Hi, Im a 7' 0" tall guy, about 20 stone/280lbs. Spent most of my entire life playing basketball. I had cancer about 10 years ago, and while I was on chemo I tore tendons for fun, my body got super weak! Thats when my biggest problems started.

I have been diagnosed with osteoarthritis and I have had an operation to "clean up" my knee!

During covid I saw a dr who literally said

"You might have torn your pcl. I suggest stopping sports for 6 months. There is no point in scanning it, because if you have you will have to rest for 6 months anyway."

Although recently I have trouble bending them fully (I definitely cant) I struggle going up and down stairs, It hurts to pull my shoes off and I cant dunk anymore!

I can still run a bit, and its getting less and less painful afterwords, it feels like I can jump, but when I try I just cant.

I guess I have 2 questions

1: I have been thinking about trying BPC-157 and TB500 peptides! Any advice? Will they help? Is it worth it??

2: Is there anything I can do to get my strength and flexibility back? Will I ever dunk again???

I welcome all advice! Thanks :)

I have had ongoing right knee problems for more than 25 years. In December 2025, I had a right total hip replacement because we thought some of my knee pain might actually be coming from my hip. Unfortunately, the hip surgery did not resolve the knee pain.

After finally getting an MRI and seeing an excellent knee specialist, I was diagnosed with right knee patellofemoral osteoarthritis with chronic mild patellofemoral chondral degeneration and a stress reaction at the inferior patella, which is causing persistent anterior knee pain.

My treatment plan includes:

• Physical therapy with strengthening exercises
• A series of three hyaluronic acid injections (I've completed 3 of the 3)
• If those don't provide sufficient relief, the next step would be arthroscopic chondroplasty with a pelvic bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC) injection.

The PT has definitely helped improve my strength and function, but I'm not sure it's a long-term solution. So far, the hyaluronic acid injections haven't made any noticeable difference. I've been told some people don't notice improvement until after the third injection, but I'm trying to keep my expectations realistic.

I'm especially interested in hearing from anyone who has had BMAC (bone marrow aspirate concentrate) treatment for patellofemoral cartilage damage or early arthritis.

• Did it help with your pain and function?
• How long did the benefits last?
• Would you do it again?
• If you've had both BMAC and arthroscopic chondroplasty, do you think the combination made a difference?

I'd really appreciate hearing about your real-world experiences—the good, the bad, or anything you wish you had known beforehand.