Anyone here have experience paddling, or an inability to paddle, with artificial body parts such as knee, hip, shoulder, spine, other bones, or heart valves?
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Paddling with artificial body parts
- Thread starter Glenn MacGrady
- Start date
Gosh, I've never even considered it. Seems like it would be considerably more expensive than a carbon paddle and much less efficient. I can see padding with an artificial arm or leg in a pinch but I'm not sure what the best grip would be or where to even procure one.
In all seriousness the closest I've got is 2 fused spinal joints. No problem at all.
Alan
In all seriousness the closest I've got is 2 fused spinal joints. No problem at all.
Alan
I have a stainless steel shoulder, right one, though I'm left handed. The "new" joint doesn't really affect me all that much. I had the total shoulder replacement done in early in 2014, so it's almost 10 years old now. That's long enough ago that I've well gotten used to it. It was a result of osteoarthritis, and my left shoulder is now getting painful enough that I'll likely be considering doing that joint too. Within the next few years?
The joint that was done already required a bone graft, just a wedge of bone, to correctly angle and seat the part's base plate to the scapular (shoulder blade) portion of the joint. If (when?) I have the left done, hopefully the graft won't be required. The wedge was cut from the head of the humerus, the part removed to install the mating metal part for the total shoulder replacment. There was a loss of motion (range) as well as strength from the procedure, and that, along with the other arthritic joints made me quit paddling whitewater quite a while back. For all practical purposes I quit doing much whitewater back before 2010, though my wife and I have "run" the occasional rapids since, depending on intensity and complexity. We've certainly done many class 2's, I don't think any real class 3's. We don't even notice anything class 1. I don't want to injure the shoulder again, or other joints for that matter so we just take it easy now, and most of our paddling is on flatwater, either rivers or lakes. Questions? No guarantee I can answer them.
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I had a total knee replacement of my right knee in 2009 after 5 previous surgeries on it to hold it together as long as possible. The first operation was a reconstruction back in 1970 so I've been dealing with issues for a while now. Thankfully, the only real long term inconvenience Is I'm not able to kneel in a canoe any longer. I've tried, believe me, but it just doesn't work so I've pretty much stopped trying; not to say I don't attempt it from time to time.
Now, immediately after all of my knee surgeries, I have had some issues but nothing that couldn't be managed. The biggest problem would come with loading/unloading the canoe from my truck when alone. Long portages could also present a challenge but with a bit of planning, it was all manageable.
I even learned how to accept help when it was offered when getting the canoe down to the water. Prior to this, I would gut it out and do it by myself regardless of how tough it might be. Having the canoe slip off the rack and hit me in the head finally convinced me it was better to accept help when it was offered.
That's all for now. Take care, Happy New Year to all and until next time...be well.
snapper
Now, immediately after all of my knee surgeries, I have had some issues but nothing that couldn't be managed. The biggest problem would come with loading/unloading the canoe from my truck when alone. Long portages could also present a challenge but with a bit of planning, it was all manageable.
I even learned how to accept help when it was offered when getting the canoe down to the water. Prior to this, I would gut it out and do it by myself regardless of how tough it might be. Having the canoe slip off the rack and hit me in the head finally convinced me it was better to accept help when it was offered.
That's all for now. Take care, Happy New Year to all and until next time...be well.
snapper
About 3-4 years ago I had a hip joint replacement and after 6-8 months I had recovered fully - it takes quite awhile for bone growth around the prosthesis to be complete. I went back to tripping in Canada with all the usual weight bearing with no problems.
I’m currently 10 weeks into my bionic shoulder implant.
Total reverse replacement due to complete joint degradation after 30 good years since surgery to correct/prevent recurring dislocations.
Yes there’s limited range of motion and loss of strength, but even so, the shoulder is more useful now than in the past 6 or 7 years.
I couldn’t paddle at all this past season, I could barely brush my teeth without help from my other arm.
I don’t expect any limitations due to the bionic implant by the time paddling season starts again.
Another month or so and I’ll be back skiing, though I may not be able to ski the terrain and back country stuff that I prefer.
Even if I can only ski groomers and more gentle terrain, I’ll call that a win.
Same for paddling and tripping, as long as I can get out and enjoy the experience, it’s a win.
I doubt that I’ll ever again look (and feel) like I did in my avatar, and that’s OK!
Total reverse replacement due to complete joint degradation after 30 good years since surgery to correct/prevent recurring dislocations.
Yes there’s limited range of motion and loss of strength, but even so, the shoulder is more useful now than in the past 6 or 7 years.
I couldn’t paddle at all this past season, I could barely brush my teeth without help from my other arm.
I don’t expect any limitations due to the bionic implant by the time paddling season starts again.
Another month or so and I’ll be back skiing, though I may not be able to ski the terrain and back country stuff that I prefer.
Even if I can only ski groomers and more gentle terrain, I’ll call that a win.
Same for paddling and tripping, as long as I can get out and enjoy the experience, it’s a win.
I doubt that I’ll ever again look (and feel) like I did in my avatar, and that’s OK!
Better than that, I am friends with a young man, now in his 30's, who for many years was the chief waterfront director at an Adirondack Boy Scout resident camp. He had lost his left arm above the elbow in an accident years earlier. He did not have or use, or need a prosthetic arm. Not only could he swim, regularly doing the mile swim several times each season, he could effectively paddle a canoe and teach canoeing with ease and go tripping/backpacking with canoe. The camp had a Hobie Cat sailboat as well as several small sunfish sailboats. He could sail them all by himself solo. He loved the Hobie and ended up with that as his personal boat when the camp folded and sold it to him. One test for lifeguard certification was a heavy steel sledge hammer he had welded to a steel pipe handle that he would throw into deep water off the floating dock. Lifeguard candidates had to dive in, retrieve it, and carry it on the surface to shore, as well as doing a live simulated "thrashing panicked victim" rescue. No one could do any of these better than Rick, a most amazing young man.
