My name is Carlos Buhler. I am 63 years old, born and raised in the United States. I moved to Canmore, Alberta, Canada, in 2004. I suffer from knee pain in both knees. I have been extremely active all my life: alpine skiing, skate skiing, ice and rock climbing, and above all, mountaineering, which I have done across 5 continents. About 15 years ago, I suffered from cartilage damage and had my right knee scoped. Seven years later, I repeated the process, which left me with about 50% of the meniscus in my right knee. My left knee began showing signs of damage more recently. Stoically, I have put off further surgery in the hopes that I could live with the pain.
I first heard about hyaluronic acid injections from a surgeon at the Banff Sports Medicine Clinic a few years ago. More recently, I discussed the subject with an Alberta Masters skier in my ski racing program who had received injections herself. She experienced very positive results from the procedure and encouraged me to look into the possibilities. Last year, my knees began hurting significantly more. I felt restricted in my movements while I was climbing and skiing. I went back to the Banff Sports Medicine Clinic in October 2017 and met with a sports medicine physician. After examining the MRIs of each knee, he indicated that I had developed osteoarthritis in both knees.
As a result, I was provided with an injection of Monovisc® in each knee just before the start of my ski season, and my busy professional ice climbing schedule for Lowa Boots at North American ice climbing festivals. The effect came after a few weeks: I noticed a reduction in pain and discomfort in both knees. By December, I was able to return to my intense outdoor activities without having to over-modify my movements due to discomfort. Considering my active lifestyle and what I ask from my body, I couldn't be more pleased!
– Carlos Buhler
