Spire Cardiff Hospital knee replacement surgery helps patient return to dancing
21 January 2026
- Patient regains mobility and returns to dancing after knee replacement surgery
Spire Cardiff Hospital offers specialist orthopaedic care through its Orthopaedic Centre of Excellence, supporting patients with a wide range of bone and joint conditions.
Seventy-five-year-old company secretary Susan Buckland experienced two years of gradually worsening knee discomfort, which began to affect the activities she loved most.
“I struggled to dance as much as I liked to. Tap, jazz and ‘FitSteps’ classes were becoming more difficult. I was also finding it harder to cope with long-distance walking,” she explains.
Susan underwent a total knee replacement in January 2025 under the care of Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon Mr Simon White.
Susan says: “I was very nervous as I have a fear of hospitals. Other than childbirth, I had never had an operation. The whole team were amazing, though. Mr White was very reassuring. I was treated like a queen!”
Consultant Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgeon Mr Simon White recalls meeting Susan for the first time: “Mrs Buckland was a keen dancer. Her friends and family noticed that she was struggling with pain and stiffness both when dancing and when out walking. Like many patients, Sue was very nervous about hospital treatment and, as a result, tried to keep going without intervention for as long as possible.”
Susan first tried a knee injection, but after a period the injection wore off and she began to lose the ability to move freely, relying on painkillers to manage the pain while continuing to dance.
“Eventually, Sue decided she had experienced enough pain and had lost enough movement that she needed a knee replacement,” Mr White explains.
Following surgery, Susan attended physiotherapy sessions with Perform, Spire Cardiff Hospital’s specialist physiotherapy department, and has since returned to her passion for dancing.
Susan says: “I just feel so happy dancing again and being active without pain. I have spoken to other people who have had knee replacement surgery, and I think my experience was first class. I was in the safe hands of a top surgeon, and I now have the Rolls Royce of knee joints!”
Mr White adds: “I have never seen anyone after a knee replacement demonstrate such an effortless level of movement and twisting - it is testament to her hard work and determination. Her friend, who also dances, has recently undergone the same operation after seeing such a positive recovery.”
If joint pain is affecting your mobility or quality of life, Spire Cardiff Hospital’s specialist orthopaedic team can help. Find out more about orthopaedic services at Spire Cardiff Hospital.