Revision TKR Third and final surgery all done

[kayow11]

@Jockette, thanks for the Amazon info.
Have been thinking about you and reading your posts and praying for you. We'll see what transpires as time goes on with your symptoms and your search for another physician, if that's what you are doing, which I think you have one in mind already.

@Josephine, could you please read my last post and let me know if you have heard of those two conditions, neuroma, and pes bursitis post knee replacement? I was just wondering since you have so much experience with things like this.

Thanks ladies for your help.

 

[Josephine]

neuroma

Neuromas can be quite common things. They are little cysts that grow on a nerve and are usually caused by irritation on or around that nerve. Thus it would seem likely they can occur in a number of places such as fingers and toes or near any joint including the knee.

Here's an example of a Morton's neuroma in the foot

pes bursitis

And there are also many, many bursae that occur in the human body. They generally occur almost anywhere where a ligament arises from a bone or rubs on a bone - like these.
Baker's cysts and other knee bursae
You can see the Pes Enserine bursa bottom right

 

[Jockette]

@Josephine Thank you for that explanation. Is the pes answerine bursa on the medial or lateral side?

I’m going to copy your post onto my thread for reference.

 

[Josephine]

Well if you remember that the fibula is on the lateral or outside side, then it follows that pes anserine is medial.

lateral = on the outer aspect or away from the midline
medical = on the inner aspect or nearer the midline
anterior = front
posterior = back

 

[kayow11]

@Josephine, thanks for the diagram and anatomical explanation. Have you heard of any other effective treatments besides cortisone shots to decrease their pain symptoms or swelling?
And have you heard of any one else that has posted on this forum, having either of these problems post knee replacement?

 

[KarriB]

How is your walking going?

 

[Josephine]

Didn't you read this article Baker's cysts and other knee bursae?
It explains all alternative treatments and remedies.

 

[kayow11]

@Josephine, Yes, I did read the article, but didn't notice very much info about treatments. I will read it again.

@KarriB, Since I have added the gym back in, and even though I'm not really working my legs except my calf muscles with up on the toes and down, I think this has increased some of my symptoms and swelling and sensitivity to everything.

On the days I have done the gym, I usually try to take a 15 minute walk also, but now I am finding out that that is too much activity in one day for my knees. I will try The gym up to two times a week, and try to walk on alternate days and see if I can handle the activity.

Today I went to a new podiatrist for some orthotics that will work better with my straight legs and foot contacts. My whole foot alignment is different now, but since I had the crooked need for six months, the podiatrist said it has stretched out my tibialis posterior muscle on that left foot arch, and I feel I have permanent damage there. Hopefully the orthotics will do the job and keep my foot from hurting on longer walks or standing, and hopefully hiking in my future in a year or two.

This whole new knees saga is still in the nightmare stage. Every day is the same or with some slight variations.

It sure would be nice to say I have some permanent improvement or something that actually is really gone so I can feel better. The biggest issue is both of them swelling if I do even the slightest bit too much. And what they think is too much and what I think is too much, are two very different things.

Maybe I should just do the gym one day a week, and concentrate on more walking. That might be enough for now. That 13 month old knee still is having problems with a swollen spot that hurts as much or more than the three-month-old knee. Don't know if it is a bursitis problem or a neuroma.

In fact, the more I think about it, it reminds me of you @KarriB and Susie shoes who only did walking and no other exercise, and both of you have great results. But I know that Susie shoes didn't have the swelling problems that I have.

But thanks for asking about the walking, and I need to re-focus on that more.

 

[Niftyknee]

Sorry you’re having these ongoing issues I’ve had a Morton’s neuroma in my foot before and had it removed (botched surgery meant 2 more rounds of surgery). I’ve never heard of them in the knee before. Learn something new every day. Cortisone did not help my neuroma- only the removal of it helped. 16 years later I still cannot walk barefoot!

I hope you can get some answers and some relief.

 

[kayow11]

@Niftyknee, Thanks for your reply.

I wasn't for sure diagnosed with neuroma in the knee, but my knee replacement that is 13 months old, has had a particular area near the bottom half of the incision and all around it and even across when it gets mad, that is always tender and really swells up with a little too much activity. Putting an ice pack on that knee really aggravates that's swelled spot and makes it throb and hurt real bad. That is why I suspected a nerve issue because of how it responds to the cold.

It could also be a pes answering bursitis according to my surgeons PA also. I did look up these two conditions, but I think right now, I'm just going to give things more time to heal. I have really been through the wringer with both of these knees but I am still hoping and praying for a decent outcome eventually.

Three surgeries for my knees in 10 months is a lot for a body to handle. I think for me it just may take two or three times longer than most people to get out of this quandary.
So my job now is to stay as active as my knees will let me be, and just concentrate on functional things like walking more and increasing that.

I see you just had knee replacement a few days ago. Hopefully yours will work out fine because most do.

 

[SusieShoes]

My left knee was the bane of my recovery. I recovered really well, but there was a spot on Lefty, beside the bottom half of the incision and toward the inside, that just did not want to settle down. It hurt when I slept in positions it didn’t like; it hurt if I lifted my leg (straight and toward the inside) in certain ways; it was fussy about some swimming and acted up a little when biking. It was tender if pressed. It responded well to ice. My OS told me it was most likely a bursa. By location I reckon it was/is the pes anserine bursa.

