has anyone had a loosening of your TKR

[tooyoungforthis]

Hi my name is Peggy and i had my TKR back in March 07 and the mintue i woke up i had problems and still am having them.Before my replacement i when through 5 surgerys,had the Synvisc and Hyalgan injections,and my doctor still said i was too young for a new knee so i waited. So when i got my operation i did asked where was my new baby because child birth was much easier, i was in the hospital for 3 days and to rehab for 3 weeks,ended up with a manipulation 4 months later and the pain never lefted me so i am seeing a pain management doctor.Before i forget i also have Fibromyalgia,so i have lots of joint,mucle pain. Pain is my middle name, about 4 weeks ago i started have very sharp pain on the inside and the botton of my replacement, i got xrays done and it is showing the cement is lose on the side and it also is showing that it is looseing from the tibial,and there is cement like material on the prosthesis.So i dont want to see the doctor that put it in as he moved and the drive is long so there is a doctor i did see before i had the tkr just to check that i need it and i made a appt. but cant get in until May 18 as of this past sunday the pain is so bad and i am on the fentanyl patches and norco pain pills,i have the tens machine and putting the ice packs on and just been laying in bed because walking hurts, thinking about useing my cane again. Has anyone had this happen and what did you do? Thank You All ,Peggy

 

[Jamie]

Peggy, welcome to BoneSmart. We have a very caring group of members here and a forum nurse (Josephine) with many, many years of experience in orthopedics. Hopefully we can provide the support you need as you deal with your new knee.

I'm sorry to hear you are having so many problems and pain. I would assume that having Fibromyalgia would add a whole 'nother dimension to the normal pain one may experience after a knee replacement. Recovery from a TKR can be long and quite painful (especially the first few weeks). But you were wise to put yourself in the hands of a good pain management specialist.

What size town do you live in??? Are you near a large city? It sounds to me like you need to see a specialist in revisions for knee replacements.

 

[Josephine]

My dear good lady, what a terrible time you have had! My heart goes out to you. I'll answer your post in bits as that way I can make sure I get to all the points.

Hi my name is Peggy and i had my TKR back in March 07 and the mintue i woke up i had problems and still am having them.
Before i forget i also have Fibromyalgia,so i have lots of joint,muscle pain.

As Jamie said, that must give you a whole other area to deal with that doesn't make this problem any easier!

Pain is my middle name, about 4 weeks ago i started have very sharp pain on the inside and the botton of my replacement, i got xrays done and it is showing the cement is lose on the side and it also is showing that it is looseing from the tibial,and there is cement like material on the prosthesis.

So i dont want to see the doctor that put it in as he moved and the drive is long so there is a doctor i did see before i had the tkr just to check that i need it and i made a appt. but cant get in until May 18

Loosening of the joint is generally not too an common occurrence but it does happen and the only answer then is to have a revision which I think you've already realised. The best way to do this is to find a revision specialist as the general knee joint replacement surgeons are not as expert with the procedure. Your doctor might be able to find one or you could ring round some big hospitals, ask to speak to the department of joint surgery and ask them if they know of a knee revision specialist.

The sad part is that you then have to go through all the rehab and PT again but at least you'll know the new joint is sound this time.

Please ask any questions - I'll do my very best to try and answer them for you.

 

[tooyoungforthis]

Hi Jamie, I live in New Jersey,so i am luckly that New York is a hour away and then there is PA. thats not far either.I am going to see a OS next month just not sure i can wait because this pain is something strong.I was thinking about calling my pain management doctor to see if she could get me in sooner.What i cant understand is I didnt do anything to make this loose,my husband has been very careful that i dont lift,carry anything , when my nephew was born and he was 7 pounds my hubby made me sit when i was holding him,he goes food shopping with me so theres no lifting there,I do remenbering the doctor did say that there is a lost of blood flow at the botton of theFemur.(Back in the 70s i was in a very bad car accident broke my femur in 2 places,so that started my problems as there was pins put in my knee to pull the bones apart) If anyone that does know of a good specialist in revisions for knees,I will check them out. Thanks for the Welcome to BoneSmart,Peggy

 

[Josephine]

You didn't do anything to make this loose, Peggy. These prostheses loosen because the cement wasn't keyed into the bone properly at the original operation. If the cement isn't pressed into the honeycomb matrix of the bone properly, it sits on top of the thin bits of bone and the pressure makes the bone die back, thereby creating the loosening. You are not to blame.

Honey comb bone on the inside of a bone

How cement should be forced into the honeycomb to make it secure.

 

[tooyoungforthis]

Hi Josephine, You just made me so much so much at ease. I now know where to look for a Specialist,sometimes i think you just need someone to open up your eyes,and thats just what you did for me! Thank You So Much, Peggy

 

[Sticker Lady]

Peggy-
I can't offer any advise because I haven't had my surgery yet, but please know that you won't find more caring people anywhere than Jo, Jamie and all the folks here at BoneSmart. They share their experiences so freely and will be here to listen anytime you need them. We've all been lucky to find this forum!
Blessings,
Irene

 

[Jamie]

Peggy, If you haven't done so, you can use a search engine here on BoneSmart to find clinics and surgeons in your general area. The link is as follows:

(broken link removed: https://bonesmart.org/clinic_lookup.php

Do be sure that you are seeing a doctor that is specifically a REVISION SPECIALIST, as he or she will have experience in dealing with the problems associated with a joint replacement issues like yours. You may have to travel to see someone like this, but you need to do it. It is YOUR body and YOUR life we're talking about here....VERY important to get the right surgeon. Be sure and tell ALL about the problems you are experiencing so that you can get in as soon as possible. You also might want to get copies of the xrays from your previous doctor, if that's convenient.

