Cnewbert

@coach3 are you looking at a full knee or partial knee replacement?

@coach3 I got the Journey II Uni Knee implant manufactured by Smith + Nephew. It uses titanium for the baseplate tibial piece and a patented material called oxinium for the femoral component. They also make the CORI robotic system my surgeon used. One big advantage of the CORI system is that it does not require a CT scan to map the knee. I'm told CT scans deliver a radiation dose equivalent to 50 chest X-rays. Mapping is done at the initial stage of the actual surgery with the surgeon using a tool called a probe, which is basically an array-augmented hand piece with a fine-tip (the array allows the robot to know exactly where that tip is at all times—the surgeon just needs to indicate to it when he is touching your knee. This map sends information to the surgeon 300 times per second as he operates the handheld bone sculpting tool. I don't know if there is a "best" system, but my implant was so precisely aligned with the CORI system I had 124º range of motion the day following my surgery and it's improved from there. I'm a little past 135º at present, 6 1/2 weeks post surgery.

@Rednucleusthanks! But what is actually great is the medical technology that would allow me to start skiing again just 6 short weeks after getting knee joint replacement surgery!

Day 42... 6 weeks post surgery... arrived yesterday. My surgeon had already given me the green light to ski and my knee felt good. Not perfect, but good, and getting better daily. So my wife Melanie and I hit the water without wasting another minute. Now I don't offer this video clip as an example of good skiing, especially on this forum where there is such a distinctly high level of skier. But the fact is, I was never a good skier to begin with before my surgery. I'm 74 and didn't even start skiing until I was 68, so it is what it is. I just ski for fun. While I'm sure my posture, timing and rhythm will come back in the coming days, the bigger challenge I face is gaining confidence in my new knee, actually believing it won't come apart on me when crossing the wakes or if I fall! The mere fact that I can ski at all and have fun so soon after knee joint replacement makes me very happy! So the point of my including the video clip is really more of testimony to my surgeon, Dr. Gray at the UF Health Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Institute, and the robotic assisted, quad sparing, minimally invasive surgery he performed -- an approach my original orthopedist who had been treating my knee for a year with cortisone injections dismissed as a mere gimmick... hype... an opinion that other medical professionals also apparently share. This guy wanted to do a conventional full knee joint replacement where my quad tendon would have been severed and no doubt I'd still be hobbling around, maybe still on crutches. I certainly wouldn't be skiing in just 6 weeks. While I can only share my experience, I'm confident in saying I am proof this type of surgery is definitely no gimmick. CAB669C7-9E72-458D-81AF-5175C87E3B32.mp4

5 1/2 weeks post surgery. Incision healing well. I’m walking 1 1/2 miles a day and bike riding 5-6 miles daily. Still taking a little Tylenol daily for low level discomfort. Weather permitting I’ll be skiing again in just a few more days. We’ve had a lot of windy weather in the weeks following my surgery so I haven’t missed tons of ski time with these conditions.

So what? We deal with this all the time in Florida, only with alligators. I've blown up more boats than I can count.

I had my 4-week post-surgery evaluation with my knee surgeon yesterday. He said I was in the "upper stratosphere" of patients re: my healing progress. I let him know that as a water skier, I was far more motivated with my PT than most! He said I could start bike riding any time and I've ridden several miles in the last two days without the slightest ill effect. My surgeon also said my knee joint was stable and perfectly fine to water ski already. The cement used to bond the implant to the bone is 95% cured in 20 minutes, and fully cured in 24 hours, so there is no concern about the strength or integrity of the joint. And since the minimally invasive technique he used disrupts so little surrounding tissue compared to traditional knee joint replacement, the entire healing process is greatly accelerated. But while the incision looks completely healed to the eye, apparently the skin still remains somewhat porous at one month out, so he doesn't want me to immerse my leg in water for another two weeks to avoid any chance of infection. At that point, when his originally predicted 6 weeks are up, he said to go ahead and start skiing, just use discretion based on how my knee feels.

A triple axle trailer with 6 tires may not be enough if you’re using Trailer King tires.

