Good Enough for His Grandfather

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Richard’s grandfather has more than a casual interest in where his grandson works. He recently visited Zimmer to see first-hand where his new knee came from.

Richard, a Production Scheduler, was instrumental in helping his grandfather get a Natural-Knee II for his right knee. He worked with Customer Service to locate a surgeon in his grandfather’s hometown of New Orleans. “I’m proud of our products. I felt confident enough about the Natural-Knee that I would recommend it for my own grandfather,” said Richard.

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His grandfather, George toured the manufacturing area and met several employees in the Knee Cell. “I never realized how much work goes into manufacturing implants,” said George.  

George’s knee problems have been traced back to Lyme disease, which he believes he caught while working on the ramp for United Airlines back in the mid-1980s. Lyme disease is an inflammatory disease transmitted by ticks. George believes he may have contacted it while working on planes from the Northeast where Lyme disease is prevalent. 

His symptoms included ongoing stomach problems and increasing pain in his knees. He had his first knee surgery in 1990: a total knee replacement in his left knee and a partial replacement in his right knee. His surgeon at that time did not use Zimmer products.

Unfortunately, the partial knee replacement George received threw his leg out of alignment, causing swelling and limping. His condition continued to worsen and became critical when he slipped in a grocery store, shattering what was left of his knee.

That's when Richard sought out a surgeon who used the Natural-Knee. Since then, his grandfather’s leg is back in alignment and he’s able to move about more easily. Now that he’s feeling better, he enjoys an active retirement selling specialty potato chips door-to-door. Apparently, he has no plans to slow down: he’s considering a new career as a “runner” for a car rental company, delivering cars to various locations across the country.