OATS Procedure Recovery

[Beauzer]

Bummer about the scope Rich.  But hopefully, they'll get some answers for you.

Not too much to report here.  I'm back to work.  Can't quite do a whole day on my feet, but I'm close.  The knee hurts some, but not at the graft site, so it's OK.

Good luck Saturday,
Danielle

[RichE]

Sorry for the delay in replying, some minor family emergencies!!

Anyway, finally had the scope on Saturday.  I was the last person on the list for theatre so the OS came to see me when I was still in the recovery room. Consequently, I don't remember a word he said, but I'm seeing him a week on Saturday anyway.

Day 5 post op and the knee is feeling 100 times better than before.  The knee cap tracks correctly and no locking so far.  I almost broke into a run across the office this morning to get my ringing phone!!

I finally feel like I can can get on with fully recovering. I can't get back to the sports I loved to play, but being able to walk normally and play with my daughter is looking more achievable.

I see the PT at lunchtime today and I'll post againafter mt OS appointment.

Hope you're continuing to recover well Danielle 

Rich

[Beauzer]

Glad to hear everything feels better now Rich.  I'm interested in hearing what they found and did during the OP. 

Things are OK here.  I'm still having some patellofemoral stuff (sharp pain, popping) from time to time, but the graft site feels great.  My 12-week appointment is tomorrow.

Good luck,
Danielle

[RichE]

Well, I finally saw the consultant yesterday who said they'd had to do a significant lateral release of the knee cap.

He basically said the knee cap was disappearing round the outside of my knee joint when I bent it.  It still feels good but on Tuesday of this week the knee blew up again just as it had at the end of last year before this whole episode started :-(

He said its not unexpected and due to the grade III on the back of the knee cap to add to the work he'd already done, it was likely that the knee would complain from time to time as the knee cap found its rightful position and the cartilage transfer settled down.

He'd recommend that I took some Glucosamine and chondrotin suphate tablet if I wasn't already (I wasn't!).

Anyone have any god/bad experiences with these (I'll be checking out the supplements group next!)?

Anway, hope your recovery is still progressing well Danielle and I'll try and report any results on the supplements!

Take care!

Rich.

[RichE]

Well my tablets arrived yesterday and a couple of hours after taking the first one the bottom dropped out of my world (or should that be the other way around!).  I have taken another two tablets as per the bottle's and OS's direction and the symptoms have continued today including head aches and indigestion.

I've posted to the supplements board to see if anyone has had similar experiences?

R.

[Beauzer]

Hi, sorry I haven't written.  It's been crazy busy here. 

I never had headaches with the glucosamine and chondroitin, but did have a lot of GI upset.  The stuff helped me a few years back (after my microfracture), but didn't do much lately with the OCD thing.  I stopped taking them due to indigestion (and the high cost).

Everything is OK here.  I'm having some maltracking sometimes.  My OS wants me to wear a hinged brace again as I still have some medial instability (not a surprise, as we didn't fix the MCL - but it's 100X better than it was).  I find it makes my kneecap pop out more, though, so I'm not doing it.

Try some antacid or H2 blocker with the suppliments for a few days.  It might help.

~D

[RichE]

It's been a good 6 weeks since I've updated progress on my recovery and its been a case of 'so far so good'. 

The lateral release of the knee cap has made a huge difference and apart from a few days where I know I've overdone it and get some aches, the knee appears to be holding up well.

Obviously, I'm not putting anywhere near the same amount of stress throught the joint as I once was as I'm not able to participate in any impact sports but on a day to day basis its fine.

I found a solution to the side effects of the glucosamine tablets and that was to take it in liquid form.  I found plenty of websites selling the liquid form but all were based in the US (I'm in the UK).  Then I found Perfect Shape's website.  The price, delivery etc. seemed comparable with the US sites and I've not had any of the unpleasent side effects from this product that I experienced with the tablets, so all I can say is, it works for me. Although the website is a bit garish 

http://www.perfect-shape.co.uk/catalog/product.php?productid=27&cat=0&page=1

I AM IN NO WAY RELATED TO THIS WEBSITE/BUSINESS/PRODUCT AND I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANYONE WHO CHOOSES TO USE IT.

Hope this helps others see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Cheers,

Rich

[RichE]

Went for my 3 month appoinment last week and I've been discharged by the consultant 

He took another x-ray and everything looked good.  Well, he said he was really pleased with the outcome of what was a bad situation.

I've got full range of movement, still no football/running (ever), aches on days I've over done it but I suppose I've got to be pleased with its current condition.

