Today is my 1 month anniversary for my revision. I’m progressing ok or according to my PT, progressing as expected. I had an appointment with my surgeon on August 3rd To remove the stitches. He thought I was doing great (they read the PT report I brought with me). They all thought the incision looked great. He did ask if force was being used by the PT when flexion was being measured. I said yes, they gently push on the leg. He said nope! Don’t allow them to do that. Wish they would have wrote that in the PT order from the beginning. Also found out that he did a quadricepsplasty on my knee. That explained a lot of why I was having so much pain during exercises in a certain area on my leg.
A couple of weeks ago during a Friday PT session, we were doing a simple exercise - stepping up and down on a step, about 3” high. During a step up we heard a loud pop in my knee. But no pain, and no pain for any exercises after that. When it was time to lay down and have the e-stim and ice therapy, I went to raise my legs to lay my legs on the wedge, I had an incredibly sharp pain directly above the knee. So intense that it felt like I tore something and so intense that it brought me to tears. After the icing etc, I was able to walk with no problems. I rested the knee a lot that weekend and always used the leg lifter to move my leg. To give the quads a rest. After that during exercises I would just get pain doing leg raises or stepping up. Talked with the surgeons office, the popping noise they think could have been adhesions breaking loose. As far as the sharp pain, that was the area where they cut/repaired the quads. They said to just watch it. If the pain worsened to come to the office. It never did and it’s been slowly improving. I think when I raised my legs to put it on the wedge, that I just raised my legs so fast that my quads rebelled.
As of today my extension is at 0 degrees and my flexion is at 114 Degrees. I’ve transitioned to using a cane, which has slowed my walking pace. I’m still sleeping in the recliner. I’ve tried my bed several times, but either my back or my knee doesn’t like it. Before the PT incident I didn’t have much pain and I was able to lengthen the time between meds doses from every 4 hrs to 6-7 hrs. The surgeons PA would like me weaned off the tramadol by next week. I still use ice and elevation as the primary method for pain relief. I just don’t think the tramadol is having much affect anymore. I’ve slowly increased my activity from just sitting in my recliner all day icing and elevating the leg. Swelling is the indicator I’ve done too much. I’m originally scheduled to return to work on 9/11, and told my PT I just can’t imagine being ready to do that. She said that’s another month, I should be ready. One of my challenges are seats. Amazing how many seats/chairs are so low, or seem like they are low.
Overall, I’m doing ok. My PT , ortho dr and PA , and others I see all say how well I’m doing or how well I’m getting around. I had some pretty dark days a week or so ago. But I think I’ve turned a corner there. I just think the quadricepsplasty has set me back a little, especially when I had that sharp pain in PT. Slow and steady I’ll get there. My next appointment with my surgeon is August 31 for xrays at the 6 week mark.
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