Foot Midfoot Arthritis - fusion and repair of partially torn tendon

abel

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I had a left total knee replacement 2 1/2 years ago and by the time that happened I had pretty much destroyed my right foot by overcompensating, which has ended with a collapsed arch, PTT, a partially torn tendon and enough arthritis in my midfoot area to call for surgery. I had been seeing the ankle doctor at the same orthopedic group that did my knee because the knee doctor did an amazing job. The ankle doctor gave me multiple cortisone injections in my foot over the last 2 years. The last one I received from him hurt the tendon (ligament?) running up the front of my shin so bad that I couldn't drive the next day as I was unable to pick that foot up between the gas and brake. That pain remained and I decided to go to a podiatrist instead. The podiatrist had treated me for the pain/issue in my right foot prior to my TKR and when she saw me again after 2 years she couldn't believe how much I had deteriorated. She immediately referred me to a surgeon in her group and said that he would most likely agree with her that at this point surgery is my only option. He has agreed and I have a surgery date of 10/28/19. I just wonder if anyone else has had this type of surgery and what the recovery was like (I understand it's different for everyone). I've been told 6-8 weeks in a cast - non weight bearing and then in a boot even longer. I was out of work for 4 weeks exactly after my TKR. I'm hoping I heal as well this time around. Just wanting some idea of what to expect. Thanks for reading.
 
Welcome!

I have an Other/Foot Posterior Tibial Tendinitis (PTT) Thread that you might want to glance over. Similar experience of foot injury after first PKR. Surgical repair is in my future.
In my thread I describe my OS’s info about different surgeries.

Will be interested in others’ replies.

Which procedure(s) are scheduled for your surgery? Bone fusion?

Good luck.
 
Yes, the doctor will be fusing the midfoot area. Depending on how much he has to do between the fusion and repairing the ligament - he may reconstruct the arch (as best they can I suppose). I'll look over your thread. Thanks!!
 
Hi, @abel. I'm so sorry to hear you're facing this surgery and hopefully it will improve your situation. Do you have any specific questions or concerns?
 
@Jamie - just wondering how people "deal with" the non-weight bearing aspect of it. After a TKR they WANT you using that joint. But after a fusion, not so much. I'll be non-weight bearing for at least 6-8 weeks - kind of freaks me out. Bone Smart has been such a wonderful tool. I found you guys just before my TKR in Feb 2017 and I have recommended you to EVERYONE that I've learned needed a TKR or other type of surgery for knees and shoulders. :)
 
Hi Abel,
I have been non-weight bearing for almost three weeks and find using a knee scooter to be very helpful. It gives me a little freedom to move about our home and also very short trips in the neighborhood to get out of the house. I would recommend you consider a knee scooter.
good luck with your surgery.
 
Larry's suggestion is a good one. Everyone finds what works best for their lifestyle. For the first couple of weeks you're going to feel more like resting and letting your body heal. That's a good thing. I think you'll be surprised at how the time goes by. Don't think of this period as a time of inactivity and not doing things. Picture how much work your body is doing healing itself. It actually does take a lot of energy to heal, which is why resting and taking things easy is good for you.

I know with my shoulder replacement, I had to be in a sling and immobile for a full 6 weeks. I dreaded that! It wasn't pleasant, but I actually made it better than I expected. I live by myself and I wondered how in the heck I was going to take care of myself and my dog. But it all worked out amazingly well.
 
@Larryr - I do plan on getting the knee scooter in order to get around - don't really trust myself with crutches - hard enough to walk on 2 feet without being a klutz!

@Jamie - thank you for that. I've got some reading to catch up on so.....guess that's what I will happily do.

Of course at my place of employment - when they find out I'm going to be out due to surgery - the first question is "when will you be back"? I don't know folks. Doesn't help I was only out 4 weeks for my TKR - they expect miracles! :thud:
 
I was non weight bearing on the left foot for almost 8 weeks this summer/fall. I found that having a slightly raised toilet seat with sturdy arms was very important, allowing me to lower and raise up using just one leg. Also, oddly enough, having clothing that is a little larger sized than normal was very helpful when trying to pull up one's pants, etc. Lots of stretch! I had a shower bench that I could lower myself onto and then scoot over into the shower, and a hand held shower head. I used a large trash bag to shield my leg in the shower when I had my broken kneecap, but I was able to fit a plastic cast protector over my ankle cast this past summer when dealing with my broken ankle. I wish you the best! You will get through it, it's just a royal pain, though.
 
I forgot to add that I couldn't use a knee scooter or an iwalk crutch because my right leg is so damaged and weak from the broken kneecap on that side. We ended up buying a go chair (electric chair) for me to get around the house on. It's been money well spent.
 
Had my surgery yesterday. I’ve been taking my pain meds (Hydrocodone-acetaminophen) when I’m supposed to. How much ibuprofen can I add to it? I’ve seen it mentioned but I know I won’t be able to find it right now. The pain meds they gave me will last 6 days if I take them every 6 hours. I could really take them every 4!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Do not take more than 1000mg every 6 hours. You have to look at the ingredients that are in everything you are taking and count up the acetaminophen that is in it. Make sure you don't go over 1000mg every 6 hours and not over 4000mg in 24 hours.
 
I'm assuming that your prescription Hydrocodone has 325mg per tablet, correct? If you want to add more acetaminophen, sistersinhim is correct that you shouldn't exceed 4000mg in any 24 hour period. So be sure to count what you are taking in the Hydrocodone meds in that daily total, along with any other over-the-counter meds (like cold and sinus medications) you might take.

Be sure to stay on top of your pain management. If your surgeon is hesitant to give you additional prescriptions of the Hydrocodone, ask about stepping down to Tramadol and use that in combination with the Extra Strength Tylenol. It can work very well along with lots of icing. Be sure to place a towel between your skin and the ice source to keep from damaging your skin. If you do this, you can ice as much as feels comfortable.
 
Hope you are doing lots better now. I can at least partially relate to what you went though. I was NWB for 6 months (Sept 2019-Feb 2020). Colored, did crossword puzzles, read many great books :)
 
I'm going to tag @abel since she hasn't been on the forum since last October. It's possible she'll see an alert that you posted to her and come respond.

@bumfoot2020
 
@abel how are you? Would like to hear how you are doing. Hope you are well.
 

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