I'm looking at 7-10 year before a TKR so I'm trying to look after it till then.

See you all in 2012!!!

[Beauzer]

Congrats Rich!

I'm glad to hear that things are going well.  I got discharged at 3 months post-OATS too.  And then got a stress fracture from recurrent AVN in October.  Spent another 6 weeks NWB.  Everything is finally on the mend now.

Take care,
Danielle

[RichE]

That's real tough luck Danielle.

I'm glad to hear that the OATS went well and you're on the mend again.

Here's to a happy, injury free 2006!!

Happy New Year 

Rich.

[Beauzer]

I just got back from the OS.  It's now been 4 months since my MFC stress fracture from AVN after my OATS.  My x-rays look stable.  My OS doubts the area will heal completely, so I guess that's as good as it gets.   / /   Not sure if that's good or bad. 

Overall, things are OK.  I can stand in the OR for a whole day, as long as I get a few breaks throughout the day.  I can walk on flat surfaces just fine.  I just don't navigate stairs or hills very well.  I still get patellofemoral pain, which is annoying and from scar tissue, but once I'm off the knee, it's OK.  My quad strength is returning, but VERY slowly.  I'm swimming again, but biking still bothers me. 

Since things haven't gotten any worse, I can follow-up less frequently now (like every 3 months).  So that seems like a step in the right direction.  Here's to staving off disaster for another few months (why do I feel like I have a timebomb waiting to go off in my knee?)

Danielle

[RichE]

Glad to hear you've not had any setbacks since we last spoke.

I've not really done any swimming or biking so my knees not been complaining. 

I am however suffering with a prolapsed disc in my lower back 

A bit of over-energetic gardening the cause this time.

Guess I'll need to check out the backguru forum 

Not the start to 2006 I was hoping for but I'm on the mend now.

Good luck remaining injury free 

Rich

[Beauzer]

I had my 1 year follow-up appointment for my OATS today.  To bring folks up to speed:

I had multiple ligament and cartilage injuries treated in the past (ACL, MCL/medial capsule plication, multiple chondroplasties and microfracture).  I developed post-traumatic OCD or AVN and had an OATS to my MFC for intractable pain and cartilage loss on 4/25/05. 

Postop I was NWB for 6 weeks and was aggressively rehabbed.  I returned to work full steam in 7/05.  Did great until 10/05 when I had recurrent AVN and fractured my MFC.  I spent another 6 weeks NWB and another 4 getting back on my feet.  It's been a slow recovery since then.

Overall, I'd have to say I'm doing pretty well.  I look at where I was before the OATS and where I am now and it was definitely worth it.  Don't get me wrong, it's been a rough year.  Even now, my knee doesn't put up with much at all (I tweaked my MCL this weekend by just turning around - I had a bone bruise last month from jogging across the street to avoid getting mugged...)  I really have to baby the knee, absolutely no high-impact activities.  On one hand, it sucks to be 31 and limited to only stationary bike and swimming.

But, I have tolerable pain.  The only thing that really bothers me is patellofemoral irritation from the donor site and scar tissue (9 surgeries!!!)  But before my OATS I could barely walk or stand, didn't sleep in over 4 months and thought I was going to have to quit my job.  So making it to the one year mark and being within sight of completing residency (2 months) is a pretty amazing thing.

Happy birthday knee!
Danielle

[Beauzer]

Hi all.

Yesterday was the one-year anniversary of me fracturing my MFC from AVN after my OATS.  Boy, that is a day I'd like to forget!    It's burned into my memory.  I can remember the exact second it happened and the femur breaking is a noise I don't ever want to hear again!

Anyway, things are good here.  It's about 18 months out from the OATS.  The knee still doesn't put up with much, but is doing very well, all things considered.  I do have some FP grinding and some occasional popping, but overall the knee feels pretty darn good.  I swim and stationary bike.  I walk the dog 1/2 to 1 mile a day (very very slowly).  And, I can work without any problem at all.  I also finished my residency and started in solo practice in general surgery.

Here's to staving off TKR for at least a few more years.

Best of luck to everyone,
Danielle

[thkaa]

Hi Danielle,

Very excited to see your improvement and congradulation to your anniversary. Your oats has been done for 1 and a half years. How does it feel? Can you stand for a long time, say, half an hour or an hour? I wonder if the feeling will be different from microfacture. My microfacture has been done over one and a half year and the pain comes back and I'm thinking about the oats, will you recommend it to others? How did your OS do the surgery, open knee or scope?

Hope to see your encouraging reply.

Sammy