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Richard Maurer
If I had known about these issues 50 years ago, maybe I would have taken better care of my knees. Oops, or maybe not. For perhaps the last ten years I have attended a frequent seminar by an orthodepic researcher who is trying to find a substitute for the articular cartilage of load-bearing joints. In his talks he very thoroughly outlined the problem of how articular cartilage can be lost by wear and he also clearly explained the inability of the body to replace this crucial tissue. Of course on hearing this, I should have taken good care of my knees. Alas not so. Despite that fact that I have had long-term, relatively modest knee pains, it didn't occur to me that my knees could be headed for a failure. In the last several years since retiring, I have been a very dedicated gardener. In our yard, we have a lot of clay soil with very poor drainage. I have been trying to improve the drainage by installing several of French drains. A French drain is basically a ditch with some gravel and a perforated pipe. It can help drain excess moisture and improve the soil. For the last several years I have dug many ditches to install French drains. During the summer here the ground dries out and frequently is very hard. In digging the ditches, I repeatedly jumped on and stomped on a shovel to get it to penetrate the ground. Often I had to use my legs very forcefully to get the shovel to cut through tree roots or to dig up dried ground. There probably isn't a much more effective way to abuse knees. With the clear view of hindsight, I almost certainly acclerated the developement of my knee pain. The thought isn't particularly comforting. So sometimes even relevant knowlege isn't helpful, if you don't realize it applies to you.
Please excuse these loquacious ramblings of an academic. And once again best wishes for recovery from the surgery and subsequent enjoyment of mobility to do all the things you want.
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