TKR Really fed up

[maryo52]

Interesting about the toe in/toe out thing, RestAssured. I always walked toe out, as did my mom, my sister, and then my son. I was always told I was walking "wrong" (!!) I tried for years to walk straight but when I looked back at my footprints in the snow, obviously I wasn't succeeding very well. I finally gave up and decided I was built differently. Fortunately this never translated into patella problems for me post TKR. Although my TKR leg doesn't rotate outwardly like it used to. Hmmm

 

[Pumpkin]

How your hips sit in the socket helps determine your leg and foot alignment. So for some feet pointing out is best , for others straight ahead. Any PT can check your hips for neutral position, and how it impacts the position of your feet.
Before my TKR my left foot was pointing out a lot, now it turns out just a little from straight ahead, matching the neutral position of my hip.
There is no right or wrong, your posture and foot position is what works best for you and your body.

 

[RestAssured]

Well, it is a theory of not one size fits all.

I can tell you though that I am making tremendous strides "pun intended" now that I have corrected my gait pattern!

 

[Sadperson]

Message for any UK forum members using NHS...

Has anyone been told by their surgeon to come back in a year and gone back earlier? If so, is it pain related or function related?

All comments very welcome as I am on the verge of swallowing my pride and toddling back to the surgeon (trying hard to avoid the GP who only wants me to rattle with pain killers!) in order to discuss any potential 'next steps'. Sick of stiff knee syndrome that now seems to lend itself to poor gait and sore back.

PS retire in 79 days and looking forward to swimming as one and only exercise as flexion 75 degrees!

 

[Sadperson]

Seeking informed opinion.

I have a consult in August. Knee flexion is down to about 60 degrees due to scar tissue. Two lots of MUA have not worked. Given the choice, what are forum members' experiences? Go for another MUA, revision or be grateful I can walk?

Thank you.

 

[Pumpkin]

Welcome back Sadperson,
Here is a copy of a post skigirl left for @patient 99 , who also has scar tissue.
I hope you find the information useful, and patient 99 who is going through something similar may be able to help and support you.
Scar tissue and adhesions - what's the difference

Carol, here is one study on this issue: I will post more too: broken link removed: https://www.healio.com/orthopedics/journals/ortho/%7B2ec6721b-1e4b-4aaa-8334-e090b3e28e00%7D/arthroscopic-lysis-of-adhesions-for-stiff-total-knee-arthroplasty

 

[patient 99]

Hello Sadperson. Not hard to see why you chose that name. Its been nearly 2 years since your op and you've had to cope with 2 MUA since then. That's hard.

Given the choice, what are forum members' experiences? Go for another MUA, revision or be grateful I can walk?

Because we are all different nobody can really say what's best. Its a call that only you, with the help of your surgeon, can make. But there are other options.

I saw an OS yesterday(second opinion). He said my problems were down to scar tissue. He said there were several options that could be used to remove it. MUA, keyhole surgery and open surgery were the 3 main ones. He didn't include revision. As it turned out he didn't think any of these options were appropriate for me at this stage. (If you are interested you can have a look at my thread for 8 July for the details).

When you go to see your surgeon next month perhaps you could ask him to list ALL the options that are open to you, and ask him to spell out the pros and cons of each one as they relate to you. That should make it a little easier for you to come to the right decision. Also if you haven't already done so, you may want to consider getting a second opinion - I did using the NHS.

I do feel for you. Do let me know how things go. Even if its just to have a rant. BTW dumping the `pride' you mentioned in an earlier post was one smart move.

Carol


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[skigirl]

Carol, I had pain--my knee cap was stuck down, so two years after my tkr, I went in for an Open Lysis of Adhesions---which is an open operation to remove the scar tissue. He said that there was extensive adhesions and he made the spacer one size larger to stop the micro movement in my leg.

I had a long recovery---my OS stressed the importance of not exercising on a hot, inflamed knee---that was what caused adhesions to form. Here is my recovery thread:
[REVISION TKR] Removal of Adhesions
I read this article and used the ideas ( my OS agreed with them too)

Rehabilitation of the arthrofibrotic knee.pdf - Dr. Millett

Here is another informative article:

• 
  
• Arthrofibrosis - course by Dr Frank Noyes

And I will tag @patient 99 Carol since this is not her thread!!!! But, now both of you have the info.

 

[patient 99]

I had a long recovery-

Kelly very much appreciate the articles. Will sit down later and quietly read through them.
Chris, linking people up with similar problems is so helpful. Carol

 

[maryo52]

Gee, look at my signature. I might've mentioned before. I had arthroscopic removal of scar tissue. It's a minor procedure. You don't get off the table and start doing deep knee bends. It was a month before I made it past 90. (Something about those muscles being "imprisoned" by scar tissue for so long makes them not stretch and contract very well for a while.) If your surgeon did a second MUA instead of the arthrolysis, then most likely he's not great at arthroscopic surgery or doesn't believe it will work . . . either case, you can't explore this option without a partnering surgeon.

I also believe my scar tissue was not caused by some quirk of my physiology but by the laxity of my knee installation -- I figured this out via others' experiences here -- so there is a reason you're having scar tissue (you've probably ruminated about this quite a bit). No matter, the arthrolysis has a good success rate and is the least invasive next thing to try. You might tag Josephine for help finding a doctor to work with you.

 

[54andfighting]

Sending you massive amounts of support on your journey! Glad you are posting, it helps!!! Good people, good advisors on this site. I am very thankful for it. Hang in, do something nice for YOU today.