High Tibial Osteotomy 4 weeks post arthroscopy

[Jaywaycon]

Just thought I would update.

Nearly 4 months since arthroscopy and my condition has gotten worse.

PT didn't help. Surgeon has prescribed me an unloader brace to evaluate whether an HTO is a sensible course of action. It's horribly uncomfortable but does give me alot of relief.

I've been advised that an HTO gives me an opportunity to get running again so that's the surgery being considered right now.

 

[Celle]

I have moved Titch's post about his HTO to his own recovery thread, here:
Titch's Recovery Thread

 

[Celle]

Hi @Jaywaycon .

Recovery from an HTO can be long and painful.
Have you and your surgeon considered a total knee replacement (TKR) instead? You're not too young for that, and there are some people nowadays who are running on a TKR.

 

[Ginger1210]

hi jaywaycon your history thread is very similar to mine i started having trouble with my right knee at 41, i was always very active and trained a lot i damaged my right medial meniscus and due to wear and tear i had to have a arthroscopy back in 2016 to have a look and clean out which they did.
I recovered quiet well and did all y physio after about 12 weeks i returned to normal sporting activities but my knee never felt the same. after 12 months i started to develop pain and stiffness in my knee. I put up with this for 12 months until 2018 when after discussing it with a surgeon he did another arthroscopy only to find my meniscus had torn again so another clean and tidy up. This did not improve matters at all and i slowly got worse. In 2019 out of desperation i had another arthroscopy in my right knee and had micro fracture on the damaged area of my knee. Six weeks on crutch`s and more physio did not improve my knee at all. I sought out a knee surgeon specialist ( professor Nick London who practices out of Harrogate West Yorkshire ) he strongly recommended a partilal knee replacement. I had this done i n April 2021. I am still in the early recovery stages for this and hoping this will improve my lifestyle. I am now 48 and it has been the toughest 7 years of my life. All i can say is take a long hard think about where you want to be with your knee, If you are coping ok for now then take your time deciding your next move. I hope this helps.

 

[Jaywaycon]

I had my HTO done 9 days ago. Things are improving but I still have lots of pain. I can control the pain with normal OTC pain meds so no issues there.

One thing that I find unusual is that most of the swelling and pain is now around the knuckle of the inside of my ankle. Did this happen to you?

 

[Jockette]

@Jaywaycon Best wishes on this latest recovery. Please confirm the date and we’ll add it to your signature.

I will leave you our Recovery Guidelines. Each article is short but very informative. Following these guidelines will help you have a less painful recovery.

Just keep in mind all people are different, as are the approaches to this recovery and rehab. The key is, “Find what works for you.“ Your doctors, PTs and BoneSmart are available to help, but you are the final judge as to the recovery approach you choose.

Knee Recovery: The Guidelines
1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now, they are almost certainly temporary
2. Control discomfort:

rest​

elevate​

ice​

take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)​

don't overwork.​

3. Do what you want to do BUT

​

a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you​

b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.​

4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of these

​

the BoneSmart view on exercise​

BoneSmart philosophy for sensible post op therapy​

5. At week 4 and after you should follow this

Activity progression for TKRs​

6. Access to these pages on the website

​

Oral And Intravenous Pain Medications​

Wound Closure​

The Recovery articles:
The importance of managing pain after a TKR and the pain chart
Swollen and stiff knee: what causes it?
Energy drain for TKRs
Elevation is the key
Ice to control pain and swelling
Heel slides and how to do them properly
Chart representation of TKR recovery
Healing: how long does it take?

Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

There are also some cautionary articles here
Myth busting: no pain, no gain
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds

We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery.

While members may create as many threads as they like in the majority of BoneSmart’s forums, we ask that each member have only One Recovery Thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review the member’s history before providing advice, so please post any updates or questions you have right here in this thread.

 

[Pumpkin]

One thing that I find unusual is that most of the swelling and pain is now around the knuckle of the inside of my ankle.

Gravity allows swelling to pool in your ankle, the pressure from the swelling is likely causing the pain you are experiencing. It will go away as you heal.