Knee Infection* Third time's the charm, I hope

[maryo52]

@Pumpkln @Roy Gardiner Tell me about your experience with the long tibial stems. At what point did they stop bothering you, and did exercise make it worse? I seem to have more pain now than 3 months ago. Definitely on either side of the tibial about where the stem ends. Seems like anything I do other than just walking causes stiffness and achyness.

 

[Pumpkin]

Maryo52,
The stems bothered me for about 6 months, it was just a slight ache. Since then I have not noticed them. Exercise or activity did not make it worse.
@lovetocookandsew has stems and continues to have pain and discomfort.

Have you contacted your surgeon?

 

[Roy Gardiner]

Tell me about your experience with the long tibial stems. At what point did they stop bothering you, and did exercise make it worse?

At the risk of seeming smug, I never noticed them. My surgeon chose to use them and I didn't know until I saw the x-rays. The only training exercise I do is to walk a bit and to ride my bike. Never a twinge that could be put down to long stems.

 

[sistersinhim]

I don't have the long stems, but I still have some discomfort down my shin, especially is I lean against it. I think, since you have narrowed it down to weights and straight leg lifts, that you sure reduce that until your leg adjusts to it. Why cause yourself extra pain when you don't have to?

 

[maryo52]

@sistersinhim What concerns me is that the first 7-8 months went so smoothly, and starting in September I seem to have discomfort that I didn't have before. I backed off of the routines I was doing. I will be seeing my PT this coming Friday and will discuss whether I need to contact my surgeon or not. My surgeon actually went to work for Zimmer and the practice is in Boston, and I don't think the amount of discomfort I'm having rises to the level of making a trip to Boston when I'll be seeing them in two months anyhow. At least that's my thinking today!

 

[sistersinhim]

I think you should decrease some of your exercises and see if your knee/leg improves. If it is loose then you're doing more harm than good continuing with what you are doing.

 

[Lindylee]

@maryo52 Hi, we're at similar stages timewise and I wonder if the side step ups are causing the increased stiffness at this stage? I was given some to do about 8 weeks ago to strengthen my hips and they aggravated my knee causing stiffness, swelling and discomfort so I stopped them with the agreement of my physio. Instead, he suggested I swapped to standing sideways on a step on my operated leg with the other leg off the step and just bent the knee slightly, lowering the free leg, as far as was comfortable, and that seems to be alright.

I saw the surgeon 3 weeks ago and he advised to expect the soft tissue to be irritated for 18 months, which means I'm halfway there. I think I was pinning my hopes on all discomfort ceasing by now and found it quite reassuring, even if disappointing, that it's going to be longer than I thought!

 

[maryo52]

@Lindylee that's good information. I don't mind this. It just seems so similar to the aseptic loosening I experienced about this time last year.

Yes, the side step ups did not go over well. I'll try the other one. I see my PT this Friday (hard to believe she's not the little girl in my son's 3rd grade class!). Will work on something that stimulates my quad without making the other tissues angry. If I just go about normal life, I have no problem. Your post is very reassuring, thank you.

 

[KneeHelp]

I had my surgery the same day as you and I was doing great until about 4 months.

Using the bike at the gym threw me into excruciating piriformus syndrome. When I went to my GO he advised more PT. I have ignored him along with everyone stating I should be doing much better by now.

I still use my cane in public, stretches daily, icing, massage, and Tens machine. My body is extremely stubborn when it comes to my recovery.

I slowed way down, I didn't really have a choice, lol. I have tried to accept the fact that I am going to be 'one of those people ' that recovery is closer to the 2 year mark!

I'm back at the gym one a week for upper strength and briefly on the treadmill for extension holding onto the rails and moving SLOW.

I feel so old, lol. I was so discouraged after starting to heal then back sliding. I hope we all heal soon!

