phoenix2013 Posted March 28, 2016 Report Share Posted March 28, 2016 Marginally related only that it will allow me again to climb into one. I’m in a celebratory mood, brought upon by a change in venue. The trio of physicians, who have been ministering to this old carcass I’ve been carrying around for 74 years, came to a conclusion that the condition that postponed the February surgery has been sufficiently beaten down to try again on April 19th. Whenever I’m in celebratory mood I feel a need for literary output in the language of William Shakespeare and Ernest Hemmingway which I learned in my late youth. So here it goes. I always thought that doctors were like engineers. Obstetricians are like manufacturing engineers making sure the “product” leaves the “factory” on time and meets the essential quality standards. Primary doctors are like product engineers keeping track of the product in use and in the field, informing the clients on the latest tweaks, pointing out things that could cause the product to fail because of misuse or abuse. Emergency room doctors are like service engineers sent out to make the product work again after abuse and failure. Surgeons are like the “super techs” usually involved when everything else fails and without their help the product will have to be junked. The equivalent of the design engineers would be the transplant guys, microsurgery guys, drug designers etc. When I see 3D, I know that the essential work and repairs on the product at hand will be done well, accurately and with forethought. The subject at hand is a pair of diseased knees which reduced their owner to resort to an alternate form of locomotion instead of walking. As some of you may know the owner of the aforementioned diseased clunkers is big into 3D, and when he saw this he knew that he was in good hands. Why, because the trial and error, fitting and futzing, etc., would be done virtually and on a computer screen and not on the said diseased pair while their owner was in a la la land and in the hands of “another engineer”, this one capable of cranking over and re-starting products that lay dormant for a while. So why am I so excited? The following is a perfect symbiotic example of medicine and engineering in perfect harmony. First yours truly was subjected to an MRI-like x-rays from hips to toes, that info was sent to Massachusetts to create a 3D model of the existing skeletal model from hip to toes. Why hip to toes? The plan is not only to install new knees but to also realign things away from the old bowlegged cowboy look to the more youthful and straighter self. Once those parameters are set the computer goes to work again. It figures out how much stuff has gone missing and needs to be added to achieve straightness and full J curve motion from straight knee to bent knee (0 to 90 degrees). Current techniques only take into considerations those two extremes and one in five patients is not too happy with what happens in between those angles. The computer then figures out the shape and size of the actual implant for each side. The next step is truly revolutionary and pure engineering. The computer is connected to a 3D printer to manufacture plastic templates to be used in surgery to precisely cut, bore and shape the bone to accommodate the new prosthesis. Once the bones are exposed the templates are placed in succession to drill (through holes) or cut (through slots) to shape the bone for the implant. Once all that is done the surgeon reaches into the same kit to retrieve a pair of beautiful and new “spare parts”. Let the making of the new Borg begin. All kits are patient specific, clearly identified (the 3D printer makes kits for several patients on each run) and come pre-sterilized to the surgeon. A pair of mine has been patiently sitting in his office for a couple of months now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alie&Jim's Carrilite Posted March 28, 2016 Report Share Posted March 28, 2016 At the orthopedic doc recently with my wrist mishap, I saw the product models of this. Played with it for awhile waiting on the doc. They had the whole kit sitting in the exam room for demo purposes. According to this doc, hips, elbows, some shoulder joint parts, are all becoming available as well. Another avenue he mentioned was partial vertebrae replacement and disc replacement as well. The 10 years of war in the middle east has pushed reconstruction surgery to new heights, with the general public getting the benefit of the advances. Alie & Jim + 8 paws 2017 DRV Memphis BART- 1998 Volvo 610 Lil'ole 6cyl Cummins Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix2013 Posted March 28, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2016 The company is a medical startup in Bedford, Mass (they just went public), has been around for 8 years and this procedure and their kits have been in use for 4-5 years. The surgeon who will be working on me teaches other doctors how to perform the surgery. Warned me there might be others in the operating room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve from SoCal Posted March 28, 2016 Report Share Posted March 28, 2016 Wait a minute; I don't see any Huck bolts. Good luck with the joint jockeys. Steve 2005 Peterbilt 387-112 Baby Cat 9 speed U-shift 1996/2016 remod Teton Royal Atlanta 1996 Kentucky 48 single drop stacker garage project Pulls like a train, sounds like a plane....faster than a Cheetah sniffin cocaine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HERO Maker Posted March 28, 2016 Report Share Posted March 28, 2016 Luckily, they stopped using Huck Bolts, just in time! You will have an easy time of it, and it really will go by fast!! The drugs even help on that end also. They ended up only having to do a partial replacement (resurfacing is actually what