Knee Infection* My L T K R Diary 2020

You are still quite swollen and as you know, a swollen knee won't bend well. I think that you'll get better than 90 degrees. I believe you'll get on that bike again!
 
I agree that it's probably a bit premature to say you will only obtain a 90-degree ROM with your knee. Your surgeon was wise not to try and push your knee during surgery. It was swollen when you went into the procedure, so that would impact what he was able to achieve. Your knee has been through so much, it's going to take quite a while to completely settle. Please try to focus on all the good news you've received so far....it's wonderful to hear! It's still possible you'll be able to ride a bike. You just have to wait and see and remember to be kind to your knee as you gradually start to increase activity and exercise.
 
They do a blood test every 2 weeks.
C R P seems to be going up in 4s.
2 weeks ago 22.6
This week 26.6.
I am obviously worried after what I have been through.
They said nothing to worry about.
 
The good news is, they are not worried, but I surely understand why you are.
 
Feeling very depressed my knee has about 50 degree bend.
If I hang it over the bed for about half an hour I sometimes get it to 70 degrees.

I am still on one stick as my leg just gives way from under me.
What have they done to me I feel so low and think I will end up permanently disabled.

I am seeing my consultant on Monday and have a lot of questions I need answers to
 
I am so sorry you are still dealing with this. Since we hadn't heard from you I assumed you were doing well. I pray your consultant can find a fix for your knee.
 
I am so sorry you are still dealing with this. Since we hadn't heard from you I assumed you were doing well. I pray your consultant can find a fix for your knee.
Thanks the reason I wanted this operation is because my walking distance was so bad.
It got to the stage when just walking over the road and back was enough before having to stop for a while.
At least I could do some gardening and riding my cycle and driving.
All these things I can no longer possible.
I have only managed to go upstairs 3 times in the last 14 months.
I feel so low like all the things I could do have been taken from me.
 
Have you been seeing the same doctor this whole time?

Have you ever seen a different doctor for a second opinion?
 
Yes, you should most definitely see a different doctor. It might be something as simple as needing a different sized spacer. Please don't give up. There is an answer out there.
 
Yes, you should most definitely see a different doctor. It might be something as simple as needing a different sized spacer. Please don't give up. There is an answer out there.
Yes I will see how the appointment goes.

Problem is I will then have to go back to my G P and get a referal to see another surgeon.

The thought of having another operation scares me as having it opened up 4 times already scar tissue will cause problems.
 
I don't think scar tissue will be a problem. I had 5 surgeries on this TKR knee and my surgeon assured me that adhesions would not be a problem. You have to have scar tissue to keep your knee together. Adhesions are very rare and seldom a problem.

Adhesions and scar tissue are two different things. Used correctly, the term scarring refers to the stuff that heals your wounds whether it's a surgical incision or a small cut with a kitchen knife. That is necessary to close your wound. Adhesions are excess fibrous tissue that stick muscles, tendons and ligaments down so they can't move the way they should. It look something like this

adhesions-horz-jpg.71723


Obviously the scarring is necessary and if it doesn't develop, you'd be in trouble with a permanently open wound!
But adhesions are abnormal and actually relatively uncommon. They occur a lot less frequently than 'professionals' would have you believe. But so long as they can convince patients of this 'inevitable' demon, they will get compliant patients! That's the philosophy! Don't fall for it.
 
I don't think scar tissue will be a problem. I had 5 surgeries on this TKR knee and my surgeon assured me that adhesions would not be a problem. You have to have scar tissue to keep your knee together. Adhesions are very rare and seldom a problem.

Adhesions and scar tissue are two different things. Used correctly, the term scarring refers to the stuff that heals your wounds whether it's a surgical incision or a small cut with a kitchen knife. That is necessary to close your wound. Adhesions are excess fibrous tissue that stick muscles, tendons and ligaments down so they can't move the way they should. It look something like this

adhesions-horz-jpg.71723


Obviously the scarring is necessary and if it doesn't develop, you'd be in trouble with a permanently open wound!
But adhesions are abnormal and actually relatively uncommon. They occur a lot less frequently than 'professionals' would have you believe. But so long as they can convince patients of this 'inevitable' demon, they will get compliant patients! That's the philosophy! Don't fall for it.
Thanks for that information very helpful.
Why would the physiotherapist say that I will only get 90 degree bend at best as that's all they got during surgery.

The physiotherapist has discharged me now.
I feel as though the whole process was badly handled.
 
Just because you were told you’d only get 90 degrees that doesn’t make it true. Maybe that’s all you’ll get, but maybe not. No one can know for sure at this point. Your leg has had so much trauma caused to it that it has to heal from.

Is the infection healing well?
 
