“I’m the oldest on the team now by about seven years,” Graham says. “And most guys could be my kids.”

In addition to softball, Graham added baseball to his repertoire when he joined a men’s senior baseball league. Today, he plays hardball on multiple teams and alternates between catching and pitching. He estimates that he participates in 100 tournament baseball games a year across several states.

“I’d like to get to additional tournaments in Arizona and Las Vegas, but work just gets in the way sometimes,” he jokes.

Worsening knee pain and failed nonsurgical treatments

About five years ago Graham’s left knee began giving him trouble on and off the field. First, he experienced mild pain, then a noticeable loss in range of motion. His gait changed and walking became difficult. Playing catcher became too hard so he focused on pitching. He saw his weight increase with a more reduced activity level, but he kept playing through these challenges and what eventually became severe pain.

“I really tried everything I could to reduce the pain, but nothing worked,” Graham explains. “I got gel and cortisone shots, platelet-rich plasma injections, and tried physical therapy. I wasn’t ready for surgery, and I really didn’t want to miss any part of my baseball season.”

One day recently Graham lifted his 25-pound grandchild and noticed how much more strain that extra weight put on his bad knee. He wondered if weight loss would make his knee less painful - and that was the only thing he hadn’t tried. So, determined to exhaust all options, he launched a low carb diet and lost 40 pounds over five months. He felt healthier overall, but unfortunately the knee pain didn’t subside.

Deciding it was time for total knee replacement surgery

“After a trip with my wife overseas during which I became tired of making accommodations because of my knee, I decided to schedule an appointment with a joint replacement doctor,” he says. “I had already been a patient at Rush and felt very comfortable there. My insurance provider suggested Dr. Rob Burnett at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush, and I liked what I read about him online.”

He scheduled a consultation, appreciated Dr. Burnett’s approach, and trusted his skills.

“Graham had end-stage knee arthritis, most severely in the medial (inside) component,” Dr. Burnett explains. “He really wanted to return to a high level of activity, so we discussed outpatient partial knee replacement and outpatient total knee replacement as two options since he had exhausted nonoperative solutions. I explained that he may qualify for a partial knee replacement because the location of his pain matched the area of arthritis on his X-rays. He understood that if, during surgery, we discovered arthritis in other parts of his knee, we would proceed with a total knee replacement to give him the best chance of a great outcome. Going into surgery, we were on the same page, which helped Graham prepare for the big day with confidence.”

Graham scheduled his surgery close to home at Rush Oak Park Hospital, and Dr. Burnett assured him that an outpatient knee replacement would put him home the same afternoon as surgery.

“After all that time living and playing in pain, I actually felt excited the day of surgery,” Graham explains. “I thought, ‘let’s get it done and get back to baseball.’”

During surgery, Dr. Burnett discovered Graham did have arthritis in the lateral (outside) compartment of the knee in addition to a complex lateral meniscus tear, so he performed a total knee replacement, knowing that this would give Graham the best chance of a great outcome. After successful surgery and a short recovery time in the hospital, Graham walked on his own and was home by 3:00 pm. Following Dr. Burnett’s instructions, he used a therapeutic ice machine and a mild pain reliever for a couple of days. Then, just four days post-surgery, he rode a stationary bike under the care of his physical therapist.

Returning to baseball one month after total knee replacement

Just one month after surgery, Graham did indeed get back on the field. He pitched and batted in a league baseball game, but opted for a pinch runner. His next goal is to be able to do all three and catch when his team needs him.

In addition to baseball, Graham has returned to playing golf. “My game is actually better than it has been in years,” he says. He is also looking forward to playing in his men’s platform tennis league this fall and moving better on the court.

“The combination of Dr. Burnett’s expertise and my physical therapist’s care was spectacular,” Graham explains. “I appreciated that neither of them treated me like I was 90 years old. They both knew how badly I wanted to get back on the baseball field.”

About Dr. Rob Burnett

Dr. Burnett is a fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon specializing in adult reconstructive orthopedic surgery of the hip and knee. He performs routine and complex primary and revision hip and knee reconstructions. Additionally, his focuses include partial knee replacement and direct anterior total hip arthroplasty. He is committed to providing the most up-to-date and effective treatment options to help relieve pain and restore function, enhancing his patients’ ability to participate in desired activities.