So after yesterday appointment with the OS, we can now rule out infection, thank goodness. That's a big, big weight lifted off my shoulders. Bloodwork and x-rays came back clean. I have no swelling, the incision is healing nicely, she checked for any looseness in my knee no issues there, and since my last visit with my OS at week 6 my ROM has improved from 100/0 to 120/0. All indications that I should be having a good recovery.
So why do have pain only when I stand up and put bear weight on my surgical leg?
She said.
In traditional knee replacement surgery, the surgeon cuts muscles, tendons and ligaments to get to the knee joint. When you have two major knee surgeries in less than three months, more tissues, muscles and tendons are cut during surgery, the recovery is more painful and the healing process takes even longer.
You also have to take into consideration during your first surgery we put in a cement antibiotic spacer and the 2 rods to prevent your knee from bending with no bear weight just toe touch for three months, during that time your muscles and tendons were not being utilized and become even weaker. If I recall, after your second surgery I put you on a six-week no bear weight just toe touch restriction. So obviously once you started putting bear weight on your knee your muscles and tendons started screaming.
The bottom line, she feels the pain I'm having stems from having weak muscles and tendons since there is no other obvious reason for my pain. She recommended I start physical therapy right away and in six weeks if I don't feel any improvement to make another appointment with her and we'll go from there.
I'm just so grateful and thrilled to death that I don't have reoccurring knee infection. Anyone that's been through the nightmare of a two-stage TKR revision with a staph infection can testify to this. I have been through a lot in my adult life, but nothing ever prepared me or tested my will to survive like the last four months from having back-to-back TKR surgeries.