“I am no longer a mountain hiker, but I did walk with my son and two grandchildren to a mountain hut, a seven-hour hike.” – Anne-Marie Smit

Situation Before Treatment

Before the treatment, every step was painful. I avoided walking as much as possible and gradually stopped participating in many activities. Outings with my grandchildren were limited mainly to the swimming pool. At work, I no longer joined colleagues for lunch because going downstairs and crossing the street had become too demanding. I used the car more often than the train due to the long walking distances on train platforms. Because I hardly moved anymore, I gained weight. This was a major contrast to my earlier life, as I had always been very active, travelled frequently, went ice skating, and spent a lot of time with my eight children and eleven grandchildren.

The Treatment and the First Year

In 2019, I underwent Knee Joint Distraction on my left knee. The seven weeks with the pins in my leg were challenging, especially sleeping flat on my back. When the pins were removed, it took time to adjust to using the knee again.
I was only on sick leave during the days I was admitted to the hospital. The day after admission, I returned to work. Throughout the entire period, I continued working full time, including my duties as a judge. I used crutches, and for longer distances colleagues occasionally assisted me with a wheelchair. Every evening, I carefully cleaned and cared for the pin sites and experienced no complications. When the pins were removed, I took one day of sick leave and returned to work the following day. Shortly afterwards, I attended a conference in Rome, Italy, using crutches.
In my view, continuing to work is essential. It keeps the muscles strong and provides distraction. Staying at home gives you too much time to focus on the treatment. My knee remained somewhat painful for about six months, but the pain was far less severe than before and gradually disappeared.

Current Situation

The knee that was treated with Knee Joint Distraction is still functioning very well. I travel again and have recently visited Australia and Norway, and in previous years California, Croatia, Montenegro, and Zanzibar. I am no longer a mountain hiker, but I did walk with my son and two grandchildren to a mountain hut, a seven-hour hike. I explore cities on foot, join colleagues for lunch again, and can spend an entire day walking in a theme park with my grandchildren.
I am now 65 years old, still work full time, and usually travel by train. A trip to Japan is planned for April.

Experience and Advice

For me personally, the KneeReviver® by ArthroSave has been an excellent solution. Living with daily pain becomes unbearable over time and leads to increasing limitations. I greatly appreciate that my recovery was achieved using my own joint. I am very glad that I chose this treatment and would certainly recommend it to others.

My main advice is to remain active during and after the treatment. Prolonged sitting leads to muscle loss and reduced function. Regular movement, such as using a stationary bike, helps restore knee mobility.

In addition, it is important to protect the leg during the early phase and avoid heavy loading to preserve the newly formed cartilage.