kidwithaknee
new member
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2023
- Messages
- 3
- Age
- 51
- Country
United States
- Gender
- Female
Hi There--
I saw this issue partially addressed in a thread from 2017, but I cannot find it once I am logged in.
Anyway - I was 9 y.o. and had a "loose" ACL - my patella was dislocating. They did something - not sure what, but when I was 12 I had the Hauser - which means all the growth that happened after that conformed to the unnatural internal rotation that results from a Hauser. I've had three more surgeries since. Total of 3 screws and 3 anchors, the last surgery in 2010 - the docs (who were at a medical school of a Big Ten Sports College) had to consult with someone in another country. I've known for a while I would need TKR. The deal I had with my doc was as long as I had the functionality I had and was not in pain, we could hold off.
Well -- here we are. Still functional - I have difficulty with stairs, but I can dance, jump (in certain ways), but occasionally, something is sliding/ getting caught on the outer bony structures and causes pain (not when I'm doing anything necessarily - it can happen when I roll over in bed). Doc thought it was the LCL - nope, MRI shows it is fine. It seems to be a quad muscle. I recently moved to a different state - so I will have to meet a new ortho.
My concern is that when I discuss these issues and the potential complications from having a Hauser at a young age, I get dismissed. My fear is that since the Hauser was generally not done on kids, and that it has for the most part been abandoned now - that docs may think they can handle it, but when they get in there and actually see the mess that is my leg, there will be issues. I was still growing when I had the Hauser, so pretty much everything is not where it should be. When anyone looks at my x-rays or MRI they say "You're not in pain?" -- nope (bone on bone). I assume nerves are cut or dead due to all the work. Most recent MRI shows large complex degenerative tear of the medial meniscus - I don't feel it, never have. (had a meniscus tear in other knee which was repaired)
This is all very distressing as I have always favored the left leg because of the surgery when I was 9 and always put more weight on my right leg. This has resulted in arthritis in that ankle and a worsening of my congenital flat foot. The reality is that I will also need arch reconstruction on that foot - for now I have a hard shell ankle brace and arch support. With all of that I really need to make sure if I go ahead with a TKR, I will not end up worse off. I am 51.
Two questions: 1. Do I need to be a strong advocate and push the doc about telling me everything, and 2. Since I apparently cannot feel most of the damage that is already there and it will be a while before I can see the ortho - am I making things worse by engaging in weight bearing exercise? My primary is honest with me and says he would prefer me to not, but really doesn't know. The earliest consultation I can get with the ortho is January - am on waitlist for cancellations. I also don't want to wait for January and have this one refer me to someone else because it is complicated (which happened before).
Thanks.
I saw this issue partially addressed in a thread from 2017, but I cannot find it once I am logged in.
Anyway - I was 9 y.o. and had a "loose" ACL - my patella was dislocating. They did something - not sure what, but when I was 12 I had the Hauser - which means all the growth that happened after that conformed to the unnatural internal rotation that results from a Hauser. I've had three more surgeries since. Total of 3 screws and 3 anchors, the last surgery in 2010 - the docs (who were at a medical school of a Big Ten Sports College) had to consult with someone in another country. I've known for a while I would need TKR. The deal I had with my doc was as long as I had the functionality I had and was not in pain, we could hold off.
Well -- here we are. Still functional - I have difficulty with stairs, but I can dance, jump (in certain ways), but occasionally, something is sliding/ getting caught on the outer bony structures and causes pain (not when I'm doing anything necessarily - it can happen when I roll over in bed). Doc thought it was the LCL - nope, MRI shows it is fine. It seems to be a quad muscle. I recently moved to a different state - so I will have to meet a new ortho.
My concern is that when I discuss these issues and the potential complications from having a Hauser at a young age, I get dismissed. My fear is that since the Hauser was generally not done on kids, and that it has for the most part been abandoned now - that docs may think they can handle it, but when they get in there and actually see the mess that is my leg, there will be issues. I was still growing when I had the Hauser, so pretty much everything is not where it should be. When anyone looks at my x-rays or MRI they say "You're not in pain?" -- nope (bone on bone). I assume nerves are cut or dead due to all the work. Most recent MRI shows large complex degenerative tear of the medial meniscus - I don't feel it, never have. (had a meniscus tear in other knee which was repaired)
This is all very distressing as I have always favored the left leg because of the surgery when I was 9 and always put more weight on my right leg. This has resulted in arthritis in that ankle and a worsening of my congenital flat foot. The reality is that I will also need arch reconstruction on that foot - for now I have a hard shell ankle brace and arch support. With all of that I really need to make sure if I go ahead with a TKR, I will not end up worse off. I am 51.
Two questions: 1. Do I need to be a strong advocate and push the doc about telling me everything, and 2. Since I apparently cannot feel most of the damage that is already there and it will be a while before I can see the ortho - am I making things worse by engaging in weight bearing exercise? My primary is honest with me and says he would prefer me to not, but really doesn't know. The earliest consultation I can get with the ortho is January - am on waitlist for cancellations. I also don't want to wait for January and have this one refer me to someone else because it is complicated (which happened before).
Thanks.