Coach Brian Bruce isn’t slowing down anytime soon and he can’t because he has dozens of students including an athletic daughter to mentor, coach and keep up with.
He is the girl's athletic coordinator for River Valley Middle School and has been with Midway ISD for 15 years.
However, knee pain has challenged his drive and passion in the past.
“It was really hard for me. My knee swelled up about every six weeks. I was on crutches or in a wheelchair" he said.
He was always told there was little that could be done.
“I had football injures whenever I was in high school — but that I would have to be about 60 before they do anything to me.”
Coach Bruce is part of a growing trend that some doctors have seen in recent years — more and more younger people getting knee replacements.
He had knee replacement surgery back in the Spring.
“I mean my knee hasn’t hurt since the day before my surgery," Bruce said.
The American Academy of Orthopedics said they’ve seen a 188% increase in knee replacements in people 45 to 64 from 2000 to 2009.
Even more recently, last year they predicted by 2030, people younger than 65 are expected to make up as many as 62% of total knee replacements in the country.
Some of the reasons behind this is due to advancements in prothestics that are lasting longer and more people wanting to keep active lifestyles, like coach Bruce.
I spoke to Coach Bruce’s knee replacement surgeon, Dr. David Ferguson with Baylor Scott and White’s Southwest Sport Medicine and Orthopedics about what they’re seen here in Central Texas.
"We’re seeing younger and younger now because people are experiencing injury at a younger age with sports and sometimes that leads to arthritis sooner."
Dr. Ferguson recommends you to see a doctor if you’re experiencing knee pain especially if over-the-counter medications just are not the trick.
