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Dave Guffey’s pai
started a
decade ago. It began in one knee
but soon involved both. He’d always
been active—he played football in
college and racquetball and basket-
ball for recreation—and he had a job
that required hiking across univer-
sity stadiums and climbing arena
stairs to see athletes and coaches.
He knew his knees were wearing
out. Cortisone shots, braces and
pain pills no longer helped ease the
pain. “Both knees were bone-to-
bone,” he recalls. “I couldn’t walk
10 minutes without feeling pain.”
At 59, Guffey decided to trade in
his old knees for new ones.
Knees are the most commonly
replaced joints in the U.S. Doctors
do more than 500,000 of these sur-
geries a year, reports the American
Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
In the No. 2 spot: hips, with nearly
200,000 replaced every year.
Replacement surgery can be
done on other joints too, including
those in the ankle, foot, shoulder,
elbow and fingers.
How’s Your
Joint Health?
Take our quick and easy
“Joint Aware” Assessment
This online quiz will assess your risk
for joint pain and disorders, as well
as other related health issues.
www.bmhsc.org/
jointaware
10
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