MUA Good Strong Knee - No Bend<

So I’ve had my bloods done again and the CT scan. I have an appointment again with the surgeon 2 August. In the meantime I’m trying to get hold of all my information including physio scans x rays etc on nhs - Guess this is a waiting game too. I’ve asked for the info to be sent to a private surgeon who specialises in Arthrofibrosis.

That’s the update! Why I’m on here is a query. Why would my most recent surgeon suggest a revision before seeing the cat scan and had he looked at my xrays?

Also he mentioned shaving away some of the adhesions. I thought the shaving action actually caused more adhesions and they were better cut and cauterised.
 
Why would my most recent surgeon suggest a revision before seeing the cat scan and had he looked at my xrays?
I've no idea but it doesn't sound like good medicine!
Also he mentioned shaving away some of the adhesions
I think it's unlikely that you have any adhesions as they are actually pretty uncommon.

Actually, I think it might be a good point to have you answer my questions again, if you're willing?
 
Okay - here y'go then!

It would be very helpful if you would answer each one individually - numbered as I have done - in as much detail as you can then I'll come back as see where you are ....

1. what are your pain levels right now? (remember the 1-10 scale: 1 = no pain and 10 = the worst you can imagine. And don't forget to factor in other forms of pain such as soreness, burning, stabbing, throbbing, aching, swelling and stiffness).

2. what pain medications have you been prescribed, how much are you taking (in mg please) and how often?

3. how swollen is your leg compared to these?
ai63.tinypic.com_eta39s.jpg


4. what is your ROM - that's flexion (bend) and extension (straightness)

5. are you icing your knee at all? If so, how often and for how long?

6. are you elevating your leg. If so how often and for how long?

7. what is your activity level? What do you do in the way of housework, cooking, cleaning, shopping, etc., and

8. are you doing any exercises at home? If so what and how often?
This is the most crucial question so please help me by using the format I have left as an example
(which means please make a list and not an essay!)

Exercises done at home
- how many sessions you do each day
- enter exercise by name then number of repetitions of each
etc., etc.

Anything done at PT
- how many times a week
- enter exercise by name then number of repetitions of each
etc., etc.
 
Hello from New Zealand I am watching your thread closely as I think I am in a similar situation. I am 6 months post right TKR and still on one crutch, trying to walk “properly” but still very stiff. Can’t manage going down steps on both crutches, and end up going down sideways hanging on to something or someone. I have asked to see surgeon again and am going in 2 weeks. Am on 8 paracetamol a day and sleep is always disturbed by pain and stiffness. I changed physiotherapist about 6 weeks ago, and she put me on a much more varied exercise programme, and thinks a lot of my troubles come from left hip, which was replaced 18 months ago, and she says is very weak. Believe it or not I stopped all exercises a week ago and think I have made more progress since then.
 
1. 1-3 during the day about 5-6 evening

2. 8 paracetamol per day. Tried taking over 24 hours but don’t need them during the day and my sleep was minimal - so take all 8 evenings and nights. Generally 8pm to 8pm.

3. Slight swelling in am and most days but some days can be slight to moderate as day goes on.

4. From photo, last time, you measured it as 72. It’s not got any better, in fact, it may have got worse. I reckon my extension is about +7 although I can get my whole hand under I have small hands!

5. I ice when the knee swells or gets warm for an hour with gels swapping them half way through.

6. I elevate all the time when sat (unless we’re out and even then I try and find a way!). I don’t elevate in bed. I sleep on my sides in a general recovery position with a pillow under top most knee.

7. Activity - I shop, clean, cook and still walk about 5,000 steps a day although a lot slower than I used to! I have to rest in between as when I stand my weight (due to not straightening knee) end up on my other leg which I now suffer Achilles tendinitis and under heel ache

8. 2 surgeons have done bloods as they suspect an infection. I do no other specific exercises. Due to using my other leg more that knee is suffering plus my back and the hip of the affected leg.

My lifestyle has changed dramatically and my biggest regret is I cannot cycle even with a short crank/high seat. In fact I can’t even use my static because of the pain it causes!

Sorry if answers too long!
 