they do) instead of a TKR. I could have sworn it was going to be a Total based on how much pain I was in versus the surgery 10 years ago. But no, when he opened it up, a partial was all that was required! Happy Camper here! Recovery is going to be short. Stopped using the walker during the 1st PT at the hospital, and stopped using the cane during the 1st outpatient PT. I did find a few useful videos to know exactly what they were going to do to me before the surgery this time. 10 years ago, I believe they rated them ADULT ONLY, and the quality was on par with some of the early Adult Only films (so I've been told). Or maybe you want to wait until it's all over to look and see how they did it? I'm sure you're in good hands and will be looking for a great report after it's all done. The super good news is that you will be able to play the piano after it's all done! I'm not able to, but of course I didn't play it before! Rocky & Sheri Rhoades '01 Volvo 770 2016 DRV Mobile Suites, HoustonHERO Makers Ministry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ICPete Posted March 28, 2016 Report Share Posted March 28, 2016 Phoenix, That technology is truly amazing and I thank you for sharing all the images. Best of luck with the procedure and subsequent PT. Pete 2007 NuWa Hitchhiker Discover America 339RSB 2000 Volvo VNL64T770 with TrailerSaver hitch, wooden flat bed, Detroit 12.7L S60, 10-sp AutoShift, still tandem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix2013 Posted March 28, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2016 Rocky, I found a youtube video of this whole procedure (about and hour), which I opted not to watch. Of course, the DW, who is a veteran of ORs (including some of the first transplants ever performed) got right into it. "Reported" to me that it was "neat" and impressed with all the new instruments that did not exist in "her times". We mentioned to my surgeon that we saw the video, he questioned me "why did i want to watch it". He seemed to be relieved that it wasn't me and only my RN wife. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovehamr Posted March 28, 2016 Report Share Posted March 28, 2016 We live in amazing times! Good luck on the mend! Quemadmoeum gladius neminem occidit, occidentis telum est. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmzero Posted March 28, 2016 Report Share Posted March 28, 2016 After 25 years of motocross, I see a set of those in my near future. "Willy Mammoth" - Volvo 730, Sold Heartland Cyclone 4000 Toy HaulerT-Minus 26 years and counting to being a full timer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dollytrolley Posted March 28, 2016 Report Share Posted March 28, 2016 Henry....... I am a bit worried about your "NEW parts" Replacement....... Look as hard as I can I can NOT see any zerk fitting and you sure don't want any of those "pre-lubed" joints with the high overloads that you encounter when you are running at Max-Geezer-Warp-7.634 Speed"........... When you get the zerks installed I would suppose some of the "Food-Grade" Lubriplate might be nice but they also make "specialty-lubes" for "classic rigs" with SAE W250 being a big seller....... If "Grumps" were still lurking around he might be one of those "other-folks" in the operating room.......he'd be the Geezer with the grease gun and a clean shop rag the clean the zerk before shooting the Lubriplate until it came out the..........seals??.....or......grease drain hole?? Remember Henry those regular knees are for "regular-duty-cycle-Geezers" you know like golfers, bass fishermen, casino-creeps, etc.......you see Henry your going to have to have the "Xtreeeem-duty" joints just to keep up with the "hitch-demand"......... Drive on..........(don't let your joints......skweeek) 97 Freightshaker Century Cummins M11-370 / 1350 /10 spd / 3:08 /tandem/ 20ft Garage/ 30 ft Curtis Dune toybox with a removable horse-haul-module to transport Dolly-The-Painthorse to horse camps and trail heads all over the Western U S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPL Posted March 29, 2016 Report Share Posted March 29, 2016 Henry, If you find out where they put the zerk fittings I'd like to know. had both of my knees x-rayed last week and he told me not yet but it isn't far off. S I figure if I can get some grease to em maybe I can put the knife off untill they can do it all by CNC and maybe it will be cheaper because the more you do the cheaper it gets. Right? Any Way Take Care and God Bless. Pat The Old Sailor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix2013 Posted March 29, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2016 Pat, all kidding aside, they do have a "zerk fitting like" solution for knees to avoid surgery, Check this out http://www.synviscone.com/what-is-synvisc-one/synvisc-faqs.aspx My surgeon was pretty blunt that my suckers have no cartilage left, (one has some left) and are essentially bone on bone. They did try cortisone injection in both knees and the relief lasted about three weeks. I wasn't too keen on synviscone, it has some side effects, it has to be repeated every few months and I wondered what happens if this crap decides to leave the knees and start traveling to other corners of the body. It's not uncommon for surgeons to feel that you are "too young" for the surgery. That's a legacy of the older types of prosthesis from years back and the surgical methods used then which on knees had a ceiling of about 10 years, or so. My surgeon tells me that Conformis knees could last upwards of 25 years. But as anything he qualifies that with all the other factors, activities level, general health any other chronic problems, etc. Dolly, there will be a hiatus in hitch production after the 19th and bunch of them will leaving the premises before. I