What if the story you’ve been told about aging joints isn’t the whole story?

In this episode of Ageless Athlete, I speak with orthopedic surgeon and researcher Dr. Kevin Stone about what’s recently changed in orthopedics — especially for athletes over 40 who’ve been told to slow down, live with pain, or prepare for joint replacement.

Dr. Stone shares how modern approaches are shifting from simply removing damaged tissue to repairing, replacing, or regenerating it, and why many people referred for total knee replacement may actually have other options. We talk about cartilage, arthritis, biologic repair, precision surgery, and what long-term outcomes really look like when patients are tracked over decades.

This is not a conversation about miracle cures. It’s about understanding what’s possible today, how to ask better questions, and how athletes can make clearer decisions about longevity, movement, and return to sport.

In this episode:

• Why arthritis and “wear and tear” isn’t always the end of the story
• When cartilage can be repaired or regrown
• Biologic repair vs. partial and total joint replacement
• How precision and robotics are changing return-to-sport expectations
• How one athlete was able to run across America on repaired knees

Resources:

• Play Forever by Dr. Kevin Stone
• Stone Clinic & Stone Research — clinical care and long-term outcomes research discussed in the episode

This episode is about expanding the conversation — so aging athletes can keep playing the long game.

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Topics: longevity, fitness over 40, endurance training, aging athletes, recovery, injury prevention

Ageless Athlete is a podcast about healthy aging for people who want to stay strong, active and capable for life. Conversations explore strength, endurance, mobility, recovery, VO2 max, muscle and bone health, and what it takes to keep doing the things you love as you get older.

Follow Ageless Athlete — How to Stay Strong, Curious & Capable for Life for new episodes each week.