8 paracetamol per day
Tried taking over 24 hours but don’t need them during the day and my sleep was minimal - so take all 8 evenings and nights. Generally 8pm to 8pm.
@Gel-girl -I have to chip in here,because Josephine is off line.
The safe dose for Paracetamol is 4,000 mg in 24 hours, divided into 4 doses of 1,000 mg (2 x 500 mg tablets) 4-6 hourly.

If you are taking all 4 doses between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. - that is in only 12 hours - you are probably not spreading the doses far enough apart. You must leave at least 4 hours between doses, or else you run the risk of getting liver damage.
 
Hi @Celle yep got that.

Just read back and realised I wrote it wrong - not between 8 and 8 but 8pm, 12 midnight, 4am and 8am 4 hours between.

I struggle to sleep from each third hour and toss and turn till my next dose and that one kicks in. I used to get up or sit and read but I took Amitriptyline for 8 months that helped me get into a ‘wait for sleep and doze routine’. It was prescribed to knock me out sleep-wise! It never did. I still woke with pain ache and still had to take the paracetamol so I weaned myself off slowly and have still kept the sleep pattern so it worked in a way.

The worry I have is if my knee or back plays up during the day I have nothing to take away the pain and the GP will not prescribe anything for ‘just in case’. I’m supposed to make an appointment but trying to get one is like gold dust! I can’t even get an emergency one these days just for pain. Maybe I should try again for another pain killer.

I’ll wait to see what Josephine says. Thanks again Celle.
 
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Dose 2 tabs

Don’t know why they suspect infection maybe because it was swollen and hot when I visited all the surgeons! Think they are just ruling it out. I have no other symptoms apart from tendinitis and that’s due to not strengthening muscles I’ve been told by GP and PT.

I do no other exercise than walking that’s what I meant. I used to be very active even with bone on bone arthritis but now I go for a short slow walk about 5 times a week the other steps up to 5000 is just every day living! The pain and not being able to bend or straighten has affected my lifestyle quite considerably.
 
I have no other symptoms apart from tendinitis and that’s due to not strengthening muscles I’ve been told by GP and PT.
Well I do hope you know that your GP and your PT are dead wrong! You get tendinitis from over-doing exercises, not from not doing it!
I do no other exercise than walking that’s what I meant.
Thanks - just checking
 
That’s how I got the tendinitis in the first place on the elbow trying to get fit for the TKR so makes sense. But I’ve seen a few different GPs and physios and all say the same even when I tell them it gets worse when I do the exercises given! Awful thing to say but they seem to patronise me as if they’re the experts not me about my own body!!!

The Achilles seems to be when I’m sewing - I stand to cut out and put together stuff. I’ve just made a pair of very large long curtains so needed to stand to deal with the length. I found a way round that, I put my offending foot backwards on a box which meant my weight was on my TKR leg which was no worse for standing on, just had to elevate and rest more. That’s why I say my knee is strong it can take my weight I can even balance on it plus it never gives way.......it just won’t bend and straighten.
 
You never said what dose you are taking. Is it one or two tablets each time? If it's one tablet (500mgs) then it's not enough to work. You need to take two (1,000mg).
@Josephine , Gel-girl said "so take all 8 evenings and nights" so I assumed she meant 2 x 500 mg each dose.
 
Yea sorry @Celle misleading. Wish I could though just to be able to sleep!

Why, when posting do I constantly get a database error.
 
That’s why it looks like I’m posting double and this time treble. It doesn’t seem to post! I will wait this time. Please delete irrelevant posts.
 
Why, when posting do I constantly get a database error.

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I got all my info from the hospital regarding my knee including the last letter from my last appointment with my current surgeon. That was interesting to read as he’d left out some stuff about a revision and added a whole bit that he’d not said to me! “Arthroscopy, do some synovial biopsies, resect any medial meniscus that has developed and to look at scarring in the para condylar to see if a resection of this improves flexion.”

I also got my CT scan which was amazing to watch but really didn’t mean anything to me and I couldn’t see arthrofibrosis-but then I don’t know what adhesions look like on CT scans :what:

Oh and he also said he’d measured my knee x-rays and there had been no significant movement only 4mm. I guess the next stage is my appointment with him at beginning of August.
 

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