When a knee arthroscopy identified arthritis, Margaret Thorp was able to manage the pain through physiotherapy and two steroid injections one year apart. But soon the pain required a more permanent solution.
Margaret said: “When I turned my knee or got up from sitting, it locked and was incredibly painful. I knew it was not going to get better.
“I factored in the NHS waiting times and decided to see my GP in January 2023 as I didn’t want to wait until it got too bad.”
Margaret was referred to The Horder Centre to see Mr Andrew Skyrme, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, who had carried out the knee arthroscopy two years earlier.
A consultation in July 2023 confirmed a knee replacement was necessary and the procedure was booked for March 2024.
Margaret explained: “The waiting was quite hard because you get anxious, thinking what it will be like, and you couldn’t plan anything until you had received the date of the procedure.
“My husband had hip revision surgery at The Horder Centre, so I knew how kind everyone was and what to expect.
“The surgery was at 2.30pm and I was able to stand up on the same day. The next day I had terrible sickness, which set me back a day, so I was at The Horder Centre for three nights. On the last day I was able to use the inpatient gym and practice the stairs before returning home.
“You have to do what you are advised, follow the booklet, and take your painkillers. It’s hard, but you do need to push yourself.
“Another thing I did was go to bed for a few hours each day in the afternoon. That rest really helped.”
Two months after the operation, Margaret is currently able to achieve a flexion of 105 degrees. She is back walking and gardening. A return to swimming is next on her list, but she admits the biggest challenge will be returning to kayaking.
Margaret adds: “You do need the painkillers within the first month, so coming off regular painkillers is quite hard.
“The pain can only get better once you have the joint replacement, whereas before, it was only going to get worse.
“We are really lucky to have the NHS to be able to go to The Horder Centre and we are lucky to have professionals who can do all these wonderful things.
“Apart from the knee being a little stiff when I wake up in the morning, I really don’t notice a foreign body in my knee.”
Margaret’s steady recovery means she is looking forward to visiting family in Australia in several months’ time.
“I am delighted to report that Margaret's knee has done really well. This lovely lady had awful pain pre-operatively, and is now walking much better. I wish her every success at getting back to all normal activities.”
Andrew Skyrme, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
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