"My wife suffering extreme pain in her knees"

My wife has suffered from severe pain in both her knees for over eight years. The pain started getting so bad about six years ago she went to our GP who referred her to Whipps Cross Trauma and Orthopedics department straight away.

Since then she has attended that department so many times asking for help to stop the pain. At first she had x-rays, ultrasound and MRI scans, which all confirmed she was suffering from severe bilateral knee osteoarthritis in both knees. Other descriptions of her situation her consultant has put in his reports are, patellofemoral crepitus and tenderness and tricompartmental degenerative changes.

Four years ago they began giving her regular Duroline injections. At first the injections help, but for only a few months, then things went back to her knees crunching, locking up and extreme pain again. 

In the last couple years the injections has been having less and less effect, getting to the stage where she had her last injections late last year, which only helped for a few weeks.

I called the Trauma and Orthopedics department and asked for a urgent appointment for her, and received an appointment for April this year. Just before that date, my wife received a phone call cancelling it and was told she would receive a new appointment shortly, which never come.

Due to the fact over the last few months my wife can not stand, sit, walk, or even sleep without constant pain, I contacted our GP, who referred her back to Trauma and Orthopedics again over six weeks ago. Yet again, we have had no response.

As it stands, every report from our GP and my wife's consultant has confirmed there is absolutely no cartilage left in my wife's knee joints and it just bone to bone contact. Both these people have confirmed she needs both knees replaced as soon as possible, but all her consultant keeps saying is "she is too young", and refuse to do it.

My wife is now 51 years old and can not carry out any activity without being subjected to so much pain it is now bringing her to tears, and the people who are suppose to be treating her have disappeared.

Watching my wife suffer like this is killing me and I hope someone that reads this story can send me advice that can help put an end to this torment.