Knee replacement or Steroid injection ??

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Jojo1
Jojo1 Member Posts: 4
edited 28. Nov 2023, 14:08 in Living with arthritis

My knee osteoarthritis is getting worse. I have been offered steriod injections or knee replacement.

Any advise please, ?

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  • Sharon_K
    Sharon_K Member Posts: 460
    edited 17. Apr 2022, 15:28
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    Hi @Jojo1

    welcome to the community, it's lovely to have you hear. I would say that usually in the OK someone would be offered steroid injections in their knee as part of the progression along treatments. It would not tend to be and either or. Obviously knee replacements are major surgery and come with their own issues and are not guarenteed to be successful. So it would be worth asking for a lot more detail first.

    https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/conditions/osteoarthritis/

    You might find this information about knee replacement surgery useful in helping you to decide what questions you need to ask next

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

    I am sure some of our lovely members will also share their experience with you

    Best Wishes

    Sharon

  • Lilymary
    Lilymary Member Posts: 1,740
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    They usually try steroid injections first and if they give any significant benefit, and may keep them going for a while. They prefer to defer joint replacement as long as possible as they don’t last indefinitely (around 15 years I’m told) and can only be replaced again once. When I was waiting for my new hip someone helpfully pointed out that with osteo-arthritic joints it’s all about pain management, which goes through a progression, ie physio, over the counter pain meds, prescription pain meds, steroid injections and finally replacement surgery. The surgery is effectively extreme pain management, but should be deferred until none of the alternatives are working and your quality of life is seriously impaired.

  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 29,414
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    Injection should buy you time @Jojo1 if you're lucky unless your consultant reckons surgery is absolutely necessary right now.

    They don't work for everyone, but for those who they do help they can be wonderful and might at least buy you time.

    Do let us know how you get on

    Take care

    toni xx

  • nicholaj
    nicholaj Member Posts: 64
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    I had a knee steroid injection 10 days ago, just before a week in Keswick. Seems to have really helped as no pain in my knee and less pain in other joints such as hips and other knee. Possibly because I am moving more normally due to not being aware of left knee pain all the time.

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