I am certainly not a doctor or a therapist but we have read of patients that have a spacer that is too large that lowers their bend. If yours is something like that it would be an easier fix than a whole implant replacement. If your OS was only able to get 90* during surgery, I would have thought he'd try a different size spacer. Again, this is just my opinion and I do not know this personally.
 
Just because you were told you’d only get 90 degrees that doesn’t make it true. Maybe that’s all you’ll get, but maybe not. No one can know for sure at this point. Your leg has had so much trauma caused to it that it has to heal from.

Is the infection healing well?
The C R P varies between around 19 .4 to 24.2.
My knee is still quite swollen.
I would also be asking him why he told my physiotherapist not to push because it could be damaged.
 
Defender, I am here to say I suffered through the pain and pressure from PT and others too. Alas: some things don’t change, as that was way back in 2016...and in Oregon!

It is YOUR knee and it deserves to have its own recovery! Stand strong for yourself! If you need to tell them back off, do so! I did not at first! And I was in more and more pain and less bend after each session. And when I said no, you can’t touch it: I will do as much as is comfortable! No more! I told my PT about this forum, and told her to check it out. I cancelled a few sessions, too! (Oh: bad me! NOT!) But, eventually she let me guide my experience and stopped trying to do the no pain no gain thing!

I’m just tying to encourage you to be your own advocate, and blame it on yourBonesmart buddies!

My OS at 6 weeks, when I did not yet have the 90 degree bend, said they might need to do an MUA, manipulation under anesthesia! I got scared then! I came here, though, and this wonderful bunch of compatriots helped me say, “No: I’m fine letting my knee take its own time!”

Like everyone here is saying, your knee WILL get its bend, when it is ready!

Hang in there, and hear this one cheering you on!
 
Feeling very depressed my knee has about 50 degree bend.
If I hang it over the bed for about half an hour I sometimes get it to 70 degrees.
You only had the replacement hardware reinserted in mid-December, which isn't even three months ago.
With the number of surgeries your left knee has had, a rather slow recovery is to be expected. That poor knee has been through a lot and it's going to need extra time and gentle treatment, so it can heal at its own pace.

As you know, complete recovery from a knee replacement can take a full year, and sometimes 18 months or more.
Your knee is less than a quarter of the way through that first year. Where it is now is not where it's going to end up. You have plenty of time for improvement.

If you can, stop worrying about your Range of Motion (ROM) now and ask your advisers not to keep on about it. I'm certain that, given time, your flexion is going to improve a lot. Just let that poor knee settle down and heal. Give it plenty of rest, ice and elevation, and just use it as normally as possible in your everyday life. Don't force special exercises on it.

My surgeon never worries about the numbers, because he says what you can do is more important than the numbers.

I am still on one stick as my leg just gives way from under me.
What have they done to me I feel so low and think I will end up permanently disabled.

I would expect you to still be needing a stick. There are no prizes for giving it up early. It's just a tool, to prevent falls. You'll give it up when your knee is ready for that, and not before.

What they have done to you is perform the series of surgeries that were necessary, to cure your knee of infection. They had to do that, but it put your knee through several surgeries that other knees don't need to have.

Now the infection is gone, your knee needs additional time to recover, and so does the rest of your body. That makes sense, doesn't it?

Try not to expect your knee to recover as fast as the knee of someone who has only had one knee surgery. Their knee and their body hasn't been through all the additional surgeries and trauma that your knee has been through.

It's still early days and you are not going to end up permanently disabled.
Why would the physiotherapist say that I will only get 90 degree bend at best as that's all they got during surgery.
Because she/he is wrong. They've bought into the myth about a "window of opportunity".

We know now that there's no need to rush to get ROM (Range of Motion) because it can continue to improve for a year, or even much longer, after a knee replacement. There isn't any deadline you have to meet:
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR

You know that your surgeon only bent your knee to 90 degrees because he didn't want to possibly cause damage. That doesn't mean your knee will never be able to bend more than 90 degrees - just that it wasn't ready to do so at that time.

Your knee is still swollen. That's why it can't bend further. As the swelling goes down, your flexion will improve. Work on trying to reduce the swelling, not on trying to make your knee bend.

You don't need a second opinion yet. It's far too soon and, in any case, most surgeons won't give a second opinion until a year or more post-op.
 
When I see my surgeon on Monday I think I should to ask for an x ray to be done to put my mind at rest that everything is ok.

They wouldn't listen when I thought something was not right with my original knee replacement and it turned out to be an infection.
We know our bodies better than anyone
20210305_133343.jpg
 
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You are so right that we know our bodies better than anyone else. We also need to be our own advocates. If we aren't, then who will be?

You are still quite swollen. Are you icing and elevating at every opportunity? I was still icing off and on up to 9 months out. I think those of us who have had a lot of surgeries on our knees need to ice more and be more patient than someone who has had only the tkr. You are definitely one of those!
 

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