OATS - MACI BioUni osteochondral allograft transplant

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M.demp

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4 weeks ago I underwent a BioUni OATS transplant on my medial & lateral femoral condyles. I am still completely immobilized with 0 weight bearing apart from toe touch when crunching around.

I am in a significant amount of pain about 50% of the time. I do not expect 100% relief..ever..because I am a realist. However, I need to know if this is normal. I guess my question is...why am I experiencing nearly ½ the day with manageable pain and ½ the day in what I call “real pain.” When it’s bad..it’s bad.

I’m also experiencing frequent knee and foot swelling, especially after PT. Any advice, pointers & experiences with this surgery are welcome. I’m desperate!
 
Pain is normally an indication that you are doing too much. What was the exact date of your surgery and which knee was it. I will ask @Josephine, our orthro surgical assistant to advise you.

Many of us never took formal PT or did exercises. I am one of them. I had 11 knee surgeries, 2 of them kneecap removals and 1 tkr. Even after those I never took PT. But, I didn't just sit around and do nothing. I took care of myself, my house and yard as my knee allowed me to do. As I healed, I did more. But, my knee was always in control! This was enough therapy for me and would be for any tkr patient. All the awful pain of PT is so unnecessary.

All you have to do is use it in your daily living! Your knee knows how to rehab itself and doesn't need anyone telling it how. Just use it and it will come back like new! You have to be patient, though, it doesn't happen quickly! ADL,(activities of daily living), going to the bathroom, brushing your teeth and bathing, fixing a light meal, getting something to drink and or a snack, those kinds of things will be all the exercise your knee needs. If you just use it daily in your living, you will have a quicker and less painful recovery. We know what works, we've been there!
 
Right knee. Surgery was 4/23/18. My surgeon insists on PT. I feel like it helps. I am probably over doing it.
 
Thank you. Overdoing does you more harm than good. Your knee needs to heal first, then exercise. It's your knee and if you want to take PT, fine, but if you don't, you don't have to.
 
This is the post-op reading we give to people who have had a knee replacement. As much of it also applies to an OATS, I'm leaving it for you as well. I hope it helps.
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
5. Here is a week-by-week guide for Activity progression for TKRs


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

Please don't be overwhelmed by the list. The articles are not long and they and contain information that will answer many questions and help you make your recovery much easier on your knee and on you.

We are here to help in any way we can: answering questions and concerns; supporting and encouraging you from start to finish.

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 a 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 history before providing advice.
 
@M.demp how is the knee doing? I am having very similar issues and I am 12 weeks out from my third OATS. The first surgery included two large grafts and the second surgery was a revision of one that didnt take.
 
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