Progress report: as of today I am just 3 weeks post-minimally invasive quadriceps sparing robotic assisted partial knee replacement surgery. I now have a full 135º range of motion, which my PT says is completely normal for a healthy knee, and 0º straightness. Typical medical sources say the 4-6 week goal of PT is 90º with full range not expected for 8-12 weeks. My PT is turning me loose early and says I need no ongoing outpatient care, but to keep up my home half hour exercises every other day or so. I am fast-walking one mile around our neighborhood without aids or support of any kind. My scar is healing nicely. I still have some periodic minor discomfort, easily controlled with Tylenol, but mostly I'm unaware of any sensation at all. I hope to be skiing in 3 more weeks as my surgeon originally predicted, pending his approval. In any case, I'll wait until he gives me the green light but I am very optimistic! 🙂

@dave2ballI recall that Jody did do something with the owners regarding a tournament or some such thing, maybe as a promotional event, so perhaps he has that level of involvement. But unless running a ski school is infinitely more profitable than I imagine, no ski school owner is building major restaurant given the enormous capital investment required. 😂

@jayskigood recommendation. Thanks! I see the Hewitt system incorporates a push/pull winch drive that would be valuable given most of the lakefront properties on this lake -- at least those we'd be interested in -- have a shallow land incline leading to the water's edge. @The_MSthank you for your input. It confirms the pros of the system that appeal to me and another thumbs up for Hewitt. @VONMANI remember well how low the lake got 9 years ago. However, our alternative to a rail system -- should the situation arise where we buy a property without a suitable dock/lift already in place and have to build from scratch or rebuild an existing dock/lift -- would be a covered boat slip with an overhead lift, as opposed to an in-water moveable lift. Ideally, I'd like a platform lift though those may run into a permit issue. In that case, we'd be high and dry like the majority on the lake if or when the lake level drops so low again. I'm just not a fan of the in-water moveable lift option for many reasons. If the water level drops with a rail system, you can always add additional track sections to reach deeper water. As we both know, however, certain parts of the lake have such a shallow lake bottom incline that a rail system would not be practical in the first place due to the length of track necessary even when the lake is at normal height. So the feasibility of a rail system would depend first and foremost on the location of any property we might buy.

@dave2ballactually Ski Beach Bar and Grill is owned by Randy and Sue Kuentjes, who own another great lakeside restaurant on Lake Weir where they live.

@The_MS thager says you have/had a railway system. If so, and if you have the time or inclination, could you share any information, pros and cons, likes and dislikes about this alternative to a lift? Thanks!

@Andre thanks for that link Andre. I didn’t know Hewitt offered a rail system. We have a Hewitt dealer 10 minutes away, so that would be super convenient if we eventually have need of one.

@motoxrone minute in or out of the water isn't bad at all. If circumstances ever come to us having the option of deciding between a lift or a railway, I would want to be sure the launch and haul out times for a railway were not much longer than with a lift. That's helpful. Thanks again.

On a different subject than the Moomba webcast deficiencies, obviously the city of Melbourne or the state of Victoria or perhaps even the country of Australia itself has passed some law requiring everyone on the dock to wear flotation devices. Apparently there must have been a rash of professional water skiers and support personnel falling off docks into 3 ft. of water and drowning. Such a tragedy. Or were the legislators, ignorant of what they were legislating, fixing a problem that never existed and was highly unlikely to ever exist? I remember many years ago when I was running dive tours to the Coral Sea and Great Barrier Reef, Australia started instituting such ridiculous and restrictive regulations on the dive industry that it made it all but impossible to conduct business there. Let's be vigilant to prevent this extreme nanny state mentality that requires such overreaching requirements such as wearing life jackets whenever setting foot on a dock does not come to the U.S. It's bad enough here as it is, but as witnessed at Moomba, clearly it could get worse.

@Sethro thanks for all your pics and info! I admire your inventiveness! In our case, winter ice would not be a factor in the decision whether to choose a railway over a lift as we're in FL. But we face somewhat complex square foot restrictions on docks, decks, slips and requirements for light penetration that a railway might possibly avoid. That's why I'm trying to get a better grasp on the pros and cons of railways and whether to even consider one. I see you use channels for the tracks. I wonder if a conventional type track would require any cleaning as they would seem to be unlikely to collect small rocks and pebbles like your channels do. Thoughts on that? @BraceMakerWhile we don't have a lake house as of yet, knowing what our options are as they affect the suitability of a prospective house for our needs is important. If a railway is a viable option to a lift, it may or may not affect our decision on purchasing a particular property, assuming no suitable dock/lift is already in place. So I'm just trying to educate myself in advance concerning railway systems since I know nothing about them. Your comments are valuable and appreciated! Enclosed boat houses are no longer permitted on "our" lake. But, depending on the size of the lot, a garage type building on land would entirely possible. Depending again on the lot and house orientation, this may well be visually less intrusive of the lake view than a covered lift at the end of a dock. If money (or permits) were no object for us, I would go for a covered platform lift, and that is something we will also explore if necessary. I love those. @motoxras noted above, ice is no factor in FL! But the key things you mentioned why you love your railway are exactly why they interest me. So I thank you for your comments. I previously found Naylor by Googling different railway manufacturers, so I already have their website. Thanks again.

