World Arthritis Day 2026: 88-Year-Old Walks Again After Knee Surgery

World Arthritis Day 2026: An 88-Year-Old Woman Travels 2,500 km from the Bhutan Border to Walk Again

“Achieve Your Dreams”

Arthritis is more than joint pain. For many older people, painful knees slowly take away mobility, independence and dignity. Millions of people live with this every day, and even simple tasks become a struggle.

Every year on 12th October, we mark World Arthritis Day so that more people understand this condition and how it can be managed. This year’s theme, “Achieve Your Dreams”, fits one patient’s story well. As a joint replacement surgeon in Thane with over 35 years of experience, I believe spreading awareness is a social responsibility. In the age of AI and social media, a single conversation can reach people far beyond the clinic.

A journey of 2,500 kilometers

Mrs. Rani (name changed) is 88 years old. She lives in Jaigaon, a busy border town in the Alipurduar district of West Bengal, right next to the Bhutan border. To reach us at KIMS Hospitals, Thane, she travelled about 2,500 km.

She had suffered from advanced osteoarthritis of both knees for more than 25 years. For the last three years she was confined to a wheelchair. Her son and relatives had to lift her for almost everything, including bathing and using the toilet. She consulted many doctors because she badly wanted to walk again, but because of her age, no one ever told her that knee replacement on both knees was a real option.

How a podcast gave a family hope

Recently, to raise awareness, I took part in a podcast with Curly Tales, which has a very wide audience. Mrs. Rani’s family watched it and learned that age alone is not a reason to refuse surgery. That gave them the confidence to reach out.

We spoke over a video consultation, and I had a long conversation with the family and with Mrs. Rani herself. They decided to come to KIMS Hospitals, Thane, subject to her clinical examination and medical fitness.

Why treating patients like her is challenging

Joint replacement surgery for elderly patients takes careful preparation, and the first step is the patient’s own mind. She must understand her condition, be willing to have surgery, and fully accept both the procedure and the recovery. This usually takes several rounds of counselling. It also helps greatly if the patient can speak with someone who has already been through the operation, because there are many fears and myths about recovery, results and post-operative pain. This is the crux of the whole process.

Surgery should be advised only when:

there is real pain and difficulty in daily activities,
osteoarthritis is clearly visible on clinical examination and X-rays,
other non-surgical treatments have been tried, and
the patient is willing to go ahead.

Safe preparation also involves:

complete medical and cardiac evaluation,
treatment of existing conditions,
anaesthetic fitness and a pain management plan,
a physiotherapy plan for before and after surgery, and
nutrition advice, especially protein-rich food to build muscle.

Mrs. Rani’s surgery and recovery

Mrs. Rani also has hypertension, diabetes and hypothyroidism. After counselling her and her family, and after her conditions were well controlled, she underwent bilateral simultaneous total knee replacement in September 2026.

She is doing very well. With our physiotherapy team’s help, she is already walking with a walker. Our anaesthetists managed her pain extremely well. Our cardiologist, physician and endocrinologist made sure she could undergo surgery safely, and our nurses and ward staff cared for her throughout.

Her case also shows that elderly patients can be operated on safely in a hospital with a dedicated joint replacement operation theatre, ICU backup and round-the-clock multispecialty support. Today, advances such as robotic surgery are making knee and hip procedures even more precise, and that is part of the care we offer at KIMS Hospitals, Thane.

It was heart-warming to see her recovery. When she first came, her relatives had to lift her onto the examination table.

Achieving her dreams

On this World Arthritis Day, Mrs. Rani shows what the theme means. Her dream was to be free of pain, to walk again, and to live a good quality of life. She is now on her way.