Like many retirees, Bettendorf resident Karen Rathje’s summer is already in full swing: she’s enjoying her daily walks with her Wirehair Fox Terrier, Tucker; cycling a weekly 100 miles for RAGBRAI; and she’s back on the tennis court. “I love tennis.” Lots of tennis.
It’s a game she says she picked up after she retired 10 years ago and now plays several days a week, most weeks of the year.
“I always say, ‘If you move, you don’t ache.’”
Since her retirement, Karen, 72, also underwent two hip replacements to keep her moving, so when one of her hip implants wore out a year ago, it was a painful surprise.
"I felt a pop!"
“My hip had been making a horrible noise, and one day in the kitchen, I just bent over, and my leg gave out in an instant.
“I grabbed the kitchen island, and I called my husband. It just surprised me, and it was painful. I was afraid it was going to dislocate. My husband came home, and I got crutches and made it to ORA.”
ORA Orthopedics Total Joint Surgeon and a fellowship-trained specialist in adult joint reconstruction, Dr. Douglas Rossi, says, “Karen told me she ‘felt the pop’ and could barely walk.
“X-rays confirmed the plastic liner inside in her hip socket failed, breaking the locking mechanism and it spun out.”
Revision Surgery
Dr. Rossi says the only solution is surgery called a “revision.”
He explains that while hip and knee replacements help restore movement after arthritis, the implant can occasionally fail or there may be a complication with the component. “In order to fix that, we perform revision surgeries to restore the joint’s functionality.
“During surgery, I took the old plastic piece trapped in Karen’s joint and removed it. Then, I inserted a new liner inside of her hip. Her socket was not damaged, so we didn’t have to revise that component. I exchanged the ball on the stem side of her hip with a new ball that fit into the new liner. The surgery went smoothly.”
Dr. Rossi says while implant breakdowns happen, they do so less frequently than in the past.
“What wears out are the plastic liners. However, technology and new surfaces have also extended the life of these components.”
Joint Implants that Last
“The most recent data reveals 93% of patients 25 years out from surgery showed no evidence of wear from their procedure. That’s almost double the component lifespan. It used to be 10-15 years of shelf life. Now, recent research is showing the vast majority of new generation hip and knee replacements are lasting for 25 years or more making chances better that the first joint will last a lifetime.”
For Karen, the surgery was transforming. “I met Dr. Rossi on a Friday and had surgery Monday morning. I can’t even describe how wonderful he was. I spent the summer in rehab but was riding my bike about two months later and playing tennis the following month.
Thank you, Dr. Rossi! – Karen
“It’s been a year now and I’m stronger than before. Prior to the implant break, just bending over hurt, even to pick up the tennis ball. This past winter, I played four times a week in Arizona. Players also have noticed I am moving better now. I’ve regained my shot-selection skills!
“It’s just a wonderful sport because of the camaraderie and friendships both on and off the court. It’s made my retirement fun.”
Dr. Rossi, ORA Orthopedics
Fellowship-trained
Dr. Rossi says patients should not worry if they need revision surgery. “We are here to take care of you. Both Dr. Ryan Pokorney and I are fellowship-trained in adult reconstruction for these revision procedures. We spent an extra year of training for primary and complex joint replacements for both hips and knees.
“Both joint-replacement and revision surgeries have come so far. Patients over 65 are playing high-impact sports, and the hips and knees are holding up thanks to a combination of minimally invasive surgical techniques and better implant technology.”
For Karen, her family, tennis partners, and Tucker, the result means more time with the person they love. “I’m a dog person. To everyone in the neighborhood, I’m just Tucker’s mom.”
