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New Partial Replacement Eases Knee Pain
Scott Krohn of Pierce, NE was too young. He was too young to be in this much pain and too young to barely be able to walk.
Krohn suffered from osteoarthritis in both knees. The wear and tear had come from 15 years of factory work combined with arthritis. His knees were wearing out and the pain was growing increasingly unbearable.
Four years ago, when the intensity of the pain began to worsen, Krohn met with Dr. Stephen Smith, an orthopedic surgeon in Norfolk. Dr. Smith used several modality treatments on Krohn, yet he continued to experience pain. Dr. Smith felt that Krohn was too young for total knee replacement.
In March 2006, Krohn came to Dr. Smith’s office again. By now, the pain was taking an emotional toll on him and his family. It was during this visit, Dr. Smith took an x–ray that revealed Krohn’s knees were now bone to bone. After four years of trying all possible options, Krohn was devastated. There was no way he could continue to walk with this intense pain.
Within days of that news, Dr. Smith contacted Krohn about a new partial knee replacement procedure that had been approved by the FDA. Krohn was a perfect candidate because he still had the outer portions of his knees intact that would allow the surgeon to replace only the inner part of his knees using a minimally invasive procedure.
In June, Krohn underwent bilateral partial knee replacement surgery using an Oxford® knee prosthesis that provides a more natural movement and greater longevity of the knee. Dr. Smith is only one of three orthopedic surgeons in the state trained to perform this procedure.
“Recovery time is dramatically improved,” said Dr. Smith. “They can return to sporting activities and other activities more than they can with the conventional total knee arthroplasty.”
Within 24 hours after the surgery, Krohn immediately felt pain relief.
“The nurse came to walk me to my door for the first time. After a few steps she asked if I
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needed to stop and I said ‘Why?’ We ended up walking the entire length of the hallway,” stated Krohn.
A month after surgery, Krohn embarked on an adventure that he hadn’t been able to do in years -- he went on a five-day fishing trip. This was so amazing to Krohn because in the past he couldn’t bear the pain of simply walking down the shore to his boat. But now things are different. He is able to get in and out of the boat without pain.
“I think the best part of this entire experience was when my son turned to me and said, ‘You know dad, you’re just not mad anymore. You’re fun again.’ And at that point I realized that I had my life back. I could work, play and bring joy to my family,” Krohn said with a smile.
Last Updated: 10/31/2006
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