Plum Man Gets New '30-Year Knee' at Forbes Regional

Ron Pellegrino loves to play golf, stay active and hang out with his grandchildren, but after suffering from knee pain for 12 years, he slowed down significantly.

That is, until February, when he underwent knee surgery at Forbes Regional Hospital in Monroeville and got a new VERILAST “30-year-knee” joint made by a company called Smith & Nephew.

Rather than using cobalt chrome, which most implants are made of, this knee uses a combination of plastic and Oxinium, a metal alloy which is heated and transformed into a ceramic finish. So, it’s metal on the inside (strong) with ceramic on the outside (scratch/wear resistant). A typical knee replacement generally lasts about 15 years.

"I was playing golf 40 days after surgery," Pellegrino said. "The doctors were surprised."

Pellegrino's knee problems started in 2000, when he started having pain in the right knee. A truck driver, Pellegrino climbed in and out of high trucks for years, he played sports and used to jog.

After shifting a lot of weight to his left knee (to avoid pain in the right one), he began to have problems with both.

"It got to a point where I forgot what knee was hurting me," he said. "When it came down to it, my left one was bone on bone. It really hurt."

Pellegrino's doctor at Forbes, Michael Levine, said he would be a good candidate for the newer technology.

"It's been out for a few years, but we don't do it on everyone," Levine said. "We're looking for younger, more active patients, and (Ron) is a pretty active guy. He was the perfect candidate."

Levine said that while the 30-year result is purely lab speculation at this point, but it seems promising.

"If the lab data becomes reality, it's obviously a great thing," Levine said.

It's also a good fit for patients because the knee is designed using MRIs and X-rays.

"It's essentially a custom-made fit," Levine said.

Pellegrino said he's so happy with the results of his knee replacement—in fact, he is hoping to undergo the same procedure for his right knee at the end of this year.

He went from cutting his grass in an hour’s time five years ago to having to cut it over the course of two days just prior to his knee replacement.

When he retires from his job driving trucks next year, Pellegrino plans to golf "eight days a week." He’s also in top shape for playing with his two young and active grandchildren.

"I'd absolutely recommend it," he said. "When I tell people it's a '30-year knee' they look at me like I am crazy. Dr. Levine is the best in my book."

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