What is your name and with what hand do you play pickleball?
Lara Thornton, left handed
What replacement did you have and how old were you when it was done?
Right knee – 48
How long was your rehab (when were you back on the pickleball court, how many weeks of PT, etc.)? Were there setbacks or complications, did you do PT at home, etc.
I had 2 weeks of PT at home, 4 weeks at a facility. I added 2 extra weeks of PT to be certain I was ready for pickleball. 8 weeks total. I slacked a little on my do-at-home PT but at probably week 4 I was doing all of the prescribed exercises and more. My biggest complication was pain from tightness with my IT band. At least 3 PT sessions were just trying to loosen it. I also had tingling sensation in my big toe on my right foot. It’s still there but not as bad as it was at first. I was playing pickleball again on day 64 after my surgery.
How many years had you played pickleball before the procedure?
2 years, 5 months
What is your best pickleball shot?
- Forehand ground stroke
- Backhand ground stroke
- Serve
- Dinking
- Drop shots
- Baseline lob
- Other
After your procedure, is it still your best shot or is it something else now?
Dinking is still a strength but having knee replacement allowed me to play more often. I lost a lot of weight and that combined with the procedure made me much more mobile, which seems to be a big asset on the court now.
What is 1 thing you wish you knew before you had the procedure?
I wish I would have known how much a tight IT band would hurt. It was awful!
Please share any other detail (why it was needed, if you would do it again and if not – why, challenges you overcame or didn’t – and how you are dealing with it, etc.).
I had my procedure done at a young-ish age. I had to find a doctor willing to allow me to have an active life. Most of them wanted me to be idle and wait until I was at least in my mid-50s. Making the decision to do the surgery “early” meant I dealt with a lot of comments and opinions from people who felt the need to weigh in on my choice. I’m glad I did it and hope if I have to have it again it goes as smoothly as the first time.
What pickleball successes have you had since the procedure?
1 year to the day of my surgery I won a tournament, which was quite the anniversary present!
Tell us about traveling with your replacement, or a story directly related to your replacement.
I made the mistake of going through the wrong airport security screening and ticked off a TSA lady because I didn’t know I was supposed to disrupt the line and go to the “correct” screening tool. I also freak out every time I go to the dentist because of some wild connection to knee replacement that I don’t understand. They always say “it should be ok” so I guess I’m good.