 

[maryo52]

My PT showed me a routine, a wall slide, which you do with a therband around the thighs. So you have to work to hold legs 12" apart (feet the same) while doing wall slides, and I have control over how deep I slide (not very). I'll do 5 and leave it alone for a couple of days. Otherwise the knee gets cranky. I'm finding this allowed me to strengthen more of the quad in a very gentle way. So I am back to feeling great.

It helped the other day when someone told me something her orthopedist said: "It's an artificial joint and it will never feel like a real joint."

I also was able to conquer my piriformis syndrome -- not through the usual stretching and strengthening routines. My PT said they've found that about half the people diagnosed with piriformis actually have discogenic pain. So she has me doing a cobra stretch (either on the floor or standing), 20 times a day. It's worked great for me.

 

[Pumpkin]

Happy to hear you have found relief from your "piriformis" syndrome and an exercise that works your quad.

 

[maryo52]

Credit to my PT, who used to be a little girl in my son's class growing up. I get a kick every time I see her. She's very forward thinking, always going to conferences to further her learning.

 

[Spex10]

Both my new knees feel like real ones now!

 

[Cementless]

It helped the other day when someone told me something her orthopedist said: "It's an artificial joint and it will never feel like a real join."

I have been wondering about that! My Revision OS said, "you expect too much out of your revision" when I saw him at nine months. That kinda threw me off. I really respect him as a revision specialist.
I do wonder if he made the wrong decision not to replace my patella button, though. It feels different with my revision than before my revision.

 

[sistersinhim]

I can't tell my knee isn't natural. The thing that is different is that my natural knee hurts more!

 

[jancat]

Wow, @maryo52! Just catching up here following my other TKA. I recall the original TKA issues you were having back then! What a journey and so glad you finally have a good outcome!

 

[maryo52]

Well it's been some more months since revision. My annual visit was unremarkable. The radiology report mentioned there was an effusion. I've had effusion every since my 11/15/10 original TKA. I'm used to it. But now this Spring I'm having more pain than last Spring, which was soon after the revision.

My theory is I have synovitis. I had a short but sharp pain yesterday that zinged right down my leg, and I thought, wow, maybe got my synovium pinched in the joint. I lay blame at the lifting I do several times a day getting my lame old Labrador Retriever into my car. Does that jive with your thinking?

I went and saw my physical therapist. She checked strengths on both legs and found that my right leg is weak and has prescribed some routines to strengthen the area around my hip.

I am a little paranoid that I'm having loosening again. I sometimes do heavy work around our yard and field. But then I remind myself that the loosening I had in 2018 was due to polyethylene particles.

Hi to all my pals at Bonesmart, and I'm next going to check in and see what Josephine has posted as the last I heard she was waiting for a surgery date.

 

[Pumpkin]

Maryo52
Welcome back, sorry to hear you may have synovitis. Hope the exercises your PT gave you will help with your knee.
Josephine retired earlier this year, and is doing well with her revision.

All the best with your knee,

 

[maryo52]

My revision knee is not doing well after 16 months with no problems of any kind. There's multiple pain spots, all below the joint line. Pain on the inner aspect, the outer aspect. It's tender behind the knee. And when I bend forward (such as pulling weeds), my tibia hurts! I have a 5" stem and have had occasional stem pain but this is so much more. I know I've been very active working in my garden and so forth doing pretty physically demanding chores. But I did the same stuff last year at the same time, and with a very new knee, without a problem.

If any of this is ringing a bell with anyone, I'd love to hear from you.

Tomorrow I have a phone appt. with a nurse practitioner at the orthopedic office, and I imagine they'll want x-rays and labs.

I must confess I am very anxious. I have had so so many issues with this knee starting with arthroscopic surgery in 2000 to clean up a torn meniscus, to primary TKA with full-blown arthrofibrosis, two arthroscopic clean outs, and finally the revision (which was the easiest of all of that, believe or not). I probably won't relax until the results of the x-ray are known.

 

[Pumpkin]

maryo52
Glad you going to talk to a nurse practitioner at your orthopedic office. Sounds like you are going to need a face to face appointment to get to the bottom of what is going on with your knee.
Sending positive thoughts your way.