Looks like I will get the pleasure of having this done on both knees at some point in the future. My kneecaps are bone on bone with the other bones in the knees.

My father had both his knees replaced, typical of us men, waited until it was absolutely the last second to get it done, took a little bit for recovery but he's walking better..

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Originally posted by 95flhr:
Looks like I will get the pleasure of having this done on both knees at some point in the future. My kneecaps are bone on bone with the other bones in the knees.

I was also bone-on-bone in my right knee. I went ahead and had the full knee replacement. The surgeon used a computer modeling setup, where he places a pin in the femur above the knee, and another pin in the tibia below the knee. This allows the computer program to model the knee's movement and orientation of the various parts. When he inserts the new knee, the computer guides him to orienting everything correctly. In my case, he made a minor adjustment to how the knee rotates (moved it so the lower leg moves outward a bit).
 
He also explained, prior to surgery, that he had two replacement knee types available and he would not know whether he could use the "good" one until he was in there. The difference is in the quality of the femur and tibia bones, and whether they can accept a pin and grow around it, making a more permanent replacement. I ended up with the "good" one, which he says is more or less a lifetime replacement. The lesser one will require another replacement in 15-20 years, as it is glued to the existing bone structure.
 
Be very aggressive with the physical therapy following, at least for 3-4 months. If you keep at it, especially the home exercises, the new knee will have almost the same flexibility as an original model has. Right after replacement, you don't have full flexibility (not even close). The PT prevents scar tissue from forming and making this limited flexibility permanent.
 
One of the "final exams", so to speak, was being able to get up from a chair without using my hands at all. I am very pleased with the full replacement, don't even know it is there.

Had a TKR, right, in 2018.
Total recovery with almost 100% range of motion restored.
Spend much time strengthening quads and hamstrings prior and subsequent to surgery

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Patellofemoral (Kneecap) Joint Replacement

I had to look up what this is exactly. My wife had a total knee replacement three years ago and has been fine. It sounds like your procedure is much less complicated and invasive. I wish you the best.
https://www.hss.edu/conditions...oint-replacement.asp

I'm sure you've already read up on the procedure, recovery times, etc. I know it's a major pita for you, but this sort of surgery isn't a big deal anymore. Knee surgery or replacement used to require weeks in the hospital, followed by months in physical therapy.

I had my right patella removed after shattering it in a motorcycle accident in 1976. The surgeons reattached the tendons, and I spent some time in PT after the cast came off, but I still don't have a kneecap & it hasn't caused me any problems at all. So kneecaps are way overrated.

I’m getting total replacement of my left knee done on Monday 4/12/21 and really looking forward to not living in pain, waking up in the middle of the night because I turned wrong ... but I feel like I got my money’s worth out of the OEM parts ... right knee isn’t far behind.

Thanks all,

While I am looking forward to a reduction in pain, I am not looking forward to the surgery and being out of commission for a month or more.

I'm trying to put it off until Fall, there is just too much to do here during the summer with the animals, veggies, etc...

In 2019 I had bone on bone in the left knee from too many high mileage runs and got a Osteochondral autologous transfer (OAT) / high tibial osteotomy (HTO) procedure. The OAT part was a bone+cartilage transplant from a cadaver that roughly equates to a “natural” knee transplant using bone cores and attached cartilage surfaces. Successful after 1+ year (knock on wood). You should ask about it.

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Originally posted by tarheel2008:
In 2019 I had bone on bone in the left knee from too many high mileage runs and got a Osteochondral autologous transfer (OAT) / high tibial osteotomy (HTO) procedure. The OAT part was a bone+cartilage transplant from a cadaver that roughly equates to a “natural” knee transplant using bone cores and attached cartilage surfaces. Successful after 1+ year (knock on wood). You should ask about it.

Thanks, I will. Looks like an interesting option.