Knee Infection* Infection at 7 Months Post Op - Back to Crutches

As Jockette states above that tension makes everything feel worse. I still get little tweeks in the knee on occasion but nothing bad and normally when I overdo some activity. For example recently I have taken up riding the bike around the neighborhood to work on some of this "COVID" weight, figure that's a good excuse for the weight gain :) It took a few trips to get the seat adjusted to the right height and to build up the strength in that leg. I had some aches and pains at first but I ride further now.......now I just have to adjust the diet..LOL.
I hope you get some reassurance with all the antibiotics they will have you on and that they will be monitoring everything.
Sending you prayers and good wishes and look forward to chatting after your surgery.
 
Had the CT scan with contrast this morning. I read the report in MyChart. Maybe I shouldn’t have. Extensive bone loss in the tibia sounds BAD! Here’s the report:


Findings: There is a right total knee arthroplasty. Streak artifact
from the knee arthroplasty degrades evaluation of the adjacent bones
and soft tissues. There is osteolysis surrounding the tibial component
and to a lesser degree the the femoral component. For reference, a
large region of bone loss adjacent to the anteromedial aspect of the
tibial tray, extending adjacent to the left aspect of the main peg and
surrounding the left peg spans approximately 26 mm x 19 mm x 28 mm.
There is cortical breakthrough along the anteromedial tibia with
adjacent periosteal reaction. There is adjacent soft tissue thickening
along the anteromedial aspect of the proximal tibia. There is a small
central focus of hypodensity within this region of thickened enhancing
soft tissue. Region of soft tissue thickening spans approximately 4.5
cm x 2.5 cm x 4 cm. There is overlying skin thickening and
subcutaneous fat stranding. There is synovitis in the knee. Bone loss
in the femur is seen most prominent along the anterior superolateral
margin of the femoral component.

Impression: Right total knee arthroplasty with extensive bone loss
adjacent to the tibial component and to a lesser degree the femoral
component. Findings are suspicious for arthroplasty infection.
Recommend correlation with arthrocentesis. There is anteromedial
tibial cortical breakthrough with adjacent periosteal reaction. There
is adjacent soft tissue thickening with central hypodensity,
suspicious for phlegmon, possibly developing abscess. There is
overlying skin thickening and subcutaneous fat stranding.
 
Out of surgery. Thigh really hurts! And my foot has fallen asleep in the right leg. Doing foot pumps to wake it up. The good news is that I got a dynamic spacer vs a static one, so I can bend my knee!!! And for the first time in a few months, my leg can straighten!!!

My husband talked to the doctor but I haven’t yet. He is under the impression that I can keep the dynamic spacer for years and not have a real knee replacement surgery done if I choose not too. I don’t think he heard this corrrectly!
 
Good morning! I had a pretty good night! Only had to get up to pee once vs 6 times last surgery. Having one good leg makes getting up and around so much easier! BTKR was truly a bear!!!!! My right leg hurts from thigh to ankle. Just got more Tylenol/Tramadol and will get oxy in a couple of hours.

Some good news- Dr was able to put in a dynamic cement spacer vs a static cement spacer is my right knee. That means I can bend my knee some and I don’t have to have my right leg immobilized. I can also straighten my leg for the first time in a couple of months!!! And I don’t have the agonizing behind the knee tight hamstring pain I was plagued with for months in my right knee last time. Silver linings for sure!!!

I’ll know more about the infection later today when I talk to my surgeon. My husband said there was not much pus, so we caught it before it went totally crazy. I have some extensive bone loss on the medial front side of tibia and some on the lateral back side of femur in back of my leg. That’s exactly where all the sore spots have been these last few weeks. I’m so relieved there was a reason for all I was feeling in my right leg, that it is getting resolved, and I’m not stuck with a bum knee. They also xrayed the left knee in recovery yesterday. Hoping and praying it looks totally normal because I’ve been paranoid all week about every little twinge in that leg since Wednesday’s infection diagnosis.

I’ll be in the hospital until probably Monday. I appreciate all the thoughts and prayers more than you know!
 
@Mrs. Ciz Sounds like your surgery went very well. Good news about the spacer - much easier for you.

We are here for you! Rest up and stay ahead of the pain.
 
I met with my surgeon’s PA, who has been involved in everything since the beginning back in July, earlier this morning. He was also at both my surgeries. He said left leg xrays, which they took during recovery yesterday, look great - no signs of infection!!! Whew!!!! And while they were in my right knee they cleaned out all the scar tissue, so I’ll have much better range of motion in that knee now. I told him I already do because it straightens. He explained that they met with the Stryker team (that’s the company that makes the artificial joints and robotic arm that assists with the surgery) to consult on my case earlier this week, so I got the very best temporary cement spacer on the market. That’s how I ended up with the dynamic spacer. I am very grateful for this!!! My husband got a little confused when he heard about the dynamic spacer and thought I didn’t need to go though another knee replacement. But it’s only a temporary cement spacer. I still have to have the real metal/plastic implant put in once the infection is cleared.

