I am very happy that in my personal experience, and that of several relatives and friends, we have not come across the same doctors that Gary refers to ...
People I have been in contact with generally say that the doctor has suggested waiting and trying other remedies first ... In my case, my ortho doc even injected Synvisc - a substance made from the combs of chickens - which provided relief for about a year ... it was only when nothing else was working and the knee was affecting my way of life that he said surgery was necessary ...

And, as Gary himself has said, it has been many years (decades?) since he worked in the medical field, and - like most things in life - prosthetics and surgical procedures have steadily improved in that time ...

All this being said, Donny, get yourself at least two opinions based on the results of the MRI, and most of all remember: both pre-op and post-op, your best friend - regardless of how arduous it may be - is PHYSICAL THERAPY ...

best of luck, paesano ...