# Gel Knee Injections?



## the mayor (Nov 18, 2004)

Have any of you had any of the gel/viscus knee injections?
Or a Knee replacement?
How has any of them worked out for riding and racing?
I'm 65 and my knee, after 6 operations since 1975 ( including cadaver graphs), is junk.
I ride just about every day...and still race 50+ Cat 1....and the knee is acting up a little too much in the last month


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## GMM (Mar 2, 2004)

I had synvisc injections for over 10 years. When I started, I had been doing knee rehab for nearly 2 years and during that time was not able to ride due to knee pain. I saw many specialists. One prominent local ortho told me to hang it up in my 30's. In a last ditch effort to ride again, I took synvisc and did not expect much. Sure enough a few weeks after my first series of shots, I was able to ride again pain free and I have kept riding since. My ortho has been honest that it works for some of her patients but not for all. For me it was a game changer. I paid out of pocket for the shots. Miraculously, I know longer need it. I am religious about keeping up with knee and core exercises to stabilize my knees. I'm in my 50's. I recently found out that my over 20-year ACL graph has failed so I have no ACL. I have had other knee surgeries. I still enter couple of races a year and train frequently. I am not competitive but can't blame that on my knees. Btw, I was doing some PT a few months ago and was ready to schedule synvisc again but was able to work through recent discomfort without it.


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## rockman (Jun 18, 2004)

the mayor said:


> Have any of you had any of the gel/viscus knee injections?
> Or a Knee replacement?
> How has any of them worked out for riding and racing?
> I'm 65 and my knee, after 6 operations since 1975 ( including cadaver graphs), is junk.
> I ride just about every day...and still race 50+ Cat 1....and the knee is acting up a little too much in the last month


Ya, numerous synvisc or hyaluronan injections, arthroscopic clean-ups, and so on. Eventually you reach a point (where you likely are at) when osteoarthritis is winning the battle and it comes down to a quality of life decision. That is, to get a total knee replacement. There are numerous threads in here regarding that choice. As for me, total game-changer. No regrets. Age 60 but did a TKR at 57.


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

Was looking at getting one before the ITI 350 this year. I'm 43. I had knee surgery last summer, but I was still getting some pain and flare-ups. The problem I was having before that, and the reason I got the surgery, was just 100 miles in, my knee would just explode (swell) and lock up. Related to an old injury of PCL and meniscus. Happened to me the first year and I had to get myself flown out. The second year, I was able to back way off, ice down and take extra time at checkpoints, do things try and minimize the wear and tear on that side, and still finish, but obviously not on the timeline or conditions that wanted. Insurance wouldn't go for the Synvisc without "trying" something else first (I guess surgery wasn't a good enough "try"?). So I got a cortisone shot two weeks before the race. That was actually what I was looking at in the first place, before the Doc recommended the Synvisc, but I didn't want to try and self-diagnose to the Doc, but it ended up that my original idea was the best. The time the Synvisc would have taken to really set and get going seemed like it would have been cutting it close, compared to when I could get the injection and the race date. The cortisone was good enough to complete the race. After Rohn (close to 200 miles in) there was a long section of 40 miles of just relentless frozen snowmobile moguls with abrupt edges on all sides, every 10 feet or so...thousands of them. They took a toll, but I feel they probably took a similar toll on everyone. I was feeling that one in both knees and other joints, but nothing really seemed out of the ordinary considering how everyone else was getting along. So the knee seemed to do ok in that race (3 weeks ago). Just two days ago, I did a 100 mile, didn't even have to think about it, it worked great. That was nice.


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## rockman (Jun 18, 2004)

Synvisc will work, especially the first time. Positive results diminish with each subsequent injection until eventually it doesn't do much which is one reason why most insurance companies won't pay for it. It treats the symptom and not the cause. That's why some orthopedic surgeons will inject synvisc with cortisone. Cortisone will help with pain and inflammation but doesn't do anything for healing and side affects include potential thinning of cartilage or weakening of ligaments.

Basically, the knee will continue to deteriorate with use, and also because of previous injury or surgery, osteoarthritis progresses. Worst case, is the joint deteriorates to bone on bone. The joint is pretty amazing in it's ability to compensate but eventually it all leads to a TKR. Maybe not for everyone but we're talking a lifetime of playing hard. And some of it is just plain old genetics with some more predisposed to osteoarthritis than others.


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## rod9301 (Oct 30, 2004)

I've been having hyaluronic acid injections for at least 10 years, twice a year. And they still with as well as in the beginning. 

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## rockman (Jun 18, 2004)

rod9301 said:


> I've been having hyaluronic acid injections for at least 10 years, twice a year. And they still with as well as in the beginning.
> 
> Sent from my moto g 5G using Tapatalk


How old are you? They definitely worked for me in my 40s. By my 50s not so much,


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## rod9301 (Oct 30, 2004)

rockman said:


> How old are you? They definitely worked for me in my 40s. By my 50s not so much,


73

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## jebcamaro (May 7, 2009)




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## rockman (Jun 18, 2004)

rod9301 said:


> 73
> 
> Sent from my moto g 5G using Tapatalk


That's awesome the shots are still working for you! Can you still ski or hike downhill?


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## rod9301 (Oct 30, 2004)

Yeah, i ski about 100 days a year, hard, m bike, and i can hike downhill, though i don't do it that often.
Years ago, i decided if I'm going to climb a mountain, it's only if i ski it down.

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## rod9301 (Oct 30, 2004)

Yeah ski 100 days a year, hard, and i can hike downhill, no pain. 

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## rockman (Jun 18, 2004)

rod9301 said:


> Yeah ski 100 days a year, hard, and i can hike downhill, no pain.
> 
> Sent from my moto g 5G using Tapatalk


Hot damn that's awesome! I got 30 years out of a patellar tendon ACL graft but the last 10 sucked. Giving up telemark skiiing was the first sign but then not being able to ski at all was the tipping point. I could still ride hard and even found the podium in a few enduro races in master's class. Anyhow, a TKR for me was a game-changer. Skied hard all morning today in fact. 

My guess is my experience is more the norm for most active outdoorsy folks well into their late 50s or 60s but if a shot does it then all the better. And all the reason to have a good orthopedic surgeon to help make those decisions.


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