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A year later and problems

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This is the offending bulge, then?
I'd be interested to hear the reply to Mary's question: is it hard as rock or does it give when you press on it?

[Bonesmart.org] A year later and problems
 
It is hard and not fluid. The spot I am referring to is just a little further down to the right. To me it feels lhard, like bone would feel, where the ligament is. Almost like the implant position has pushed it further out, if that makes sense.
The pain also occurs in the back of the knee. I figure this is muscle and normal.

Thanks again!
Brandi
 
Well, I'm not inclined to suppose it could be the implant you're feeling. It would have to be moving an awful lot to be palpable from the outside. More likely just bone. It's awfully difficult to say without 'hands on'.
 
I do not think it is the implant that i feel, just more like the implant makes the bone stick out more, which could be normal.

Sorry, I was not really clear in what I meant.

I will see what the doctor has to say on Monday and maybe I will get an answer from him that is more than, "sorry you have scar tissue and nothing we can do as it will just form again."

Thank you again.
 
Howdy OG; It does seem that these TKR's do not go as planned huh?
It's very frustrating. I can relate completely.
Should you exercise more, less, not at all?
What is the right/wrong exercise?
Do I have infection, is it loose, IT band syndrome, what on earth is it and why won't it heal?
Why is it not as the OS said it would be? What the hell is going on?
I've had all of these thoughts as I'm sure everyone on this site has had too.

Then when you're totally at your wits end it's go and get a second/third opinion and then bone scan, etc.etc.
Or maybe one has to get a revison....
Yes, it seems a single percentage have had to get those too on this site.
They seem to be happening more and more..
God bless them.

It seems that it never ends...It's really hard on the sposes too, let me assure you. They get tired of hearing about it..

These thoughts are always there on my mind too.
Sorry don't mean to sound negative but it is what it is.


I am right at 2 years and I think that I am starting to get better, but it very well may be as good as it will ever get.
I don't totally regret getting it, but I would sure never be a spokesman for the TKR at all.

It is no where near the 99% that the OS said that it would be after a year.

Now the other good/not so good of natural knee is bone on bone and it probably needs done too, but after the time that I have had with the TKR
I cannot really bear the thought of having to go through it again, when I don't really even consider this one(TKR) being there yet.
Scared too death... I know ya'll can relate..

I darned sure ain't going back to the OS and complaining and having him starting to dig around in there.
I think you do that you're asking or inviting possible trouble, with infection which all of us transplantees dread/fear and rightly so.. too.

Read some of my other posts, you'll see where I've been the past 2 years.
It's been a slow worriesome recovery for me anyway..as I'm sure it is for many on this site..
I may not be that unique after all. lolol..
 
Thank you to everyone that replied. I met with the PA on Monday, and I have a scope scheduled for this Friday. The OS wants to clean out the scar tissue, do a release and look at some possible loosening that I have on the lateral side. The bone sticking out is from the position of the implant; however, he does not feel it should cause any problems. I disagree on that one, as it is painful, but I shall see.

So, once again, thank you.
Brandi
 
Hang in there Brandi, and do keep us posted. I am very interested in the removal of scar tissue and the release as these could be in my future. What type of experience are they saying you might after the scope? Will you be off work for days/weeks? I hope this is the answer for you and will keep looking for your update. Be well, Dawn
 
Okiegal, I am so sorry you are having trouble. :( Do you know who the manufacturer of your prosthetic is? I ask for two reasons: so you can check for recalls or reports of problems on that model, and also so, if you need to, you can contact the manufacturer for support. My cousin who is a doctor suggested that - he says that them manufacturers are often very eager to avoid bad outcomes and resulting bad press with their devices and will often mediate with doctors or hook you up with other resources that can assist. I've never tried it, but it might be worth a shot.

Best
La
 
DHare63

My OS said it was a start, and stated he has had good outcomes from the procedure. However, he did sate that having to open the knee back up if this fails will most likely happen.
No mention of having to take home the dreaded CPM, or to start back with physical therapy. That will be determined the day of surgery. So, I plan on about four days off from work. that includes this weekend. I have a desk job, which can be a bad thing sometimes.
I am sorry to read that you are having issues as well. I will keep you updated to let you know how it has worked out for me.
 
