Hi
I've been going for a little while and thought I would update you on my progress and frustrations starting from my 1st TKR on March 2015 at 48yrs old after waiting 10yrs as my Surgeon advised me when diagnosed over 10yrs ago that I was young and it would be better to wait it out as long as possibly.
The TKR last year was a night mare for me as I posted last year server bruising all the way down my leg and huge swelling for a long time, a bend of only 38degrees, got to 50degress after 4months well I had the MUA which was done late June 2015 with no better outcome I continued to do PT twice a week including Hydro pool work as well as my own exercising at home and after 14months and only getting to 75degrees a decision was made to do revision surgery. I have a very highly regarded Surgeon in this field but neither the less I got a second opinion that ended up confirming my Surgeons thoughts a TKR was required. The X-rays showed that the TKR looked good in the XRay and positioned well and it had to be something else stopping my bend..
Well on June 27th 2016 I had the revision done and felt really good after surgery not much pain but the usual stiffiness and swelling my surgeon said that he removed a lot of scar tissue during the procedure that had developed and I managed to get a 55degree bend couple of days later which after 38degrees last year I was over the moon with tears of joy.
Started PT only to have a problem within the next 48hrs with excess bleeding that went on for 2 weeks and also got a mild staff infection on the outside of the wound my tears of joy went to tears of frustration. This limited my PT and stopped for 4 days but then was back into it I worked harder in those sessions then most doing 2 sets of everything and sets of 20 and only slow progress was seen got to 65degrees then a lot of mobilisation work was done by the Physio pushing the leg back controlled with also massaging and I got to 75degree and was discharged from hospital after 4 weeks 2 weeks longer than anticipated but that's all the bend ever got to with the Physio pushing 75degrees whilst others were well past 90..
I went back to the surgeon after a week of being discharged so was just under 6 weeks from the operation and he was concerned and has given me 2 weeks to get better movement and that PT would focus more agresively in attacking the bend and I'm to go to hydro pool every day focussing on my bend and if the bend doesn't improve sufficiently after 2 weeks when I go back to seeing him I'm to go in for MUA which didn't work last year after my TKR.
The surgeon is very concern of scar tissue building again and after the first week from seeing him I've gone backwards again even more to 65degree and I do the exercises and also hydro pool every day I'm not sure what's going on???
But I do know the suffering I had from the first TKR last year and quality of life changing only having a bend of 75degree and constant swelling and stiffness every day after work and I'm concerned that's where I'm heading again??? This time it's not as swollen but still have the stiffness and getting worse but I also feel the knee cap moving around when I walk or move the leg around and it's an unpleasant and unnatural feeling which I didn't have last year.
I'm now lost for words why is this happening????
Is it safe to assume that if I can not get a bend better than last time of 75degrees it's not worth doing it a 3rd time? Is there anyone that has experience that the revision TKR didn't work and left with a bend less than 90degree and just had to live with it?
Thanks and apologies for the long message.