Not to mention the fact that whoever was operating the chyrons was either sleeping half the time or randomly pressing buttons.

@BraceMaker @Sethro @motoxr (And anyone else with experience on the topic who cares to chime in...) On the current thread about draining bilge water in a 2015 Prostar on a marine railway I believe you all mentioned you use a railway system to launch and haul out your boats. Railways have always interested me as an alternative to a boat slip with a typical lift for a variety of reasons, not the least of which would be greater ease of boat care and maintenance for routine things like oil changes, hull wipe downs after each use, weekly Babe's Boat Bright treatments etc. that are difficult or impractical on lifts (other than platform lifts). As well, I like the idea of our boat being out of and off the water, on land, during extreme weather conditions that occasionally destroy docks and boat lifts, along with any boats left on them. My wife and I are currently in the market for a lake house. Though our desired lake does not have any suitable properties presently on the market (nor has it for some time) we are patient and confident we'll find something within the year. In the event a prospective house has no existing covered lift, or not an adequate lift for our boat, we'd then need to either have one built, or look at alternatives such as a railway. Without presently knowing whether or not there might be permit prohibitions for such systems on our lake, or whether or not a prospective location would have adequate water depth without requiring an excessively long railway, I'm trying to gather as much information as I can about them in the event we find a property in need of some launch/haul out system where a railway might be one option. I'd be interested to learn which manufacturer built your railway along with any pros or cons you wish to share about your system. I know in at least one case from the drain plug post boat houses were not allowed on the lake, so a railway was your only alternative. But from the perspective of experience, and if your lake property allowed you the option, would you still use a railway or would you prefer a slip with a covered lift? I understand the length of the individual railway is probably the biggest factor in the time it takes to launch and haul out, but do you find your railway systems generally efficient for this process or are they excessively slow and time consuming. i.e. compared to a lift, does the railway take much longer to launch and haul out? Also, do you find them durable and generally free of breakdowns of any sort? Do you find they require frequent maintenance compared to a lift? (I know there are a number of different lift systems... hydraulic, electric, hand wheel, cantilever etc. I'm just trying to get a general comparative feel between railways and lifts). Lastly, in general, I'd appreciate any insights at all about railways or cautions that may not be discussed in the manufacturers' promotional materials. Anything you care to share would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

@BraceMaker good news… I was 0° today on my straightness. Still 124° on range of motion, but my PT said not to worry that it has stayed the same since I started out so far ahead of normal at this stage of recuperation. Nerve block pump and catheter removed yesterday but hasn’t resulted in any increase in pain, which remains well controlled without needing the hydrocodone. At rest there is no pain at all. Had my first look at my minimally invasive 4 1/2” incision today when the PICO dressing was changed on day 4 after surgery. I really do think this is the way to go if it’s an option for whoever may read this and may be considering a knee replacement.

@thager that's awesome to hear! Congratulations! @BraceMakeryes, my PT has stressed straightness as well. I was 5º yesterday, the day after surgery. I was 3º today, so trending in the right direction and my PT is very pleased. @VONMANmy knee has been sore for years, though never debilitating. It hurt much more horseback riding than skiing (left/back leg), and horseback riding is the sport where I was most negatively affected by the pain. As it was bone on bone in the medial compartment, it wasn't going to get any better, and the hydrocortisone shots had ceased to have any meaningful effect. Getting this one joint compartment replaced at this stage may well preserve the rest of my knee in the years to come as I will have more natural function and movement with the partial knee replacement and therefore less stress will be placed on the other parts of the joint.

@thager even 90º immediately post surgery is very good from what I've been told. My PT said some people are in tears just trying to reach 70º. How long ago did you have your knee done... how is it now... and how has your skiing been affected?

Just one quick follow-up to my long previous post. My home PT left an hour ago, the first day after my surgery. She said the 14 day post surgery PT goal for range of motion is 90º. My range of motion measured 124º. I believe that is testimony to the procedure that was performed on my knee.

