Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

As my orthopod explained, the meniscus is like a cartilage disk that cusions the knee. There also is articular cartilage which surrounds the ends of the bone where the bone meets. In many of us (and our horses) it's that articular cartilage that is shot and there is no way to regenerate it. hyalonic acid is one component of the joint fluid that also helps cushioning. We can supplement that with injections (synvisc for people, legend and adequan for horses). When that fails to work anymore, then we need the knee replacements.

 

I was told by one orthopod 4 years ago now that I needed a TKR right away and he figured I'd be in such pain that I'd come screaming into his office to beg for one. I went to another orthopod and started getting synvisc injections. So far, it's kept me off the operating table and functioning pretty well. I can't run or jog, but I can ride, I can walk and I can go up and down stairs with a minimal amount of discomfort. Before the synvisc, just walking across my living room floor was painful. I started with a series of 3, one week apart as Dawn said, every six months. now it's been a year since my last series and my knee still is doing pretty well.

 

I know it's not a cure, but I figure the longer I can get by with this, the better the TKR techonology and techniques will get.

 

I've watched my husband suffer with two TKRs on the same knee and still not have the relief I'm getting with the injected HA. So I'm not in any big hurry for surgery.

 

chris
Jo Ann Knight <jknight61@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> I have had previous surgery, before my knee replacement, where they went in
> and cleaned up the torn Meniscus. It is my understanding that that is the
> cartilage between the joints. In the case of knees, it cushions the knee
> joints. So it is neither ligament nor muscle.
>
> Jo Ann
>
>
>
>
> -------Original Message-------
>
> From: Val Nicoson
> Date: 09/23/05 05:12:52
> To: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [RC] Hyaluronic Acid, Glucosamine HCL and Chrondroitin
>
> My mare is on a regimen of Adequan shots (once a week
> for a month) to see if this will help her in a healing
> of her outside Meniscus (is this a muscle or
> ligament...vet didn't specify and I failed to ask).
> What are your opinions about Adequan shots and its
> effectiveness? I know it's fairly expensive :-(
> Is HA, Glucosamine and Chrondoitin just as effective
> and/or better to
>  give? Is it equally or less
> expensive than Adequan?
> TIA,
> Val
> PS--I don't like/not good at giving shots. If I go
> slowly and she turns toward me the needle comes out on
> me, so I treat it like a dart...then of course push
> the plunger to get the stuff into her.
> + Sania (who hates feeling like a dart board)
>
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Chris Paus

BayRab Acres http://pages.prodigy.net/paus

Lake Region SWA  http://lakeregionswa.fws1.com