Riding Fakie (Knees)

[Scott]

OK, with our aging carving population someone has to know:

 

Has anyone ever continued carving with total knee replacements?

The doctors I have talked to have different opinions and none knows the stresses carving puts on knees and tibia  ( maybe extra hose clamps?)

 

I would rather ride and mountain bike and live on cortisone and ibuprofen than do road bikes, shuffle board and long walks on the beach (sorry Joe ) 

 

[Beckmann AG]

Carving on skis, no problem.

 

Know a guy that just had his second knee done last summer.  First day back on snow; 1/1/15, looked like a kid in a candy store.

 

As to carving on a board, that would depend on your technique.  Most likely one would want to learn how to get about on two legs, rather than crawling around on all fours.

 

Odds are, that if you have a good surgeon, do your rehab properly, and modify your technique so as to reduce joint stress, you'll be riding off into the sunset for up to 15 years.

 

The problem seems to be eventual breakdown of the articular surface (cobalt shedding), more so than the bone/implant interface.

 

Could be mistaken, though.

Edited January 4, 2015 by Beckmann AG

[knobnose]

I'm nursing a knee with little cartilage left. How does one modify technique to reduce stress on the joint? The only thing I have come up with so far is to try to never have a straight leg - heel side panic stops are a killer. Suggestions would be much appreciated.

[Tugboater]

Best thread title ever... unfortunately I have nothing else to add.

[Beckmann AG]

How does one modify technique to reduce stress on the joint? The only thing I have come up with so far is to try to never have a straight leg - heel side panic stops are a killer.

 

As you've noted, jarring impacts don't help.  So avoid that kind of activity.  

 

Briefly:

When the loads are highest in a turn, make sure the muscle tension in your legs is at a minimum.  Similarly, try to ensure that you are flexing/extending at an even rate throughout a turn, rather than holding/bracing for any length of time.

Make sure that your gear is set up so that:

1. You can handle the load of a turn on both feet rather than one at a time.

2. You can relax without unintended consequences.

3. The joint in question is not under tension as a means of neutralizing unintended behavioral tendencies of the board while in motion.

4. You can articulate your lower extremities without 'kinks' in the movement path.

 

As with the martial arts, there are many different ways to deal with an opponent.  Your best bet might be to skillfully divert the flow of energy in the system, rather than confronting it.

[knobnose]

Thanks, that's helpful. Heading up for first day this season on Friday.

[two_ravens]

No experience with knee replacement, but I did lose most of the cartilage in both knees at a young age, had much pain, swelling and limited use of knees for most of my life since then, and just figured that replacement was inevitble at some point.  A few years ago I did three sessions with a personal trainer who specializes in corrective functional therapy and what she did for me was life changing.  When I started I had to use both hands to stand up out of a chair and it was still quite painful.  She taught me how to use the muscles in my legs differently and in the first session had me stand up from a chair using no hands and only one leg, pain free.

 

The gist of what she taught me was to engage the large muscles in my butt - specifically gluteus medius and the upper hamstrings where they cross the hip joint - to extend the leg, instead of relying mostly on the quads.  When you use the big muscles to do the heavy lifting to extend the leg, and the muscles across your knee just stabilize the joint, it is amazing how much less stress the knee experiences.  

 

She gave me a bunch of exercises to strengthen and stabilize the hip, expecially the hip extensors, and I spent a lot of time the first few months doing those exercises.  Now it takes only a bit of time each day to maintain that, and I have had no knee pain in several years.  My knees still make noise - it didn't restore the damaged cartilage.  But they feel lubricated, balanced and functional for the first time since I was 12. 

 

Going up the chair lift I will practice raising my foot and contracting the hip extensors at the same time - even though you can't really extend your hip much sitting on the chair - but just trying to reinforce the connnection that any leg extention action always needs to involve big hip and butt muscles....

 

My suggestion is get thee to a trainer who is trained in and understands corrective functional therapy!  BTW, this trainer did far more for me than any PT ever did.  Not sure what's up with that, but 'tis true.

[Scott]

Good suggestions on the changing of riding style and a good trainer. I should attempt to change to a more flowing, constant movement style as opposed to the jam a turn bang another. Probably will have to avoid the bumps too. 

Right now there is no stabbing pain as there is no more chunks of cartilage ( genetic osteoarthritis ate it all), just the ache from bone on bone. I am going to do all I can as is, the devil I know.  Thanks for the help.

[stevo]

good luck scott, hope you can relieve the ache one way or the other

[Beckmann AG]

Scott,

If you're actually bone on bone, you might want to look into replacement.  The procedure has become refined to the point that it's almost like changing discs in the CD player.

I can probably put you in touch with a few successful implant recipients if you have questions/concerns.

[Scott]

Thanks Eric

No, I'm good with the surgery. My friend runs the ortho team at NYU, a true Knight of Knee. I was looking here for a recipient who carves.

I can get by as is on a board OK. It's getting to the board that is the pain.