TKR PCL release post TKR<<

The only times I can remember being aware of my implant after healed was when it was extremely cold outside and it penetrated into the implant. It was quite painful for a few hours. After that it was fine.

I imagine your feeling was caused by the long ride you had, since that's the only thing different that you've done. I think you're doing the right thing to recovery.
 
Thanks so much. The rest seems to have done both knees a lot of good. Had a long drive today, got out of the car and that darn fibula went “kerrrsnap” again , feels like it’s back in alignment again as it’s easier to bend my knee again. :gaah:

Feeling of metal seems to be gone, and original knee feels better too. Guess I just did too much! Always the case. That’s how I wound up with a TKR @45... sigh. :censored:

:yahoo:Did anyone who did yoga prior to TKR have trouble getting their leg to bend and lie on the ground, like in pigeon pose or sitting “Indian style”? That feels like my last frontier of challenge. That and this darn trick bone that dislocates...

But I’ll say it again - it is a compete miracle that I can walk up and down steep hills with no pain! Last year I could barely walk down a sidewalk without a lot of cursing! :egypdance:


The only times I can remember being aware of my implant after healed was when it was extremely cold outside and it penetrated into the implant. It was quite painful for a few hours. After that it was fine.

I imagine your feeling was caused by the long ride you had, since that's the only thing different that you've done. I think you're doing the right thing to recovery.
 
Sitting cross legged is something I don’t think I’ll ever do again, but I am planning on trying Pilates this fall.
 
Well if this helps anyone ever - a few things are helping the fibular head issue:

1. My chiropractor is working on it every so often to adjust and work the surrounding muscles to coax what may have been out of place a long time back in.:groan:

2. I’m doing figure 4 stretches - crossing ankle over other leg and letting gravity work it’s magic, in slow progression higher each day / as I’m able, and the stretch is aiding the bone and guides it back in place. More “ker-snaps” after a stretch session, which burns a bit, but I believe I got close to 125° bend for the *very first time* after my session yesterday! :yahoo:

3. Foam rolling and hitting IT band with strong hot tub jets as I’ve got IT band syndrome, and working the soleus as well as all these parts of me are so tight it’s pulling the bone. :hairpulling:

4. Kinesiotaping my fibular head to try to keep it in place. Definitely helps the “rattling” feeing I had in there when I ride my horse. :horseriding:

I’m on a mission. Really want my leg to feel “Normal” again. With the progress I’ve made I think it might just be possible. 10 months out today. Going to work hard to see if I can’t feel 99.9% by my year anniversary. :flwrysmile:
 
I like you figure 4 stretches and will give it a try.


RTKR July 15, 2019
 
You are listening to your body and working on areas that are giving you trouble. That's the sensible thing to do and it's paying off!
 
Well, in a week and a half I’ll be one year post TKR. However, I am still having issues with my fibula.

For the last several months, as I’ve mentioned, my fibula has been unstable & pops - causing a shock of pain - then goes away. Upon heel strike every so often it zaps me w a shock of pain and feels momentarily like it could give out. I’m worried about that non mobile tibiofibular joint becoming hyper mobile. It’s also now causing ankle / Achilles issues where sometimes it’s hard to walk. It constantly pops and moves when I train or ride, which starts to burn. Really disconcerting.

I’ve seen my surgeon 2x, he acts concerned and examines me, but I feel he’s blown me off saying nothing to be done / no use for mri or ct.

This whole recovery, it is been very hard to achieve a full range of motion like we expected. I went through hell in physical therapy for months with people cranking and pushing on me and it always felt like there was something stuck in my leg that I just could not move. Upon my six month check up, my surgeon said that he had to put it in tighter than a normal installation due to my muscle mass. I’m wondering if perhaps that might’ve caused an issue with the angle of this joint. It would’ve also been nice to know that before letting physical therapists put me through so much pain & shame.

