My wife had to have her knee replaced a year ago, and she's only in her 30s. The recovery was slow, and she complains about the range of motion she lost, but it's a lot more stable than her old knee at least.
But her case was also one-of-a-kind complicated, because she has a rare genetic condition where her kneecaps basically never worked in the first place. In any case, she got through it.
Anyway, I hope everything goes well for your wife.