2008. I did physio afterwards. One time, it seemed to have locked about a year after the surgery but it hasn't since. I think its a great alternative 1/2 is better less trauma to the knee and things are moved aside rather than cut.Its less invasive.
I had my Oxford done a little over a year ago. It took awhile for the feeling of "swelling" to go down but I feel great now and everyone amazes at the flexibility of my knee. I am going in in two days to have my other knee done with the same procedure. I am not looking forward to the PT and the swelling again but look forward to a more enjoyable summer next year. I agree wholly in that you must find a qualified surgeon who has a history (good one) of working with the Oxford. Would I recommend it? YES
I had a left knee partial knee replacement in 2007! I was 51! My knee is almost as bad as before having it! I've had problems ever since! Nothing turned out the way I was told it would. I was in so much pain from the begining! Less then a year later, after my doctor had no answers for me. I went to another doctor. I was told the partial implant was loose! I still have to have a full knee replacement on my right knee, but I am concerned. I'm thinking my recovery will be worse then the partial! I also believe that I may have had too much arithtis in my left knee and perhaps I should of never had the partial knee replacement. I had a problems with both my knees since I was in my 20's. I went along with my doctor's recommendation. I would think twice about a partial knee replacement if you've had problems for a long time. I'm thinking of having a full replacement done on my left, but I'm thinking I better wait and see how my right knee replacement turns out first. If I get better results then I will have my left knee done over again.
I think you should consider yourself to be very fortunate. My husband had an Oxford knee replacement in Feb 2010 and after 5 months of continual pain after surgery, he had to have a second op in August. They took out the first Oxford as it turns out it was defective and did not adhere to the bone. We are now 5 months after the second op and he is still in continous pain and they don't seem to know why. He has good movement and 110 deg bend but just cannot walk any distance. He is only 59 - if he gets up in the middle of the night he can barely walk and is like an old man of 90. His life has been ruined by this surgery as he has not been able to work for 2 years. We are now going to get a second opinion to see what can be done if anything.
I had an Oxford partial knee replacement almost 2 years ago. I have had almost constant pain since. My knee has locked up a bunch of times and had to have it scoped out last year for scar tissue. Now I have to go back in to see the doctor because my knee is not only swollen and painful, but I struggle to walk. I am only in my early 40's and was active. Now I feel like a bump on a log. A crabby bump on a log. I am so tired of being in pain. They had better figure it out soon. :-(
I had a partial left knee replacement done in Sept. 2010. Prior to the surgery I had my knee scoped, but it did not work. For several weeks after the scope I could hardly walk without assistance. It was very painful. I decided to go to another doctor for a re-evaluation of my knee problems. I have osteoarthritis of both knees. When I saw the other doctor he ran some test on me and found that the right side of my left knee was really bad, but the right was fine. He told me about the Oxford Partial Knee replacement. He said he had several patients who had this done and are doing fine. At this point I could hardly walk without a cane and the pain was intense. After the surgery they came to my home and did the inhome therapy. My knee was very painful, but I seemed to be doing fine. I continued the therapy after the inhome but I am still having problems. My knee feels like it is moving and when I asked the doctor he said that was normal. My left knee is constantly moving and pooping. My knee is very sensitive to touch and I still don't have much feeling where the surgery was. I have another appointment with the doctor but at night I still apply ice for the swelling and pain. I have to take something for pain at night because if I walk or stand too long my leg is hurting and I can't get comfortable to go to sleep. I don't know what to do and who to ask. This is really very flustrating and I was hoping by now I can walk a little longer than before, but it does not look like this is happening.
I wish you all the luck in the world , I had my done over a year ago and ive made no progress the pain has not stopped and im in more discomfort then I was. Its a 50 50 surgery all doctors will tell you its going to feel great but if actually feels as fake as a stump. Did let let you know that they have to cut the main nerve on your knee and you may not get the feeling back, of coarse not but trust me thats what happens. We are all just a cash cow for them. I would live with the pain if its not intolerable. Good Luck
I had a oxford knee replacement 12/20/2007 on my left knee I have had nothing but problems since the beginning. 3/24/2008 I had to have it surgically manipulated because I could not still walk without a walker. As of today 02/3/2011 I still have the partial knee and still having problems especially when walking up or down stairs. I believe I was better off before the knee as least I could receive knee injections. My right knee was worse then the left knee and 3 years later I am afraid to have it operated on. I was suppose to have a full knee replacement right after my left partial, but I am afraid that I will be totally disabled. I am disappointed with the the doctor who performed the surgery because all he did was shrug his shoulders and tell me he did not know why I was having problems. So I am left to pay for this and the doctors who perform these surgeries have no responsibilities except to keep charging.
I went back to the doctor a couple of weeks ago for the most recent swelling, locking and popping on the surgical side. He told me to take tylenol and motrin together. While it helped with the swelling, I still have the pain. He isn't too concerned because I have full ROM. Well it's there because I push my PT to the point where I want to cry. I have always been flexible, so having full ROM isn't telling me anything. I had full ROM before the partial. Give me a break!!! How about actually looking past the x-rays, examine the leg yourself (not relying on the intern) and feel the popping and see the pain I am in. !
I am going to have my Oxford partial knee replaced on June 20th with a full knee. I had the partial put in on August 23rd 2010 and it has been nothing but trouble. It "collapsed" on me in October after finishing rehab and it appears that the spacer has slipped partially out of the unit, causing pain, swelling and stiffness. I trust the doc who has recommended the full knee replacement and, according to my GP, I probably should have had a full knee replacement in the first place. I am an active, 62 year old male who, up until two years ago, played softball, water skied and walked about 10 miles a week. I have missed a substantial amount of work and will have to miss more.
I had a Oxford knee replacement May 09...It feel better than before but nothing like i thought it would be like..I have pain all the time and is tender to touch..I have to limit what I do and don't hardly do anything at all..I feel like mine doesnt fit right because I have to compensate with a insert and a heel insert to raise my foot higher in my shoe or I have total pain all the way down my leg on the opposite side of my replacement..I use a lot of hot and ice packs on it and feel like I got a messed up deal...my mother in laws dr told her he didnt reccomend the partial replacement because they CAN NOT GET THEM TO FIT RIGHT...I also take alot of pain pills and when the weather changes it hurts like hell..I've been bback to my Dr several times and he just makes me feel stupid, like there is nothing wrong...guess I'm stuck with a bum knee !! I can also feel little B B like things in my knee that the Dr says is normal !!