What I have discovered is that if I can pop the bone back in place myself, or have my chiropractor do it, my range of motion is instantly better. (sadly it doesn’t stay in place long). So I imagine that there is something physically in the way of my knee bending and it’s this joint.

When I was brave enough to google “TKR failures”, I found a study done on the one I have (Stryker Marathon), I found something like 5% of TKR have problems w the TF joint angle, and that the robot assist surgery that I had doesn’t change that stat as it has no help for surgeon on that part. Rather shocking.

I’m worried that he just doesn’t want the negative on his record. Friends have mentioned my getting a second opinion - one said I should get a lawyer.

I’m really distraught as it makes working out and riding concerning if not painful... but I also don’t want to be blacklisted by future doctors if I did anything legal in nature. I’m not even sure that I could? Or should?

After the pure HELL this recovery has been, I expected near perfection. Im pretty sad about this. I wouldn’t want to do this surgery again, and I’m tired of surgery. I’d MUCH rather have my leg right than sue anyone.

I thought I’d have a much happier check in. Hope the friends I’ve made here are doing well. Would love to hear some advice. Thanks in advance.
 
:console2: I am so sorry you are going through this! I have no idea what you should do, but I'm sure someone more knowledgeable will post here soon. Meanwhile, just wanted to let you know that the forum members here understand and care.
 
I think you should definitely seek a second opinion, a doctor that has no connection with your current OS at all, not even on the golf-field! Someone with a new, fresh set of eyes needs to check out that knee.
What I have discovered is that if I can pop the bone back in place myself, or have my chiropractor do it, my range of motion is instantly better. (sadly it doesn’t stay in place long). So I imagine that there is something physically in the way of my knee bending and it’s this joint.
What bone is popping out of place? Has your current OS seen this?
 
The fibula is what’s not seated properly and pops out of place - now my ankle is affected too. It’s gone from an occasional thing to multiple times per day.

I’ve seen my OS twice for this - he seems to shrug and say nothing can be done. I’m in my 40s and very active - I can’t imagine being like this long term. Popping, pain, and lack of motion.

I’ve been getting braver to do some research - hard to look up TKR failure stories when you have one right? But I found these things:



 
I think I may have found a doc in another city to help me... but I feel nauseous at the thought of any more surgery. I don’t know if I’m more sad or mad. Maybe it won’t require another procedure, I’ll check in with more when I know. I probably have to wait a few weeks since 11/6 will be my one year anniversary. I heard other docs usually want to wait a year before seeing someone else’s surgery patient?
 
It's pretty close to a year now and when you can get an appointment, it probably will be a year. I really think you should see the new doctor. I've never heard of a bone popping out of a replacement.
 
I can’t believe you are going through this ‘popping out of place’ and you can pop it back in... please, get a second opinion. It is one year also for me (Oct 23) and the last few months found me with snapping IT over L prominence which made for scaring/crackling/crepitus over my entire knee. Right now, after taking a solo trip to Madrid to walk, walk walk... every museum... it is getting better. Maybe I stretched it enough and finally strengthened my quads etc. I have the Smith & Nephew Journey 11 cruciate retaining bionic which was a robotic insertion with my OS.
I lost faith but now ... maybe improving.
 
I’m waiting to see a fantastic surgeon I found up in SF, and just saw my OS two days ago for the THIRD time about this.

Last Thursday I went to put a shoe on, rotated my leg, and it popped / sounded like stepping on dead branches. It got super hot, I did the RICE thing, now it seems more stable again. It feels much better to be in thick soled shoes or low kitten heels - barefoot is excruciating in my heel, feels like my Achilles could pop as well.

At my OS visit, many x rays showed it looked normal... he thinks I tore a ligament. I don’t, as my leg would feel majorly unstable, and I don’t know how that would affect my ROM so much. If anything it would be looser I think?

I’m going for a special MRI soon to get more info. I’d hoped for this back in May, but here we are in November.