He said he could inject it, but he preferred me to give it more time. In his experience this kind of pain settled down and would go away with time and avoiding activities that made it unhappy. He dislikes injection for a number of good reasons. So I did it his way. Slept with a pillow between my legs when on my side; pillow under both knees when I slept on my back (spot hated being straight); moved my leg in ways that didn’t upset it. Lefty kind of ruled my life for a few months after every other aspect of my TKRs was peachy. No pain at all except for “the spot.” No limitations except for those the spot insisted on.

Just last month “the spot” went away. It had slowly been getting better and vanishing on occasion. Now it’s gone. Completely. I figure the bursa finally settled down just like my OS said it would. I’m fourteen months out from surgery.

This may not be exactly your situation, of course. Every knee is different. Every bursa is different. But if it is a pes anserine bursa that’s giving you trouble, it may settle down on its own. Other members have reported good results from cortisone injections. You are still in middle of recovery, so time may still be the best treatment for a pain of this sort. I hope you get relief sooner than later!

 

[KarriB]

Why don’t you try just walking to see how the knee reacts and give the gym a break? I found that since walking is what we really want our knees to do that it’s the best exercise for them.

 

[Hood1980]

Three major surgeries in 10 months is a lot for a body to deal with! Hoping your healing path is back on track soon! I definitely believe it’s like the squiggly line diagram and not the gentle upward line that we expect. Often you can say it was too much activity or a slight twist or misstep, but more often than not, who knows why you have a setback. Keep up the positive attitude and gentle self care.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Josephine]

I will try The gym up to two times a week, and try to walk on alternate days and see if I can handle the activity. Maybe I should just do the gym one day a week, and concentrate on more walking.

I think that 'maybe' you shouldn't do the gym AT ALL !!

Don't know if it is a bursitis problem or a neuroma.

I think I said earlier that both of these will be greatly aggravated by activity. So if you want it to get better, quit the activity!

I recommend you read my recovery thread to see how little exercising I did for either knee! Knee recoveries UK style Parts I & II (Josephine)

 

[kayow11]

Thanks ladies for all of your valuable input and advice. I really do take it to heart.
The reason I started the gym was because I feel weak in the knees, (haha), legs, hips, compromised balance, and I know that strengthening hip and gluteal muscles specifically, can very much help with balance. I don't want to risk a fall and break something else or my knee! So it's not like I am being stupid or careless about going to the gym, but that is where I feel I can work my hips and glutes most effectively, on their machines. Somehow though, it is aggravating my knees which doesn't make a lot of sense to me.
But I do agree with you all, that maybe I just need to stop the gym and just do walking, and not too much of that either. I can always practice some balance stuff at home but I guess I will just have to put off the other stuff for now.
@SusieShoes, your post particularly spoke to me because it sounded a lot like my current problems. The swelling does seem to be in that pes bursa area, and can spread to a much bigger area when its aggravated. But yet also it seems to have symptoms and aspects of a neuroma too, especially because ice extremely aggravates it. It throbs so bad that I have to take it off usually in about five to ten minutes. But at this point, I am choosing to give things more time because I don't want a cortisone shot which could give me further issues.
My spot also hate having my knee straight. It hurts, and swells up more, and gets very tender. I can't find any particular movement I do that makes it hurt other than that. But I just know that increased activity (according to the knee boss) or forced bending make it worse. Even the tightness or pressure of my compression stockings can make it feel more painful too, but I have to wear them.
So like Josephine says, either one is aggravated by too much activity. You would think I would have learned by now, but like I have said earlier in posts, I have a hard time pulling the reins back because I want to get better and I think more is good. I assume though that all of my symptoms will leave later than most peoples, but part of it could just be my fault.
I will also re-read the articles Josephine posted about UK style recovery from knee replacement and the bursa/ neuroma treatments. I frequently get sidetracked and return to my old ways and forget the new things I have learned. I guess I can't always blame that on my short term memory loss though huh? which by the way is still getting better.
I really do appreciate all of you here on Bonesmart! Thanks for being patient with me and reminding me of what I need to do.

 

[Jockette]

 

[kayow11]

Thanks for the big hug @Jockette!

 

[KarriB]

We’re all in a hurry to get back to our normal lives, but the knees are in charge and let us know when we’re expecting too much. I think it’s wise to focus on one thing to see what may be bothering the knee. I did ride my exercise bike when recovering, but at 0 resistance. If you try just walking I think you’ll be surprised at how strong it’ll make your knee eventually, not right away because you’ll need to build up slowly.

 

[kayow11]

I think that is a great idea @KarriB! I will try to be good and remember this. I would love to be able to ride a bike even with no resistance. My knees can't bend that far. And my problem is that when I am walking, it doesn't feel too bad. It's a few hours later and the next day or two that it hollers at me.
After I have exercised or worked out a little, they feel so much looser, more flexible and stronger, but only temporarily before more swelling and stiffness sets in, and I have to rest them for hours or days.
I still have so much trouble with stiffness. Does everyone have this severe stiffness for months or even years afterwards? It's crazy! when I stand up from a chair that I have been in for more than 15 minutes, I have to stand there for a while so my legs can hold my weight, and so I can move my legs with accuracy and not just fall. The brain to muscle connection is still slow.
Hopefully this will improve too.

 

[KarriB]

I had that problem upon standing for quite a while, well into year two and getting up out of a car...ugh. It took a few weeks of rocking pedals on the bike before I could get a full rotation, but the bike did help me a great deal with flexion.