I had my partial knee replacement surgery yesterday morning (Monday, March 6), and walked out of the hospital that same afternoon. Yes, I had a walker to help, though I could have done without it except I'd give the attending nurse heart failure. This morning, Tuesday, I remain completely pain free as I have been as soon as I woke up from surgery, but of course drugs help! I can walk completely normally, just carrying the walker off the floor as a back up. I don't want to be macho and have a fall the would set me back from my goal of waterskiing in 6 weeks. They've given me a small waist pouch with a pump that delivers incremental doses of Ropivacaine through a catheter to the surgical site. It's a non-narcotic numbing agent that seems to work so well I may never need the hydrocodone, a powerful narcotic, they've prescribed for me to resort to if needed. I just take some Tylenol, Celebrex and Gabapentin, all non-narcotic. So the good news there is I can have a beer at night! The surgery went astonishingly well! I had a spinal and don't remember a thing. While I was still knocked out my surgeon found my wife in the waiting area and Melanie said Dr. Gray was just radiant with how well it went. He said it was a "high five all around" procedure, and that I now have the knee I was born with. He says I will have 140º range of motion when all is said and done (I believe they test this on the operating table), and just the day after surgery I can extend and flex my leg considerably greater than expected. The brief details of my surgery are that I had a unicompartmental, minimally invasive, quadricep sparing robotic assisted knee arthroplasty. Of the 3 knee compartments, only my medial compartment was bone on bone. The other two, confirmed during surgery, were surprisingly healthy especially for a 74 year old. Thus, replacing the bad one now will in all probability preserve the remaining two for the rest of my life. (The original damage was done 30 years ago from a snow skiing accident that tore my meniscus, resulting in slow and long term deterioration of the joint.) The minimally invasive procedure involved a short, 4-6" incisive on the medial side of my knee instead of an 8-10" incision down the middle of my knee and leg and the metal alignment rod implanted into my thigh required by conventional knee replacement surgery. The quadriceps sparing aspect means that instead of cutting the quad tendon and muscle to access the knee joint, they go under the muscle, with minimal disturbance and bleeding of the surrounding tissue. The actually bone cutting is guided by the robot assistant that sends information from the 3-D computer modeling of my knee 300 times per second to the handheld sculpting tool guided by the surgeon. Apparently precise alignment of the implant is even more important with a partial knee replacement as the implant must be exactly positioned and balanced with the unaffected 2 knee compartments in order not to negatively affect their motion and function. My implant is the Smith+Nephew JOURNEY UNI which features the patented and award winning OXINIUM Oxidized Zirconium metal alloy surface, more than a decade in development. It's claimed to be twice as hard as the cobalt chrome implants most commonly used by other manufacturers. Mind you, I take this all as an article of faith since I am a rookie when it comes to knee prosthesis, but I have tremendous faith in my surgeon at the University of Florida Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Institute. He and the entire staff were remarkable. Only time will tell of course. In addition to all the above, the surgical site is covered by the PICO negative pressure wound therapy system, a system used in a wide variety of surgical procedures besides joint replacement. The incision area is covered by a large air tight covering with a tube connected to a small pump that applies suction beneath the bandaging, increasing blood flow to the area and promoting wound healing. Lastly, they have me wearing anti-embolism elastic stockings intended to reduce the potential of blood clots. That's all I can think of. I've provided this much detail for the benefit of anyone else in this group contemplating knee replacement surgery. Hopefully they will find this info helpful as they research the many excellent options presently available. I definitely fall into the doing it sooner rather than later camp, for as you can see from the X-ray, only a small part of my knee was replaced, resulting, I'm told, with a completely natural movement, feel and function once the healing is complete.

@Jody_Sealthere's many robotic systems available and I haven't investigated them all by any means. But with none of the ones I've looked into does the robot actually perform the surgery as your anesthesiologist seems to imply. They are robotic assistants, designed specifically to help guide the surgeon for more precise implant alignment than is possible with the traditional approach, and without the need for the metal alignment rods placed into the thigh bone that traditional approach requires to obtain proper alignment. The surgeon utilizing a robotic assistant remains in control of the actual cutting. Even with the Mako system the surgeon makes the cuts with a hand-held tool as I understand it. My surgeon at UF will be using the CORI robotic system, which employs a hand-held surgeon-controlled robotic sculpting device that receives feedback from its 3-D imaging at the rate of 300 times per second. The surgeon maintains complete decision making authority at every stage of the operation. The robot doesn't do any cutting on its own or make any decisions on its own. It is an assistant to the surgeon only. Exact implant placement is even more critical with the partial knee replacement I will (hopefully) receive, as the implant must be balanced precisely with the remaining bone and cartilage in my other two knee compartments. The first knee replacements were done in 1968, 55 years ago. In virtually all areas of medicine, technology has improved both techniques and outcomes. I've chosen not to use 55 year-old procedures for my knee replacement, but rather to put my faith in the newer high tech approaches that require a smaller incision with no cutting of my quadriceps tendon, and provide greater precision of implant placement, less tissue disturbance in general and faster, more pain-free recovery time. I fully anticipate walking out of the hospital the same day of my surgery. There's a lot riding my this choice I have made, so I hope I have made the right one.