I’m wondering if it’s peroneal tears, PT fears my Tib-Fib angle is incorrect, chiropractor thinks it’s soleus muscle... more KT tape, e stim, physical therapy (therapeutic not torture), foam rolling, stretching...

I was better 3 months ago than I am now. I’m so tired of limitations and pain... I know all of you understand that one. My actual knee is still pain free - but this problem is really concerning, limiting, and painful.

Im praying there’s a fix not involving surgery, but if I have to to get my life back, I will. Ugh. Thanks for your responses and support. Means a lot.

I’ll report back when I know more. Fingers are crossed...
 
sending love vibes to your knee... Let’s hope it something other than the bionic! Please let us know!
 
@IronGirl6 how are you? I wanted to check in with you as I am starting to have the same issue. I had my ACL replaced and meniscus repaired in May. I had a second surgery to remove scar tissue and manipulate. My ROM has been super slow but making progress. Went from 110 to 124 on the bend. My straight is struggling but I can get there if I push hard. Over the past two weeks I have been experiencing snapping, loud cracks, and what feels like a shift in the whole joint. I even place hands on the outside of my knee and pushed, popping it back place for it to bend easier. (I see my doctor next week but wanted to see if you have learned anything as what you described is exactly what I have been experiencing.). Thanks
 
It’s been a while... I saw the new surgeon in SF about a month ago... we discussed everything, including screws and tightropes for my unstable fibula - but after a debate with the sports med team at UCSF, they are in agreement that my PCL is what is limiting me so badly in ROM (and why I’ve felt like something will BREAK if I force my leg - it hasn’t been a pain factor limiting me).

I’m now looking at a PCL release procedure at months end to correct this and restore motion - which they feel will fix everything. Really don’t want more surgery, but an arthroscopy I can almost do standing on my head at this point (had 3 meniscus clean ups that way). It’s scary - they release the PCL from the bone and it “grows back elongated” to allow my motion... sounds scary but I’ve read very positive things about this. Apparently it’s more common in younger patients too. Yippee.

I just spoke to my TKR OS today, who thought it was a good idea and blessed this for me. I wanted to ask since he’d mentioned leaving my knee “tighter than normal due to my muscle mass”... seemed like opposing opinions! The good news was new surgeon said my knee installation looked beautiful and he’d have been proud if he’d done it himself. That made a tricky conversation with prior OS a little easier...

I’m sad and mad I need more surgery, but I really want to ride a bike and put my shoe on and not have painful fibular popping constantly and off and on ankle / Achilles issues!

All this time I’ve been shamed. Being told I didn’t work hard enough - when I put my heart and soul into recovery. Watching others surpass me in healing, after a lifetime athletic career only to feel like I knew nothing. I FINALLY know why I’ve had so much trouble.

If I didn’t have a wonderful husband and a slew of awesome critters, I swear I’d have been tempted to throw in the towel by now. I’m soooo frustrated. I must have been a piece of work in a prior life, because I’ve been forced to deal with some serious humility over the last decade. Searching for the lessons in all of this.

Hope you’re all well - thanks for being a part of my story.
 
I haven’t read your whole story, but I can relate to the humbling part. I’m glad you can see that you put your heart and soul into it, and that other factors were at play. We have a hard time believing we do enough, we humans.

Hang on to that towel for all it’s worth. And let us know how it goes.
 
Hi everyone,

I’m wondering if any of our members have gone thru a PCL release procedure post TKR due to limited ROM (and in my case a lot of Fibular instability). After 9 months of wondering what the heck was wrong w my recovery, I was told my PCL was left far too tight as I had no soft tissue rebalancing in my TKR. Sigh.

I have heard I should have no issues - but the concept of it being freed from the femur makes me really nervous. I’d love to hear from others who may have dealt with this - good or bad - to calm my nerves. Procedure scheduled for end of month.

Thanks in advance.
 

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