So it must have come as a shock to someone so dedicated to helping others maintain peak fitness to be struck down himself by debilitating pain in both knees.
‘I was finding myself in discomfort the whole time,’ explained John, ‘and it became most noticeable when I was playing golf. Eventually I was forced to use a golf buggy to get myself between holes since I couldn’t walk, but after a while even standing for five minutes was more than I could manage, so I was forced to give up.’ He began to consider a double knee replacement operation – a major undertaking.
As an eminent professional physiotherapist, Mr Matthews naturally studied the replacement knees available and even attended lectures by orthopaedic surgeons to gather all the facts before committing himself to an operation.
In the course of his research, John met Mr Paul Trikha, a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon based in Surrey. ‘He was already treating one of my own patients’, explained John, ‘so I was familiar with his work. Mr Trikha recommended the Medial Rotation Knee™ (MRK™).’
To say that his replacement knee operations were successful is something of an understatement. Following his first operation, John was back at work after only six weeks.
‘I should have left it another fortnight but I was impatient!’ he laughed. ‘I had the second knee replaced in June 2012, and I was back playing golf only six weeks later. I can once again enjoy the sport I love without pain.’
In fact, John has accomplished rather more than most golfers returning to the sport. ‘I walk all 18 holes and I have also followed play in the BMW PGA Championships at Wentworth – that’s six and a half hours’ walking!’
‘While I was studying knee operations I’d come across people who said the MRK™ “felt like having their old knee back” and that’s how it’s been for me.’
