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MUA [BILATERAL TKRS] The Fun Begins

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Which tendon and why is it a problem? Has it been torn before?

But to answer your question, no I have never heard of a tendon/ligament/muscle being torn during an MUA. If it did, it's not the tendon's fault, it's the surgeon's - he should have the skill necessary to ensure that doesn't happen.
 
@Josephine, I assume he means a patellar tendon, but he wasn't specific. My second knee surgeries as a child somehow involved moving a tendon in each knee to help with patellar tracking since the first surgeries where the surgeon tried something with the cartilage (smoothing?) didn't work. I also have patella alta, but I don't know if that affects the tendon. I do know there was also an issue with ligaments in my BTKR, much worse for the right knee, for which he built stability into the prosthesis. He thinks I am showing some tracking issues with the left knee now, but he now thinks they will be resolved as I heal and get stronger. Actually, immediately following my BTKR I had severe subluxation issues with both knees. Kinesio tape early on solved the issue completely and now the right knee is fine. I don't notice any slipping of my left knee either and the valgus problem in that side doesn't look as bad as it did a month ago. Anyway, my previous patellar tendon history is why he said he is concerned and will not try to push beyond 100 or 110. He said I can try to get more over time on my own following the MUA. I trust him completely, but I am still quite nervous.

Just as an aside, he does not believe in the "no pain, no gain" philosophy either, which seems to be rare around here.
 
2hips2knees said:
My second knee surgeries as a child somehow involved moving a tendon in each knee to help with patellar tracking
Click to expand...
That would be a TTT or tibial tubercle transfer. It might compromise an MUA but I would have thought after all these years that it should have healed well enough by now. I can see he would be concerned though.

I've still never heard of one popping during an MUA though.
2hips2knees said:
Just as an aside, he does not believe in the "no pain, no gain" philosophy either, which seems to be rare around here.
Click to expand...
That's very good to hear!
 
Dreading our hotel stay tonight before the MUA tomorrow. I have to check in at 5:30 a.m. at the hospital. We live 2 and a half hours away, so travel that morning would be too dangerous. Hubby wouldn't be able to stay awake. So we're going to stay 5 minutes away from the hospital tonight. The room will be shower accessible, but the toilet--while it will have a grab bar--won't be elevated. We bought a raised seat to take, but it turned out we would have to mess with unscrewing parts of the hotel toilet, and that sounded risky. Probably between the grab bar and my husband we can get it to work. If we can fit it in the car, we may take my big elevated toilet seat/ shower chair. But there's another problem. ..

I still can't sleep in bed. I have been practicing, but between my hips and my knees, just getting into bed is painful... I can't sleep on by back, and trying to turn on my side is torture. Once there, I'm ok for 30 minutes to an hour, but that's it. Then back to my back and needing to get out of bed because of pain. (Hmm. How am I going to be able to get in and out of the CPM's)

Maybe these concerns will help keep my mind off the MUA. I'm both nervous and excited. It's been a really rough road, but God has given me peace every time I've felt overwhelmed ... and there have been many of those moments. And I am so thankful for Bonesmart. What a wonderful support system!
 
You've been through so much, @2hips2knees . This is just a little extra jog on that road to recovery. I'm confident it will just get better and better from here on out. I'm saying an extra prayer for you that the peace in your heart expands to flood into those pesky little joints!
 
Hope all goes well tomorrow! Prayers to you!
 
I've changed it for you - best I can do under the circs
 
I had my MUA Tuesday morning. The good news is that no tendon was ruptured, and the surgeon easily got my knees to 120 ROM. He said he could have gotten more, but he "chickened out" because of the possibility of rupturing a tendon. The bad is that I really wasn't prepared for how painful this would be. My knees are terribly swollen, and while I can get 100 ROM on the left and 95 on the right in the CPM, ROM is much less with heel slides. (So far this morning I I can barely reach 90 on the right side in the CPM.) Still, I am very pleased with the improvement.

The worst part is walking. My right knee evidently went through more trauma than the left because although the left is really stiff, the pain in the right knee when I try to walk or try to stand or sit is horrible. I have a stabbing pain on the inside side of the knee hurts like crazy. Every step is torture. And my knees are so weak that I am afraid of falling. Just a short trip to the bathroom is a major accomplishment. My arms are getting really sore from supporting myself on the walker.

Yesterday was really rough. I am hoping today will better. They plan to transfer me to rehab today.

Thank you, @Josephine, for updating the title
 
Honey, you need to go right back to the beginning here and the mantra, remember?

- rest, elevate, ice and take your pain meds by the clock
- if it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physiotherapist - to do it to you
- if your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again
- if you won't die if it's not done, don't do it
- never stand when you can sit, never sit when you can lie down, never stay awake when you can go to sleep!
- be active as much as you need to be but not more than is necessary, meaning so much that you end up being in pain, exhausted or desperate to sit down or lay down!

So go gentle on the exercises and activity, focus on the first line of the mantra and be patient until things settle down.
 
Thank you, @Josephine! I do intend to follow the mantra. I also have an order for water therapy. I am looking forward to that!
 
Well don't do it yet awhile. Maybe in 2-3 week's time.
 
Really, @Josephine? My therapist thought it would help me with balance and walking without as much stress to my knees. I am having serious problems with walking.
 
The trouble with hydrotherapy is that it feels great while you're in the water so it's really really easy to over do it.
Then the next day your leg feels like the proverbial log and you end up all panicked that you can't do anything.
Since you only had your MUA done last week, you need to remember what I said in a previous post - your clock is reset to that date and you are no longer 13 weeks out but one!
 
Hi, @2hips2knees it's good to hear from you, that the MUA's are done and over. I, too, was surprised how painful they were and still have some of what you're describing. As Josephine has said, they definitely reset the clock, that's for sure. I've described my pain to my OS as what feels like the beginning of tendonitis, the stabbing pains on the inside of the knees OUCH! I'd called him this afternoon, after describing everything he said it was normal at this point and to keep doing what I'm doing. He did say, should things get worse to come in (I would, anyway). So, I'm just trying to take each day as it comes.

I've wanted to try hydrotherapy, but can't locate a center close to me. For me, I'm soooo impatient with the whole thing right now - I constantly have to remind myself it's only been such-and-such length of time since MUA's. Hubby keeps telling me how well I'm doing now compared to before the MUA's, there IS a big difference!! Take things slowly, stay on your meds, it will improve :friends::flwrysmile:
 
Hi, @Bluetechseeker. Thank you for your post. I know you and I have had very similar experiences. I have followed your thread and know that you have had a great deal of pain following the MUA as well. I haven't had the terrible thigh pain you had initially following the procedure; my pain is very much in the knees. But it feels like my supporting muscles have just shut down on me and most of the time I just can't walk at all. You mentioned getting a kind of boost from the CPMs, but my knees are like painful jello afterwards (even though I tolerate my time in the machines quite well).

What I find odd is that I can get 115 on left and 103 on right in the CPM'S, but only 80 on the left and 72 on rhe right in regular heel slides. Have you noticed this?

I can't believe you went the store... and walked! That's amazing! And I am so glad you are feeling so well today!
 
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