Unicompartmental knee replacement: Roy Redman’s story

After years of racking up the miles, Roy had to hit the brakes on his adventures when arthritis made it impossible to cycle – until a bilateral unicompartmental knee replacement at Princess Margaret Hospital got him back on track.

Knee pain and arthritis

Since childhood, Roy had used cycling as a means of getting around, yet in 2015 decided to start taking cycling more seriously. Equipped with premium gear and a Go-Pro, he would record his cycling feats, taking on cycle paths spanning the British countryside upwards of 100 miles long.

This pastime gradually ground to a halt when Roy began to experience pain in his knee in 2022. After an X-ray revealed excessive wear in his knees Roy was told he was eligible for surgery, yet horror stories of painful knee surgeries made him hesitant to proceed.

Roy carried on cycling until December 2024, when the pain made getting on the bike impossible. At that point he knew he needed to have surgery, and set about finding a consultant he could trust.

Finding a specialist consultant

When Roy made the decision to have private knee replacement surgery, he knew he wanted a consultant who not only understood sportspeople, but who would be willing to do both knees at once. He was also keen to work with a consultant who would use a robot to assist with the procedure, making any incisions made as precise as possible.

This research led him to Mr Henry Bourke, a private orthopaedic surgeon based at The Princess Margaret Hospital in Windsor. Despite being a three hour drive away Mr Bourke ticked all the boxes, and before long Roy was ready to attend his first orthopaedic consultation.

Pre-operative assessment

To decide which surgical approach should be taken, Roy was sent for an MRI and an X-ray to determine the location and severity of the wear in his knee, as well as other health assessments to ensure he was in good enough physical condition to undergo surgery.

After these assessments, Mr Bourke then learnt more about Roy’s day-to-day struggles with his knees, how the pain had stopped him from cycling and how he was keen to minimise recovery time by getting both knees done at the same time.

Taking the above into consideration, Roy was deemed eligible for a partial knee replacement as only the inner section of the knee was damaged.

Preparing for surgery

When preparing for surgery, being in good physical health is paramount. Not only does this reduce the likelihood of complications, but also aids recovery and makes it possible to move around on crutches while getting back on your feet.

To maintain muscle mass and cardiovascular fitness in the six weeks leading up to the surgery, Roy bought an indoor trainer to fit to his bike that kept him fit while waiting for the surgery. He also found researching the procedure to be useful, mentally preparing himself for what would happen on the day and in the weeks following his surgery.

To put others at ease Roy documented his experience undergoing a bilateral unicompartmental knee replacement, spanning his time spent at Princess Margaret Hospital to the weeks that followed. You can watch his series over on his YouTube channel, Ride with Roy (and Wendy).

Bilateral unicompartmental knee replacement surgery

After being administered a spinal anaesthetic and local nerve blockers in both knees, Roy was wheeled into theatre, where Mr Bourke, assisted by a Stryker Mako Robot, was ready to operate.

Prior to the surgery, a 3D image of Roy’s knee generated from a CT scan had been fed into the machine, instructing Mr Bourke on where to make the first incision and where best to cut away at the bone. With real-time information, the robot was able to precisely cut the shape of the implant into the knee, preserving the healthy bone as best as possible while making sure the implant would fit with little difficulty.

Roy’s knees were operated on one at a time, with the more painful knee of the two operated on first before switching to the other knee. While Mr Bourke operated, the robot kept track of Roy’s ligament tension, ensuring optimal knee function by preventing the ligaments from being too taut or too slack.

After two hours, Roy’s partial knee replacement was over, and the road to recovery was underway.

Recovering from surgery

Within hours of waking up, Roy was back on camera sharing what was happening straight after surgery.

Initially he wasn’t expected to get out of bed until the following day, yet as he was making such good progress Mr Bourke suggested he stood on his new knees for the first time.

“That was a real morale boost, really, because I wasn’t sure how it was going to feel standing on these artificial knees, but it felt normal, to be honest. I didn’t have any pain from it – it's a bit of a non-event.”

The following day, after various tests and an X-ray showing the new implants in his knees, Roy was up and out of bed and onto a walking frame with support from a physiotherapist, being shown how to move with his new knees. At this moment, Roy knew the effort he’d made to keep fit prior to his surgery had paid off.

“The flexibility that I’ve gained from the cycling and keeping fit is obviously paying off because the things [the physiotherapist is] saying I need to do when I did the exercise, I was doing it already. “I think the message is that if you’re having this procedure, be as fit as you can.”

Roy was discharged from hospital on the third day post-surgery after demonstrating he could ascend and descend stairs safely. With exercises to perform at home and painkillers for the days ahead, Roy was ready to recover at home.

On the road to recovery

While the pace of recovery was frustrating at points, Roy found himself slowly getting back to normal. As his movement was restricted in those first few weeks, having social support around him was a huge factor in his recovery, starting right from his son picking him up from the hospital.

In the days that followed, Roy carried out physio exercises designed to improve his range of motion while getting him used to his knees, and before long he was back on the stationary bike building his fitness back up. Since the operation, Roy has gone from strength to strength and is ready to kick off his next cycling adventure – cycling the King John Way – in May 2025.

Get partial knee replacement surgery today

To find out if a bilateral unicompartmental knee replacement is right for you, with Mr Henry Bourke today.