Triathletes Racing After Total Knee/Hip Replacement - Part Two

"The past is gone but something might be found to take its place."
                                                  Gin Blossoms, Hey Jealousy 

A pink bike. Something to do with that old steed. Home decoration.

Only In Hawaii

Kimo the dog. I wear glasses, but my eyesight's not all that bad. While treading water at the Coffees of Hawaii barge (every year during IM race week in Kona, the good folks at Coffees of Hawaii set up a large sailing craft about 700 m off shore, where anyone who swims up is offered a small cup of Kona's finest) I saw an odd looking "swimmer."

A group of three was approaching from a distance and the middle "swimmer" appeared to have a full face mask on...but with what looked like pointy ears.  As they closed in on the coffee barge, surprisingly the 3rd swimmer turned out to be Kimo, a German Shepard swimming with a life vest on.  He (she?) seemed quite happy dog paddling in the Pacific.  As if you needed to be reminded, things are different in Hawaii.  






Joint Replacement in Athletes

A recent quote from the The American Journal of Orthopedics, 2012:

"The October issue of The American Journal of Orthopedics features articles focused on hip and knee adult reconstruction surgical procedures. Today’s aging population is more active than ever. The original goals of pain relief with both hip and knee arthroplasty are no longer satisfactory in this population. These patients want to continue participating in more aggressive athletic and exercise programs that may prove detrimental to their implants."

I write this is response to a request I received recently from an athlete who'd received a new hip secondary to arthritis (like Floyd Landis) and wondered about this issue as;

"Sometimes a quality/enjoyment of life question? Race with modifications?"

It doesn't appear so. A joint replacement is a big hit.  It's an expensive undertaking and we're not yet at the point where the mechanical joint is as good as the one it replaces.  Be certain that we're improving all the time.  But there is still a certain number of cycles that one can expect, a finite longevity.  When the artificial joint has reached the end of it's usable life, revision surgery is far more than simply changing a tire. The required procedure has a higher level of difficulty, higher potential for complication, including infection, a possibly devastating complication.  It's probable that the second joint will not be as successful as the first and not last as long.

So, for our athlete of 2012, the answer from the orthopedic community following total hip or knee replacement is still to make activity choices that prolong the expected life of the prosthesis.  Most docs would tell you that running is not on that list.