How robotic knee surgery at Sulis Hospital helped Alli cycle 840km pain-free

When community nurse and ultra-endurance athlete Alli, 51, from Tavistock, Devon, began struggling with knee pain, she feared her active lifestyle might be over for good. Years of adventure racing, ultra running and long-distance cycling were beginning to take their toll, and after a number of knee injuries in her late teens and early 20s, Alli’s knees started to complain in her 40s.

Thanks to robotic-assisted knee surgery at Sulis Hospital’s Knee Unit and consultant orthopaedic surgeon Mr Neil Bradbury, Alli is not only back on her bike, but riding faster than ever.

From pain to purpose

After multiple knee injuries in her teens and 20s, Alli’s symptoms worsened in her 40s. While she knew surgery was inevitable, the thought that it might mean she’d be out of action for 18 months was awful considering how important exercise is to her.

“I love running and cycling, and over the past 23 years, I simply kept adapting; finding ways to stay active despite the gradual breakdown of the joint,” Alli explains.

By early 2024, however, her pain had become unmanageable. During an event that spring, every time she put her foot down, she felt her knee moving around. This made her realise that surgery was needed sooner rather than later. Alli began researching her options and came to Sulis Hospital Knee Unit for a second opinion.

Choosing Sulis Hospital

At Sulis Hospital, Alli met Mr Neil Bradbury. He quickly identified that both knees required total replacement.

“When I finally met with my surgeon last year, he couldn’t understand how I was still managing to do so much,” Alli says. She felt he was a surgeon who understood the need for her to be active, and she also wanted to be told things straight and simply - which he did. Bradbury said that Alli had “some of the worst arthritis I have seen in knees.”

Alli knew it was a done deal for the operation to go ahead once she'd had the consultation. “At the time, it felt like the worst possible outcome,” she recalls. “But with limited options, I chose to put my faith in Neil and bite the bullet.”

What reassured Alli most was Sulis Hospital’s use of Mako® robotic-assisted surgery which combines surgeon expertise with advanced technology to deliver precision outcomes and faster recovery times.

Recovery and rehabilitation

Alli underwent her first total knee replacement in April 2024, followed by her second eight weeks later. She was back in the gym within a week of the first operation, focusing on upper body strength under the guidance of her strength coach, Daisy Peters of Summit Strong. Alli's cycling coach John Hampshire (Endurance Bike and Run) and her partner Em were also a huge support.

During the initial rehab process, it became clear that Alli’s right knee was struggling too. After another consultation, it was decided to operate on the right knee as well.

Just two weeks after each procedure, Alli was back on a static bike. Six weeks post-surgery, she had returned to work caring for patients, steadily building up her strength and endurance. Four weeks later, she was cycling outdoors again.

Alli took her rehab seriously, treating it like a “full time job.” She says that, “Looking back, I now realise being fit and strong going into surgery made a huge difference. I would absolutely recommend a structured pre-hab programme for anyone considering joint replacement surgery.”

“In the early days, I completed physio exercises every hour for 10 hours a day. Rehab became my obsession, and I soon started setting clear goals to measure progress.” She worked her way through milestones – 25 km, 50 km, 100 km – and in March, she rode a 300-mile test event.

A life transformed

Alli credits her recovery to a combination of consistent training, expert medical care, and the collaborative support of Sulis Hospital. This was the most major surgery she'd had before (she'd broken bones in the past but nothing like this).

Alli, who retrained as a nurse four years ago after a career in outdoor education, now uses her own experience to help patients. She’s passionate about movement and healthy aging, using her experiences to encourage patients to keep moving no matter how limiting their condition may be. “Sometimes life deals us a tough hand, but with work, commitment, and the right support, you really can do anything,” she adds.

"As a specialist knee surgeon who has treated elite athletes and Olympians, I often see young people with very serious knee problems.  I try to avoid knee replacement in young patients but some, like Alli, have severely degraded knees and so it is the only option and a big responsibility especially when I’m treating a colleague in healthcare like Alli.

Once the surgery was completed it was up to Alli to perform the rehabilitation which is hard work and requires considerable determination.  Unsurprisingly, Alli was more than up to the task and quite frankly I have rarely seen anyone with so much grit and dedication to the cause. Alli worked extraordinarily hard to not only regain her fitness but to return to high level competition with her two new knees.  It was humbling as her surgeon to watch as she stormed back up the mountain of recovery and so gratifying to think I have been able to help her return to a full and active life.  I am looking forward to watching her medals roll in!  Well done Alli."

- Mr Neil Bradbury

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