72-yr-old plays tennis after replacing both knees
72-yr-old plays tennis after replacing both knees
Most people in their seventies are just thankful to be on their feet. But 72-year-old Balbir Singh Renu is that and much more.
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The Nagpur builder and hotelier has become the oldest player in the country with both knee joints replaced to be hitting the tennis court every morning.
Renu has received his acknowledgement letter from the Limca Book of Records saying that his name would feature in the 2010 edition.
Renu, an avid badminton player since the age of 31, had to give up his first love last year when doctors insisted that the game post replacement surgery would lead to serious consequences.
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"So I switched to tennis in February last year and picked up the game easily. I was spotted by a retired IAS officer six months ago who suggested that I approach record book officials," said Renu.
Better than others
On the court, Renu boasts that he strips past players who are far younger and seemingly fitter even after his joint replacement.
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"He's an inspiration to our other patients here. Being this old, but still so active is a good indication.
We had told him that sports would reduce the life of his knee joint from 15 years to 10-11 years, but he simply said that he would undergo surgery again if he had to," said Dr H J Sangtani, who operated on Renu's knees at the OrthoRelief Hospital at Nagpur.
As for Renu's family, they've stopped worrying. "My wife and children were upset when I took up tennis, but today they are proud of my achievement.
Also, it helps that I'm beating men decades younger at the club," he laughed.
The Surgery
Knee replacement surgery is the most common joint replacement procedure. The surgeon removes the damaged joint surface and replaces it with a metal and plastic implant.
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Once reserved for elderly patients, the surgery is becoming more common in the younger, active population in their forties.
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It takes a patient about 4-6 weeks to walku00a0 without assistance. Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Jane Fonda, Michael Douglas and Arnold Schwarzenegger have undergone knee replacements.
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