Marathon Runner Crosses the Finish Line After Knee Replacement

For more than three decades, running has been at the center of Mindy's life. Over the years, she completed 28 marathons. For over a decade, she ignored worsening knee pain, convincing herself she could continue pushing through it because she feared that seeing an orthopedic surgeon would inevitably lead to being told she needed a total knee replacement.

As she entered her seventies, Mindy set her sights on one final goal: completing the World Marathon Majors. The prestigious series consists of six of the world's most celebrated marathons—Boston, New York, Chicago, Berlin, London, and Tokyo. Having already completed the first five, Tokyo represented the final step toward earning the coveted Six Star Medal, an achievement recognized worldwide among marathon runners.

However, shortly after completing the 2024 London Marathon, her knee suddenly "popped" during an ordinary training run, leaving her in severe pain and unable to continue. Despite her disappointment, Mindy did not go right away to see a specialist because she was afraid of being told that she would need knee surgery and not being able to run anymore.

“I forget that I had a knee replacement, to be honest with you. That’s how good it is.”

But when she finally went to see Clay Greeson, MD, an orthopaedic surgeon at Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital, her mind changed.

“He didn’t say: ‘You have to have surgery.’ He offered different options that I could have instead of the surgery,” Mindy says. “He explained everything to me. He was so calm and took his time with me. I just got such a great feeling from him right from the beginning. I just trusted him right from the beginning.”

After discussing the various options with Dr. Greeson, Mindy realized the best way to fix her knee would, in fact, be a knee replacement. But Dr. Greeson assured her that she would be able to get back to running.

Mindy holding her Six Star Medal after completing the World Marathon Majors (Photo Courtesy: Mindy Struwas)

“The wonderful thing about a knee replacement is that it can give a person back their quality of life,” Dr. Greeson says. “It can give them the ability to do what they want to do without restriction.”

The use of robotic assisted guidance helped Dr. Greeson map out and plan the placement of the components in the knee and position the implants in a way that couldn’t be done before. Mindy had the procedure and was home the same day.

“I love my new knee,” she says. “It’s pain-free and doesn’t give out or click. I forget that I had a knee replacement, to be honest with you. That’s how good it is.”

A year and a half later, Mindy was able to complete the Tokyo Marathon.

“Crossing that finish line, I was very emotional,” she says. “A dream come true. To be able to complete that totally pain-free in my knee. I should have done this many years ago. It’s the best thing I ever did.”

“Cleveland Clinic is wonderful,” she added.