 

[orion]

Peggy...I had the ltkr come loose that was done in Feb 08, must of been a bad year..my lst OS said nothing was wrong with it..however, I went up to the University of Chicago Bone and Joint Replacement Center at Weiss Memorial..to Dr. Henry Finn...definitely a top doc...we ended up doing the right knee lst with super results. This Jan 15th, after a bone scan and many x-rays and his gut feeling, he did a revision on the left knee.

It does happen...he told my husband it was like a loose tooth...not going to fall out just wobbly and it was totally the wrong knee for me.

So it's been three months and after some speed bumps or winter potholes...22 stitches..he doesn't use staples..and my Mom passing a month after my surgery..it's turning out well...

My Chicago surgeon's practice is 75% of redoing mistakes made by other surgeons..that's what you will need to find...my surgeon also invented the knee he used in my revision...the SSK Vanguard from Biomet.

 

[Simon]

Check out Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. They are the top hospitals for orthopedics and rheumatology which would be good for you. Their website is https://www.hss.edu

Simon

 

[Jamie]

Thanks Orion and Simon. Excellent posts - both of them!!

 

[Josephine]

Agreed!

 

[bmac]

I also had a TKR which failed. Surgery was 12/03 using the Genesis II Oxinium Knee. The Dr. had been highly recommended by another Dr. within the same medical group. I wish I had done further research instead of blind faith. Even though I kept telling the OS the knee felt like it was slipping he kept telling me it was normal. Fast forward to Feb. 2008 and the knee felt like it was pulling apart. There was cement on the bone but not the component which was pulling out of the bone. This time I did my research for a good revision OS. My revision was done with a Wright Medical Pivotal Knee. I am still doing rehab and am at 0/135. The thigh is still weak. What I learned after the fact really angered me. The OS who did the TKR had 6 failures prior to mine and was being paid by the medical device company to use their component (read in court documents). This man told me the oxinium knee would last 25 yrs. to a lifetime.

Bottom line: I now ask every Dr. I see if they are being paid by any pharmaceutical company or medical device company. I get some surprised looks but once I tell them why I am asking they are appalled. Perhaps more Dr.'s do this but this should be revealed to the patient so we can make informed decisions.

I am totally happy with the revision results thus far. Once I am through with PT I should have my life back.

 

[Gringo]

Sorry to hear about your TKR problems. I am glad you are on the road, finally, to a more normal leg.

It worries me a bit,because I can see what you are saying about the doctors using a specific knee for the wrong reasons. The OS I have chosen does have a deal with Stryker. In fact, he developed a computer navigation system and turned it over to Stryker to patent. I am sure he has financial incentives to use their products.

But does that mean that Stryker is not a good knee? Or in your case,does it mean that the Genesis II was not a good knee? Do you blame the prosthetic, or the OS, for the failure?

 

[tooyoungforthis]

Hi Everyone,and thanks for all the great imput,it is so nice to meet everyone and i know i found a great home for theses knees! Jamie, I when on the the web site and i found on there the OS that i am going to see in May and my list of questions are starting to get long and hopeing that it will be a mile long,also on that list was the doctor that put in my tkr who i need to call to get all my paper work on what he did.
Orion, So sorry about your mom that had to be a hard on you with all that you were going through.It sounded like you found a great doctor,Now do you live in Chicago area as i hear great things about it. I dont think my hubby would want me to go that far we were talking about if we should stay here in N.J. or go somewhere else i said what about N.Y.or Penn. and he would rather pick Penn since its easy to get to from here,I am going to do my homework before someone opens me up again.
Irene, we are lucky to find this form,how are your knees and when are you going for a tkr? Until later all,Hugs Peggy

 

[tooyoungforthis]

bmac, It was 5 years after your tkr when your problems started?Did you have very sharp pains that woke you up,and was it painfull to just walk? I will start asking if they are getting paid from a pharmaceutical company or medical device, I am very happy for you and your now new knee, keep up the good work in rehab.!!

 

[Judles]

Welcome Peggy & bmac! Hope everyday brings new & better things for each of you!

 

[bmac]

At least you are aware of your OS relationship wth Stryker and can therefore make an informed decision. I was cluless until I read court docs from the 6 patients who sued the OS and his countersuit on Smith & Nephew. I feel I should have been advised from the OS. He told me prior to surgery this knee was "the best" and would last 25yrs. to a lifetime. I told the OS within the first 2 mos. that the knee felt like it was slipping and he kept telling me it was normal. The component that was removed had no cement on it. The only cement was on the bone which had to be scraped off.

 

[bmac]

All I know is the cement did not adhere to the component. Did the OS not apply it properly or is the oxinium surface not condusive to the cement used? Or is it a combination of both? I too am looking for the answer to those questions.

 

[Gringo]

It would be astonishing and absolutlely criminal if the manufacturer did not test the knee components with the adhesives they specify. You KNOW they did.

So it sounds to me like either the OS didn't apply it correctly, or didn't use the right stuff. It stuck to you, but not to the knee? Maybe there is a prep procedure to prime the metal? That, too,sounds like an OS problem.

Were the other patients with problems all having the same issue?

(You didn't snort a lot of teflon back in your wild and crazy years, did ya?)