I recently read about a fellow retiring who said that it was time because he had to have a knee replacement. It struck me as contradictory because I see the fact of my knee replacements as being the opportunity for renewal.
So when the arthritic and damaged surfaces of the femur and tibia are replaced with space age materials I almost consider it `unfair' of me when I compete in my age group.
But there is more to a return to competitive mobility than simply getting shiny new knees. The knees are surrounded by a complex weave of tendons and ligaments. Very, very complex. And it is the soft-tissue of the tendons, ligaments and muscle that make for competitive mobility.
It is six weeks since my left knee arthroplasty (knee replacement). My rehab is focused carefully on the ligaments and tendons. Lateral movement of the tibia has been the most difficult to achieve. The ligaments are tight and don't want to stretch. Time spent moving the leg(s) and focused exercise of the whole knee make for a slow but very, very measurable improvement.
A complication for the older cyclist is that we lose fitness 3 times faster than when we were younger and it takes us 3 times longer to return to fitness. But, honestly ... it's better than sitting on a sofa watching TV.
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