La, please don't raise that red herring. These issues are rarely to do with the device itself. There are no 'bad knees' on the market. The issue is almost always to do with the way it's been put in. Recalls are almost always to do with some minor variance from specs or even packaging or labelling errors.
 
Brandi,
Hope the procedure works for you Friday, it will be interesting to see what happens.
Just a thought, if you have to have the knee opened back up, might be time to find a different OS to do the work. Obviously you have a different opinion the your current OS on whether the bulge is causing problems. Sometimes they just don't get it, or don't want to think they could have messed up.
Will say a prayer your procedure comes out well.
 
Josephine said:
La, please don't raise that red herring. These issues are rarely to do with the device itself. There are no 'bad knees' on the market. The issue is almost always to do with the way it's been put in. Recalls are almost always to do with some minor variance from specs or even packaging or labelling errors.
Click to expand...

Josephine, I have to ask. Are you being intentionally rude to me or was that inadvertent? You, with your extensive knowledge and experience, may have determined that device probems are unlikely, but I don't know that. A doctor suggested this course of action, and on the "why no running" thread someone just described a catastrophic implant failure of a recalled device. My suggestion was neither reckless nor malicious, and I don't think it deserves a rude reply. I appreciate you sharing your knowledge, but it isn't necessary to be unkind.

I'm sorry to bring this up on the public forum, but since you don't read or respond to personal messages, I don't have another choice. Feel free to PM me so we don't derail this thread if you like.

Best
La
 
Thanks for the details Brandi. I hope the procedure works for you! I have been having issues with extension for a very long time now and started massage therapy to help with muscle tightness/loosening up the scar tissue. I have had 4 sessions and think I see progress. I will keep going for a while to see where this leads and hope for relief soon.

Keep us posted,

Dawn
 
Welcome to the sight. I know what it like to have recovery then something happens. I had a knee done and in time it got great then I had my hip done and every since then my knee has hurt. I'm still working on it, then I fell on it. So please know that there are others who thought they were done and surprise. Hang in there the problem will work out fine. Good to have you here. You have joined a wounderful group so Welcome. :doggieshmooze:Tashia:loll:
 
Larosser said:
Josephine, I have to ask. Are you being intentionally rude to me or was that inadvertent? You, with your extensive knowledge and experience, may have determined that device probems are unlikely, but I don't know that. A doctor suggested this course of action, and on the "why no running" thread someone just described a catastrophic implant failure of a recalled device. My suggestion was neither reckless nor malicious, and I don't think it deserves a rude reply. I appreciate you sharing your knowledge, but it isn't necessary to be unkind.

I'm sorry to bring this up on the public forum, but since you don't read or respond to personal messages, I don't have another choice. Feel free to PM me so we don't derail this thread if you like.

Best
La
Click to expand...

La, I'm going to take issue with you over this. I've just gone back and looked at the "Why no running" thread and I am the only one who has posted describing the failure of an implant. So, it must be my post you are talking about.

Perhaps you'd like to go back and read it again, because you have got a few things wrong.

Firstly, I did not, and I would not, describe the failure of my prosthesis as "catastrophic". Your view may differ, but I do not see it that way. I was told when I had the operation that the expected life of that prosthesis was 10 to 15 years. I had had 11 good years out of it. I thrashed it pretty hard, and things do wear out.

Secondly, it was not "a recalled device" and I did not say that it was. The unicompartmental Oxford knee replacement was slightly modified some time after my PKR was done. The device was never recalled.

Let me explain: This prosthesis is designed for a partial knee replacement. It is designed so that the meniscal bearing (the plastic spacer) moves backward and forward with movement of the knee. At the time that I had my PKR, the device relied entirely on the ligaments and muscles around the knee to hold that bearing in place. That is exactly what happened with me for eleven good years.

But, with continued use, the plastic spacer wore a little thinner, the gap between the metal pieces became wider, and the spacer popped out. I do not know if it broke as it popped out, or before, and no-one can tell.

In later years, the tibial component of the prosthesis was modified, so that a lip at the front helped to restrain the sliding spacer from moving too far forward. Yes, that might well have prevented my spacer from sliding out (who knows?) but that option was not available at the time I had my operation. The device I had inserted was the best available at the time. It certainly was not defective and those devices were never recalled.

For what it's worth, the Oxford knee replacement is still the most-widely used prosthesis for partial knee replacements.