expect the nickel-chromium (or titanium, don't know which yet) and polyethylene parts to be functioning well and be fully engaged in hitch ministering soon. What's the sense of becoming a Borg if that doesn't contribute to the well being of the "collective", DW already carries spare parts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broncohauler Posted March 29, 2016 Report Share Posted March 29, 2016 Really cool Henry, thanks for sharing. The DW is after me to get an overhaul. I have a bad shoulder, 2 knees and one bad hip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix2013 Posted March 29, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2016 Really cool Henry, thanks for sharing. The DW is after me to get an overhaul. I have a bad shoulder, 2 knees and one bad hip. I have a hell of a pain tolerance (I pass kidney stones without drugs), but these knees had me few times at 10 on scale of 1-10, almost called 911. So I'll be gauging the surgical procedure and recovery of a that scale. I'll let you know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alie&Jim's Carrilite Posted March 29, 2016 Report Share Posted March 29, 2016 I had a bad reaction to Synviscon. The right knee did ok thru the 3 injections and seemed to be better for 3-4 months. The left knee however blew up like a balloon within 3-4 hours and would bear no weight. Took 2- 14 day Prednisone dose packs and 2 week on crutches to get it back under control. Alie & Jim + 8 paws 2017 DRV Memphis BART- 1998 Volvo 610 Lil'ole 6cyl Cummins Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alie&Jim's Carrilite Posted May 23, 2016 Report Share Posted May 23, 2016 Any update on the New Knees? Alie & Jim + 8 paws 2017 DRV Memphis BART- 1998 Volvo 610 Lil'ole 6cyl Cummins Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix2013 Posted May 24, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 24, 2016 My current schedule to join the Borg collective is June 14th. That is for the first limb. Second limb 3 days later. But that still depends if the three physicians are indeed plugged into the hive consciousness together, in the next two weeks. It has been a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuiteSuccess Posted May 25, 2016 Report Share Posted May 25, 2016 My current schedule to join the Borg collective is June 14th. That is for the first limb. Second limb 3 days later. But that still depends if the three physicians are indeed plugged into the hive consciousness together, in the next two weeks. It has been a problem. Phoenix, Surely you have enough split wire loom lying around for that "look". 2006 Volvo 780 "Hoss" Volvo D12, 465hp, 1650 ft/lbs tq., ultrashift Bed Build by "JW Morgan's Custom Welding" 2017 DRV 39DBRS3 2013 Smart Passion Coupe "Itty Bitty" "Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix2013 Posted June 9, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 9, 2016 Yippee !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We have a date............... June 14th and June 17th to incorporate new parts and join the Borg collective. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgiaHybrid Posted June 9, 2016 Report Share Posted June 9, 2016 Sounds great Henry, I just hope you didn't cannibalize a certain ET hitch for spare parts before you join the collective. 2017 Kenworth T6802015 DRV 38RSSA Elite Suites2016 Smart Prime Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nuke-E Posted June 9, 2016 Report Share Posted June 9, 2016 Read the fine print on the warranty. Make sure it's unlimited mileage, parts and labor! (I hear the shop rate isn't cheap.) Hope it goes smoother than that ET install at the ECR last year! 5/16" air line.... 45' 2004 Showhauler -- VNL300, ISX, FreedomLine -- RVnerds.com -- where I've started to write about what I'm up to Headlight and Fog Light Upgrades http://deepspacelighting.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lappir Posted June 9, 2016 Report Share Posted June 9, 2016 Best wishes. Make sure everyone does hand washing every time they enter your room. Make sure you are ready for the second one and don't push it if you are not. Many people want them both done at the same time or very close together but I have yet to hear from someone who would do it again. Rod White 2000/2010Volvo VNL 770 with 7' Drom box with opposing doors, JOST slider hitch. 600 HP Cummins Signature 18 Speed three pedal auto shift. 1999 Isuzu VehiCross retired to a sticks and bricks garage. Brought out of storage the summer of 2022 2022 Jeep Wrangler Sport S Two door hard top. 2007 Honda GL 1800 2013 Space Craft Mfg S420 Custom built Toyhauler The Gold Volvo is still running and being emptied in July. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuiteSuccess Posted June 10, 2016 Report Share Posted June 10, 2016 Will be thinking of you Henry. Best wishes. 2006 Volvo 780 "Hoss" Volvo D12, 465hp, 1650 ft/lbs tq., ultrashift Bed Build by "JW Morgan's Custom Welding" 2017 DRV 39DBRS3 2013 Smart Passion Coupe "Itty Bitty" "Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dblr Posted June 10, 2016 Report Share Posted June 10, 2016 Hope it goes smoother than that ET install at the ECR last year! 5/16" air line.... Man that was a low blow but I can relate to that!!!! Good luck Henry hope all goes well and you will be up buiding ET's in no time 2017 River Stone Legacy 38MB 2001 T2000 Kenworth 2009 Smart Passion ET Junior hitch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shorts Posted June 10, 2016 Report Share Posted June 10, 2016 Great news, good luck with the procedure, I hope all of the cyborg team is also people oriented for the retraining/programing portion of the process Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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