Knee-op gran, 100, is fit and blooming
A 100-year-old greatgrandma is back tending her roses after becoming one of the oldest people in the UK to get a knee replacement.
Margaret Marshall can once again walk unaided and has returned to her beloved gardening.
The independent centenarian, who drove ambulances during World War Two, had suffered crippling pain from osteoarthritis.
Being unable to walk came as a hammer blow for the sprightly widow whose party trick is being still able to touch her toes.
But she has now ditched her sticks and is walking unaided just a couple of months after the operation.
Margaret, who turns 101 next month, said: “It’s given me a new lease of life. I can tend my rose bushes. I also
like to go to the shop and visit nearby places.”
Margaret, from Leeds, attended keep-fit classes into her 90s but in recent years wear on her joints left her unable to walk.
Partial knee replacements have a quicker recovery compared to full knee replacements.
But Margaret opted to have the full works at BMI The Duchy Hospital in Harrogate, North Yorks.
Surgeon Professor Nick London said: “In more than 20 years as a consultant, I haven’t performed total or partial knee replacement surgery on anyone of Mrs Marshall’s age.
“But it was a balance between the risks and benefits of surgery.
“Mrs Marshall is an extraordinary 100-year-old who lives a fit and active life.
“Until last year she was able to do what she wanted. The osteoarthritis was extreme enough that she was potentially going to lose her independence.”