I am an ex-nurse and I have a good understanding of the mechanics of what happened to me. I have tried to explain what happened. I hope you understand now.

In the interests of accuracy, I would prefer it if you did not misinterpret my post and use it to infer that it was an equipment failure or a defective implant that caused the failure.

I'm sorry if that sounds harsh, but to leap to the wrong conclusions from my post only serves to instill fear and doubt in other people.

Thank you.

Celle
 
Re: A year later and problems - Good luck with your scope, Okiegal

For further discussion of devices, recalls and misinterpretations, see the thread Catastrophies and Misunderstandings.

We now return you to our regularly scheduled discussion of Okiegal's poor knee.

Best wishes for tomorrow, Okiegal, and please let us know how the procedure goes.

Best
La
 
Larosser said:
Josephine, I have to ask. Are you being intentionally rude to me or was that inadvertent? You, with your extensive knowledge and experience, may have determined that device probems are unlikely, but I don't know that. A doctor suggested this course of action, and on the "why no running" thread someone just described a catastrophic implant failure of a recalled device. My suggestion was neither reckless nor malicious, and I don't think it deserves a rude reply. I appreciate you sharing your knowledge, but it isn't necessary to be unkind.
Click to expand...
La, I am so sorry - not in anyway was I intending to be rude, unkind or critical. Do please read that post again with a more factual non-confrontational tone to it.

Trouble is, that topic does tend to crop up from time to time and we've ended up having some unnecessarily frightened members on account of it. Hence I tend to ask for it not to be proposed as a ad hoc suggestion as reasons for recall are invariably due to quite minor issues like labelling errors or even incorrect shades of colour on labels! Others might include very minor variances on the specs of manufacture which have no impact on the function of the device but do occasion a fail in Quality Control and are therefore recalled by the manufacturer.
 
Brandi, how are you doing? It's been a few days and hope all is well, please update when you can.

Take care, Dawn
 
I posted an update on Sunday, but with the site having issues it must have disappeared. The OS did a manipulation and cleaned out a lot of scar tissue. He told my husband, the knee looks good otherwise. The knee is swollen and warm, which I expected. At this point, I don’t know if the procedure has helped or not. I am still having the same pain when trying to lift my leg or bend and flex my knee; however, it has only been 96 hours. J My plan was to be back at work today, but that is not happening. I can’t lift the leg as I need to in order to drive; too much pain.
I had a pretty good crying spell/pity party last night. I feel like I have made no progress since last year, which I know is not true, I just feel that way. My husband is super supportive, but after more than a year of this, it has to be wearing on him as well. There is not one day that goes by that I don’t think about this knee. Maybe for some of us, we get what we get and must settle for that. However, before I accept that, I will seek out an OS that specializes in revisions and get his or her opinion. Maybe my expectation of driving, climbing, walking more than two miles and cycling pain free is unreasonable.
Thank you again for the kind words and support!
 
Maybe my expectation of driving, climbing, walking more than two miles and cycling pain free is unreasonable. Thank you again for the kind words and support!
Click to expand...
Okie;
Your expectations are absolutely NOT unreasonable.
Your post sounded like one that I wrote in June, 2011. (I don't know how to shortcut it but it is titles "Some thoughts while crying") Please read it.

I was where you are, and I am so sorry you are going through this. Because it is a nightmare not just for you but for your family as well.

I was there.
Unable to drive, pain waking me up at night, limping badly, unable to climb a flight of stairs, and in the end, in a wheelchair.

I was not ever able to get off my narcotic pain meds (I do have a nasty back issue that was diagnosed after my TKR that may or may not have impacted med use)

Once you have given yourself time to heal (going back to work so soon after an Arthroscopy, now THAT was....overly optimistic...)

Get your records, and more importantly all your x-ray reports, bone scans, MRI's etc, and make an appointment with a Revisionist who does not know your OS.
I saw 4 Orthos before I found one who actually put his hands on my knee. He didn't need an x-ray to tell him my knee was bad.

I am now 2 weeks out from my revision. I can't say that I'll be pain-free and able to jump rope, but I can already climb stairs without wincing in pain.

My knee was 3 sizes too small, and the tibial implant was loose.
My patellar button was floating free in the joint space, and my patella was barely attached to the quadriceps.

BTW, my x-rays looked NORMAL...
Sorry for the long winded post, but you must not give up.
You deserve better.
Best, Sandy
 
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