Zirconium knee?

[Guest guest]

I'm brand new here, tried looking back through some of the posts,

but that could take the rest of my life. If this was just discussed

recently I'd appreciate being directed to the right posts.

Has anyone here gotten a zirconium knee? I talked to a couple of

nurses/physician's assistants to see if people are doing it here

(Sacramento CA), and one of them (the PA) said that their docs will

use the zirconium " if the patient insists " and the other (nurse)

said that the doc she consulted about it (she didn't seem to know

anything about it herself) said that it had been recalled because of

problems people were having in France, but that it was " coming back

on the market next week " which sounds awfully coincidental to me. I

suspect that the docs here are being extra conservative, but would

like to get some real life info.

Another question: I've discovered this doc in NYC who just replaces

kneecaps (e.g. for chondromalacia). Has anyone had that done?

(I have chondromalacia & it prevents me from walking anywhere --

i.e. more than a couple of blocks -- and getting aerobic exercise,

not to mention I can't hike at all, and that was my sport. I don't

see why I have to wait till my knee is completely destroyed, and

meanwhile have no life. I'm 61.)

Thanks in advance.

Ann