Knee replacement and running

[Topsyturvey10]

Hello👋, does anyone here have any experience of knee replacements over the age of 50?

My friend has just been diagnosed with bilateral significant osteoarthritis (worse on right) and tears in the meniscus bilaterally as a result of osteoarthritis, significant tear on the left. She is being referred for discussion of knee replacements.

She is very fit and has been doing 100 milers for a number of years.
Any advice, experience and suggestions are welcomed.

Gosh - I'm 55 and have knee pain and osteoarthritis- following with Interest.

Yes. A partial replacement is easier to get over than a full replacement so hopefully your friend will have that. A full replacement is a massive operation, they literally saw through the upper and lower leg bones and cut through your muscles to get the old knee out. You are left with an enormous scar, mine had 33 staples to hold it together. Bloody painful, and a long recovery during which you have to do excruciating exercises. You gradually heal up and a few months later you are walking around pretty well, and eventually you have a lovely solid working knee that doesn't let you down, with a long pale scar in front. It's worth it, but a very long business. I was 59 when I had it, BTW, and reasonably fit.

... Oh, and they fix the replacement knee in place using cement and a hammer! Honestly, you feel like an old car at the garage. They like to operate with a spinal anaesthetic so you can remain sedated but conscious, but I insisted on a general. One woman on my ward said she could hear them hammering...

Oh no I have just been referred for this and that wasn't a nice read.

I had a Total Knee Replacement at about 45. Recovery was fast and the exercises were fine. Was never in masses of pain, in fact viewed a house to buy two days after I left hospital. The Agent had to drive me though.
I ski four months of the year and cycle a bit. Sometimes I’ll go for a run, but I don’t really enjoy it. It’s been in place 17 years now and still going strong!