This post is part of The Ultimate Guide to Total Knee Replacement
Most people think about slowing down and retiring when they are in their 60s. However, that’s not the case for 61-year-old Dan Surber, who believes in pushing himself to the limit, even after surgery for knee osteoarthritis.
Dan’s right knee had knee arthritis and was missing the anterior cruciate ligament.
Degenerative arthritis pain
Degenerative arthritis, or osteoarthritis, is the most common type of arthritis and is mostly related to aging. It is associated with a breakdown of cartilage in joints and can occur in almost any joint in the body.
Degenerative arthritis causes the cartilage in a joint to become firm and lose its elasticity, making it more prone to damage. Over time, the cartilage wears away in some areas, greatly decreasing its ability to act as a shock absorber. As the cartilage deteriorates, tendons and ligaments stretch, causing pain.
Dan’s knee would lock up on stairs and pop out of place when he was sitting down. When exercising, he would hit a wall of pain because of the bone-on-bone grinding and therefore could not improve his fitness.
Dan currently teaches at IUPUI, is a retired U.S. Army Sergeant and has been extremely active ever since his retirement from the Army Reserve in 1998. Fitness is a huge part of Dan’s life, so when he could no longer maintain his active lifestyle, he knew it was time to do something. He wondered if surgery for knee osteoarthritis would be the answer.
“I should have had the operation sooner. I could have lived with a lot less pain and fear of having my knee collapse,” Dan says. “I had to quit playing golf because my knee would not take the forces of the rotation and swing. I quit water skiing and snow skiing. I could no longer parachute jump and I had to quit playing lacrosse.”
Dan has been working in systems engineering for over 30 years. He is an Expert Systems Engineering Professional through the International Council of Systems Engineering.
Because of his engineering background, Dan did a lot of research on the best options for surgery for knee osteoarthritis. “I looked very carefully at the form, fit, function and safety approaches applied by the doctors, staff and physical therapists in the total knee replacement program,” Dan says.
“OrthoIndy convinced me that its program was the best and that I had the highest probability of a successful replacement and recovery by working with them,” Dan says.
Knee replacement surgery
Dan had his surgery for knee osteoarthritis at OrthoIndy Hospital by Dr. Sanford Kunkel, an OrthoIndy surgeon, on September 15, 2009.
“Dr. Kunkel and his team were superb. Since I’m an engineer, I asked very detailed questions about the operation, the prosthetic knee, functionality and durability,” Dan says. “They were very patient oriented. Everyone was informative, helpful and patient.”
“I always tell my patients that the success of their surgery largely depends on their motivation,” Dr. Kunkel says. “Dan was the ideal patient because he was determined to recover quickly before he even walked into the clinic.”
After surgery for knee osteoarthritis
Knee replacement recovery couldn’t have gone better for Dan. He has been increasing his workouts ever since his stitches were removed three weeks after surgery for knee osteoarthritis.
At six weeks, he could jump up and down on both legs. By seven weeks after knee replacement, Dan was seeing a physical therapist twice a week and doing daily vigorous workout regiments on his own.
By the end of six months, Dan was riding his bike outside on trails with steep hills and even conquered a trail by his home that he could never climb before due to his knee pain. Four years after surgery for knee osteoarthritis, Dan has accomplished more than he could ever imagine.
“I squat twice my own weight, do an hour workout every day, ride my bike and hike with 50 pounds in my backpack,” Dan says. “For my 60th birthday, I did a tandem free-fall parachute jump from 12,000 feet. I had not jumped since 1973 so it was great to do that again.”
“I whole-heartedly recommend OrthoIndy and Dr. Kunkel’s team for anyone thinking about getting knee replacement surgery. They did a fantastic job on mine and I am back to an activity level of a 40 year old, with the physiology and stamina to match it,” Dan says.
Learn more about joint replacement surgery at OrthoIndy
Schedule an appointment
Your well-being is important to us. If you have knee pain and are considering knee replacement surgery, schedule an appointment with one of our orthopedic specialists to review your options.
If your injury or condition is recent, you can walk right into one of our OrthoIndy Urgent Care locations for immediate care. For rehabilitation and physical therapy, no referral is needed to see one of our physical therapists.
The Ultimate Guide to Knee Pain Relief
Take control of your knee pain, learn about treatment options, and find out if surgery might be able to help you get back to normal.
