One can’t spend much time in the field of orthopedic surgery without noticing countless mentions across every section of the newspaper. This month alone brought a fine set of case studies in the power of knee surgery and its transformative effect on active lives.

In my last post I covered the NFL, so this week let us take a small detour here into the world of cinematic icons and discuss the case of Dame Judy Dench. The legendary actress underwent knee replacement surgery in September and is already performing live and walking red carpets with aplomb. My favorite recent quote from the notoriously feisty 78-year-old: “I’m not feeling my age at all. I am about 43, a tall willowy blonde 43-year-old with long legs.”

Meanwhile the sports section brings us news of the Magic’s Solomon Jones, whose torn meniscus has left him sidelined and primed for surgery. The most likely option given his injury is arthroscopic knee surgery, which should involve some reconstruction and rehabilitation to help minimize any deleterious and lasting longterm effects of the meniscus tear.

And of course there is this new athletic power couple, who share the dubious honor of having both undergone knee surgery. Tiger Woods returned to form as expected, and Lindsey Vonn is currently enjoying a full complement of races on the way to this winter’s Olympics in Sochi:

Knee surgery is an orthopedic surgical procedure that comes in many forms. It remains a stalwart of our profession and one of the best-studied interventions we have for knee injuries. If you are suffering from impaired movement, comfort or balance due to pain in your knees, contact me at the San Diego Orthopedic Surgery center today to learn about your options to return to play and enjoy your youthfulness.