The PA also said there was not much pus, so we caught the insidious infection early. They didn’t see anything but inflammation until they took the lower implant out of the tibia bone. That’s where the infection had been hiding. I have some bone loss on the medial front side of tibia, and that’s exactly where the sore spot has been these last few weeks. I’m so relieved there was a reason for all I was feeling in my right leg and that it is getting resolved. I’m not stuck with a bum right knee, and the left knee looks ok.

I’ll know more about the infection later today when I talk to my infectious disease dr. The PT is coming by soon to evaluate me as well. I am also supposed to get the picc line inserted today. I can’t wait to get the iv needle out of my left inside wrist. It is so uncomfortable, and I can’t really use that hand with it in there. So many people in and out of my room! I finally got to eat some breakfast at 9:30. I had been trying to order food since 7:30, but someone in surgeon’s office forgot to put in my dietary order. They won’t let you order food without your doctor’s permission. The bacon and scrambled eggs were yummy!
 
He explained that they met with the Stryker team (that’s the company that makes the artificial joints and robotic arm that assists with the surgery) to consult on my case earlier this week, so I got the very best temporary cement spacer on the market.
I’m so glad you have such a good medical team that is really looking out for you, that is so important.
I finally got to eat some breakfast at 9:30. I had been trying to order food since 7:30, but someone in surgeon’s office forgot to put in my dietary order. They won’t let you order food without your doctor’s permission. The bacon and scrambled eggs were yummy!
I‘m glad you finally got breakfast! My son was born at 2:30pm, (1984) and obviously I hadn’t eaten all day so I was starved by dinner time. They picked out my dinner for me, since I hadn’t been there earlier to order. I don’t know what the meat was, but I ate the whole dinner, including every Lima bean on the plate, and I don’t even like Lima beans! :rotfl:
 
Hello @Mrs. Ciz oh my word you have been through the wars! So pleased to hear you have a good team and hopefully finally reaching a way forward. Best wishes.
 
Whew, one surgery done and you're on the upside of the infection now! I am glad you were able to get that taken care of asap, it's a scary situation. I hope you continue to improve and when ready, have your final tkr and while you're starting that recovery over, I pray it goes swimmingly! Keep us posted as you progress!
 
Just got home from the hospital this afternoon. I start my home IVs tonight - 2 a day, each 2 hours long. Will have a home health nurse twice a week and home PT visits 2 or 3 times a week as well. So far, so good!
 
Just found your thread Ms. Ciz. You have had quite the ordeal. So glad to hear you are truly on the way to recovery now - both knee and infection! I look forward to hearing about your progress.
 
I'm happy to hear that the surgery went well and you're now at home. Rest up. Sending you best wishes on this leg of your journey.
 
@Mrs. Ciz Glad you are home. Now you can get into a route to fight off this nasty infection. We are here for you. Please keep us updated.
 
I slept really well on Monday night due to my pain meds (Tramadol, Tylenol, Oxy) and my sleep meds (melatonin, Trazodone). But yesterday (Tuesday) I overdid it, and I hurt last night, so I didn’t sleep well. I couldn’t even go 3 hours without taking a second 5mg Oxy. I’m staying off my feet, elevating and icing more today. I’m also trying to do a better job sticking to the pain meds schedule.

Having just one post op knee versus BTKR is sooooooo much easier. I can’t believe it! Having one good strong leg makes everything better - stairs, walking, sleeping, getting up/down from chairs. I’m much more independent this time around. But because of that, it’s super easy to do more than I should (like sweeping the kitchen and master bathroom floors - yes, I stupidly did that yesterday).

My infusions are going well. The Bioscrip Infusion Service nurse taught me how to do the SASH method in the hospital. The only thing is that they didn’t give me caps for the picc line extensions. My hospital nurse was horrified when she saw them dangling capless. She said it’s an infection risk, and she gave me a couple bags of alcohol caps. Today I asked the Home Health nurse, and she agreed that they should be capped. So I’m going to ask Bioscrip for caps in my next delivery. If they won’t provide them, I’ll order some from Amazon. I’m also going to order a picc line sleeve from Amazon. The netting band they gave me does not stay in place. And I’m worried about catching the picc line tubes on things.

Home Health is coming back tomorrow to do blood work and change the picc line bandage. They will be on a Monday/Thursday schedule going forward. I will have in home PT as well, but I haven’t heard from them yet.

In other news, I got my 2nd Pfizer Covid vaccine today. I had to get permission from my Infectious Disease doctor first; he told me to go ahead with it.

More later!
 
@Mrs. Ciz Wow - you sound super organised. Well done dealing with all this!

Well done on getting that second vaccination. I'm still waiting for mine! :bored:
 
Please pray for me.
It sounds like the prayers have been working for you. I will be praying for your continued healing.

Great news about the second Covid shot. I haven't even gotten the first one yet.
 

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