# Bone Spurs in Knee



## mikeridesabike (Feb 16, 2009)

My knee has been bothering me off and on for some time now, but never bad enough to keep me off the bike for long until this past weekend, when it swelled up and got really stiff for no apparent reason. After hobbling around for 3 days, I finally went today and got an x-ray and they said I have bone spurs in my knee from arthritis. I got a prescription for prednisone and instructions to come back in a week if it's not better. 

I am just curious if anyone else has dealt with this issue. According to various web sites, the treatment goes from oral medication to cortisone injections to surgery if none of the above works. I would really prefer not to have surgery, but would prefer surgery to not ever riding again.

Thanks for any information.


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## rockman (Jun 18, 2004)

mikeridesabike said:


> My knee has been bothering me off and on for some time now, but never bad enough to keep me off the bike for long until this past weekend, when it swelled up and got really stiff for no apparent reason. After hobbling around for 3 days, I finally went today and got an x-ray and they said I have bone spurs in my knee from arthritis. I got a prescription for prednisone and instructions to come back in a week if it's not better.
> 
> I am just curious if anyone else has dealt with this issue. According to various web sites, the treatment goes from oral medication to cortisone injections to surgery if none of the above works. I would really prefer not to have surgery, but would prefer surgery to not ever riding again.
> 
> Thanks for any information.


Those are osteophytes and can only mean one thing. You are bone on bone with little to no cartilage left. That's the osteoarthritis. You might get some relief from cortisone but frankly the joint is worn out. Once you can't tolerate the pain anymore it becomes a quality of life issue and when you can't do stuff that you used to do like simply walking down stairs it's time to consider surgery. That means a partial or total knee replacement. I did mine at age 55 last year. No regrets. I'm back to skiing, did two enduro races, and two grand canyon river trips in less than a year after surgery.


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## mikeridesabike (Feb 16, 2009)

Thanks. I hope I am not to the point of needing knee replacement, but I guess I will find out. Glad yours worked out.


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## mikeridesabike (Feb 16, 2009)

Well my appt. with the ortho got snowed out today. On the bright side, I read the notes on my x-ray and it said mild degeneration, so hopefully that means just a quick clean up with the arthroscope. 

It turns out that not being able to bend you knee is a real pain in the butt, not to mention keeping me of the bike.


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