I couldn't wait to get back to gardening and the grandkids

My name is Larry Workman and I have a Conformis implant

For many years now, my two great passions have been playing with my grandkids and managing my 300-acre farm and vineyard in Kentucky. Both of these require a LOT of physical activity. Whether it’s managing the vines, keeping land mowed and cleared, riding the tractor or playing hide and seek, I was often on my feet for hours at a time. And I loved every minute of it.

That all changed three years ago when knee pain caused by osteoarthritis made physical activity almost impossible for me. It began gradually and then became severe. Very quickly the list of things I could no longer do grew. I could not handle many of the daily chores in my vineyard, or even pick the strawberries in my garden – and there was no way I could keep up with the grandkids.

After enduring the pain as long as I could, I decided enough was enough. I had to do something about the pain. The first option I turned to was cortisone injections, which provided some temporary relief but eventually stopped working. Once again, the pain became unbearable. I did some research and learned about Dr. Vivek Neginhal, a surgeon at Scott Orthopedic Center, who was using a new option in customized joint implants. He initially thought I might need only a partial knee replacement, but based on my X-rays he determined that I needed a full knee replacement. If this would ease my pain, I was ready to go.