Back to Life in Motion After Six Joint Replacements

Six New Joints, One Unrelenting Drive to Remain in Constant Motion

Hoag Orthopedic Institute Surgeons Keep Kevin Liddane Moving, Finding Purpose and Getting Back to the Time of His Life

Life is about constant motion for Kevin Liddane, a 68-year-old technology professional from Irvine. Decades of intense running, cycling, skiing and martial arts had taken a toll on his joints after years of wear and tear.

But it’s not slowing him down. In fact, he’s gearing up, ready to hit the roads, trails and slopes as he rehabilitates and recovers from his most recent joint replacement - his hip. His last surgery marked six total joint replacements in the last few years, in addition to back surgery.

“I asked my doctors why all my joints are wearing out,” he said. “The doctors said, considering your life of sport, activity and constant motion, you’ve worn them out after decades of pushing your body.”

First, it was Kevin’s lower back. Orthopedic surgeons and spine specialists from Hoag Orthopedic Institute conducted tests and found his lower lumbar region had multiple disc degeneration. He underwent a laminectomy and immediately felt his chronic pain disappear. “I remember walking down the stairs a few hours after my surgery,” he said. “The doctors said walking was good for recovery so in the days that followed I just kept my body in motion.” And he hasn’t stopped.

In the months that followed, the hips and knees felt worn out and it was painful to walk. Then his ankles went out. Over the course of the next few years, he had both ankles, both knees and both hips replaced. “They refer to me as ‘Dr. Titanium’ now,” he said. One of the founding physicians of Hoag Orthopedic Institute, Robert Gorab, MD, performed his knee replacements and hip replacements.

After each of his six joint replacement surgeries, he attacked physical therapy just like he skis or cycles – with focus, gusto and pushing his body. Between joint replacements, he skied, hiked and cycled to push himself to the limit.

When it comes to joint replacements, Liddane says, “You have three choices: live with pain for rest of life and do nothing and die a decade younger than you should because you're sedentary, wait in pain until you can't stand it and wish you did it earlier, or lean into it, have surgery you need, and get back to your life and love, which for me, is cycling and skiing.”

Liddane’s next summit: He’s planning a heli-skiing ski trip in the Canadian Rockies when his last hip replacement is fully ready for the downhill adventure.

“Kevin’s a great example of how staying active isn’t about age, what surgeries you’ve had done or injuries you’ve faced,” said his surgeon Dr. Gorab. “It’s about the mindset and the motivation to keep your body in motion.”