Bone on bone OA at 22

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C123
C123 Member Posts: 2
in Living with arthritis

Hello, just hoping anyone can relate or has any advice please?

I have secondary osteoarthritis caused by my knee constantly partially dislocating since the age of 13. I have had 5 operations to try and fix this (the last one being microfracture) which have all helped for a few months but it has then just gone back to being agony.

I am now 22 and am being told by consultants that there are limited options left, but the thought of carrying on like this with no other option makes life not worth living.


I just wanted to see if there are any young people out there with joint replacements and what was the process of getting them? Or has anyone had rare surgeries that have prolonged the need for a knee replacement? I would be so grateful for any information🙌


Thank you and my heart goes out to anyone suffering in secret.

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  • Chris_R
    Chris_R Moderator Posts: 794
    edited 20. Jan 2021, 10:38
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    Hi@C123

    Welcome to the online community ,it is good to see you

    You say that you have a secondary osteoarthritis caused by partially dislocating knee joint since the age of 13yrs old and 5 ops to try and fix it but are still in agony.

    Its very unsatisfactory for you to be told there are not many more options at 22yrs I can understand your saying that life would not be worth living like that.

    I know another moderator that may be able to help I will get in touch with her and ask her to chat to you.

    This is a link about knee surgery that may help

    https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/treatments/surgery/knee-replacement-surgery/

    Meanwhile why don't you continue to chat on our forum to our friendly forum members who will try and help you in any way they can

    All the best and please keep in touch to tell us how you get on Christine

    Need more help? - call our Helpline on 0800 5200 520 Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm

  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 29,414
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    Hi @C123

    Nice to meet you life has dealt you a rough hand.

    I am going to reply on behalf of my daughter who is now 23.

    Three weeks after her 16th birthday she was diagnosed with leukaemia and had 2.5 years of chemotherapy with dexamethasone alongside. The result of this is she got Avascular Necrosis (death of blood supply) in her left hip - femoral head and right shoulder joint at 18. She also has it in her thigh bone, but that isn't so bad because there is plenty of blood supply there.

    She had surgery on her hip at 18 - core decompression - to buy time and a shoulder replacement at 19. She has full mobility in both; the shoulder she can raise right above her head and best of all the pain has gone.🙂

    She knows she faces repeated surgeries in the future, revisions and the like, but she could not have gone on in the agony she was in. Her shoulder particularly had totally collapsed.

    If you decide to push for surgery ( knee replacement? ) it will take some pressure on your part to find a consultant who supports your decision. I'm sure you also know that your joints will have a limited life-span, but with care (keeping doing your exercises, probably dodging the sky-diving!) it may last longer than expected.

    There are people on here who have had the same replacement for way more than the predicted life-span. @stickywicket for example.

    Take care

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