I have had osteoarthritis for several years.  Yes, weight loss did reduce the pain, but the damage was done and I still needed knee replacement surgery.  So, yes it can help, but won't reverse any cartilage damage done.  As for your calves, I would suggest seeing a doctor about it.  Your calves should not be that color and there could be a number of causes for the discoloration.  

Okay so my knees, after years of 400lbs of me to support, are shot. I was hobbling around fine on Diclofenac (aka Arthrotec) and Tramadol (aka, well, Tramadol); I could even walk on my treadmill up to 30 minutes! Had WLS (VSG) last week and am off the two meds. Since I'm on Oxycontin, it's all good, but I'm terrified of afterwards. Apparently my two standbys are off-limits and I can tell you that during the seven days off them pre-surgery I was contemplating a wheel-chair. Honest to God, if I can't have something before I can get the two little horrors replace, I will be wheeling around or bed-ridden, which is not the great improvement in quality of life I was expecting (and promised, dammit!). Any experience anyone can relate?

Omg, for me it is the worst pain EVER!!! I had my total knee replacement surgery in February of 2014.  I am still in lots of pain!! I thought having s baby was the worst pain, wrong this surgery was. I am still in physical therapy and I see no progress. I can't walk right I have a hard time bending my knee cause it hurts. I have a indent in my leg that no one can explain why,I work hard in pt and at home. Oh my my leg is still s weather forecast,  I can tell when it's going to rain my knee hurts so bad sll I can do id just lay in bed and CRY.

I am in Pasadena California.well I didn't have surgery on the 12th but did get my surgery date of April 21st.. My insurance has greatly limited me on any options I have as far as where , who, how, any of my choices are. To be very frank, I have no other options than the one single surgeon they have offered me.so I either go with him or opt out. Which is making me very uncomfortable. But I have been in so much pain since 2006,that I would at this point even  consider letting a blind man do the surgery if he said he could .my surgeon is Stanley Klein in Torrance.he has been doing this since the 80's. But the staff is so unorganized and under staffed.I'm getting more reluctant the closer I get. And don't know if I'm just getting cold feet or what.

Oh, yes! I totally agree about the PT. My doctor told me before I went into this that if I wasn't going to pursue PT he might as well not do the surgery at all. I am about 5 weeks post-op now and I've been doing PT for 3 weeks. Already I have more range of motion. The knee joint has been remarkably less painful. Most of my pain is in the hamstring and the quadriceps muscles and the lateral tendons. I am still walking with one crutch for stability. Tried my cane but way too wobbly. I can walk short distances without the crutch on even ground. This week I am camping and I have kind of reactivated the knee a bit. But the pain is within reason and I go sit down when I feel pain. Don't want this flare-up to continue. My surgeon doesn't allow any NSAIDS at all, so I'm taking arthritis-strength Tylenol and it seems to help.

My DH had an arthroscopy 15 years ago. at the time the ortho told him he would need a TKA within 2-5 years. That knee is going strong and totally pain free.  I hope I get similar results.