Going to see Dr.W in Ann Arbor, MI

[Janet]

Nick:

I also got my ROM back quickly but continued to have a lot of popping and catching. In fact, at the six-week appointment, I couldn't bend my knee past about 40 degrees because the patella would "catch." Dr. W told me it was subluxing because of my weak quads. As the quads slowly, slowly strengthened, the popping and catching subsided. I still have some catching, but he says he thinks the cartilage defect behind the patella is catching.

Anyway, I don't know if that's the same thing you are experiencing, but I'd give it more time and see if better strength helps to keep the patella in place.

Janet

[mee]

Nick,

I had the same experience.  My patella would get stuck because my VMO was too weak or misfiring or whatever the heck it was doing.  It lasted a couple of months - I'm sure my PT got sick of trying to reassure me, because I was completely convinced that my knee would never be right.  Ah, the joys of knee rehab....... :-)

It still pops every once in a while and I know that's a reminder for me to up my quad work.  Overall, though, it's fine. 

Mary

[Nick 33]

Janet and Mary

Thanks for your posts, It makes me feel a little better that it just isn't me.  Had a PT sessions today just rode the bike for about 12 min. and some light motions.  I will see the Doctor next Tuesday.  Thanks again.

Nick

[Nick 33]

Hello fellow kneegeeks

I have a question.  I know everyone of us have had different surgeries, different severities of arthrofibrosis.  But my question is how long did you wait till you tried to start walking again after a arthrofibrotic  surgery? and how did it feel?  Did it swell up?  If anybody could answer this I would appreciate it.

Thank You
Nick

[Janet]

Exactly what do you mean, "tried walking again"? Do you mean putting weight on your leg with a walking motion? Do you mean walking without crutches?

After my first MUA and scope, I never used crutches at all. I was using a cane before the surgery and just continued with it after. After the second surgery (LOA and LR), I used crutches for a couple of days then went to a cane. Both times the instructions were to get walking again as soon as possible.

After my last LOA with Dr. W, he said we take things very slowly. I was completely non-weight bearing for two weeks, although they wanted me to simulate the walking motion even with the crutches. Then I slowly started adding weight, and was off the crutches at about 6-7 weeks post-op. I continued using a cane for about a month after that, as I was still having a lot of pain. Unfortunately, I never did get to the point where I could walk without a limp, although it did improve. And the pain eventually decreased significantly, although it took about 8 months.

Janet

[Nick 33]

Hello fellow knee geeks

I made it back from my first check up from Dr. Wojtys office in Ann Arbor today.  I had my stitch's taken out of my knee, and talked to the Doctor a little then I was off, 950 miles round trip.  Thats a long ways to see a Doctor, but a good Doctor.  The trip raised hell on my knee because I didn't have much time to work on it because of the long drive and it swelled up pretty bad on the way home, eventhough I have a portable kryo/cuff (cooling unit).
Dr. Wojtys said my knee is coming around good, I was concerned about the swelling below the knee where all the scar tissue was, but he said thats normal because of the LOA that had taken place there.  My current ROM is about 0-130'ish after I warm it up, and get moving hard on it.  But it hurts like hell from 0 to 20 deg. after that its smooth, once again its because of where all the scar tissue was.  So he wants me to work hard on that motion to loosen it up.  Dr. Wojtys put me on full weight bearing today, and start swimming, and turn it up a little more in therapy.  He wants me to ride my bike for about 2-3 times a day for about 1/2hr. each time on hard surface, lower gears to make things smooth as possible.  He also said I will be back to work in 4 weeks, I don't know how I'm going to pull that rabbit out of my hat, but I'm going to try like hell.  I have alot of hard work ahead of me, starting tomarrow I just hope and pray I'm up for it.

Nick 33

[Nick 33]

Get this

I received a phone call today from the short term disability office from my work.  It seems like they want me to go back to work even if its desk work, I'm a welder that stands all day.  Just as long as they get a note from the Doctor stating I can do limited work like at a desk I have to go back.  So my short term disability rep. is calling Dr. Wojtys office to see if I'm capable of such things.  I can't believe that, I probably exercise and ice 3-4 hours a day, how the hell do I suppose to do all that at work?  My ST rep also told me there should not be no need for me to be off of work for 6-9 weeks for a simple arthroscopy surgery.  These people don't understand everbody is different when it comes to surgery, where not all cloned.  If they want to pay may to sit at a desk and type, and get paid the same amount as I would for welding, fine.  Sorry if I am power wining but I just need to get this out. 

Thank You
Nick

[Janet]

You may want to call and talk to one of the PAs about this. Tell them you are not ready to go back to work and don't want Dr. W to okay it. Make sure they know that it is work pressuring you to go back, not you wanting to go back this early. Make sure they know you need this time to concentrate on your rehab.

Good luck. It's hard enough to rehab without having to worry about work, too.

Janet

[Nick 33]

Hello everyone

I've been riding the bike and walking now for about 3 days, and its killing me.  I can only be on my feet for about 1 hour then I have to elevate and Ice for another hour.  The area it effects is the area of the scar tissue removal.  I called up Sue at Medsport and told her what was happening she said that its normal.  Use my cruthch's if needed after biking or walking she said.  She said I should start to notice week by week a difference.  I hope so, cause it hurts.  Have any of you arthrofibrosis sufferers had the same experience?  Doctor wanted me to ride the bike 2 times a day, I've only been doing it once because of all the flare ups in the knee.  He said I'd be back in four weeks to work,  I might need a miracle to pull that off.

Nick 33

[Nick 33]

Hello all

Well I'm back to work as of monday for 2 weeks of light duty, then I can go back with no limitations.  I seen Dr. Wojtys last tuesday and he thought I had good ROM and not much swelling.  ROM is about 0-130 deg. I don't think I will ever get past that, thats where I've been the last 1.5 years.  The other leg is 135-140 deg.  Don't get me wrong I think my ROM is good, but I still have problems below the patella.  I have to ice for about an hour before I can walk normal then I'm good for awhile.  I don't think all of the soft tissue is still enflamed from the surgery, I think its regrowth of scar tissue because I get snapping and poping in there along with alot of resistance.  I thought the doctor released me early to go back to work.  But who am I to judge. 

Nick

[Janet]

Nick:

Kathi and I were both saw Dr. W on Tuesday, too. I didn't know Kathi was there until she called me later that night. Too bad we didn't coordinate!!

Sorry you are still concerned about your knee. If Dr. W thinks you are doing well, that should take some of your worry away. Did you tell him you thought the scar tissue was returning? What did he say?

Hope work goes well for you.

Janet

[Nick 33]

Janet

The doctor didn't seem to concerned about anything I told him.  My knee felt hot and swollen and he said it wasn't swollen.  I even asked for a cortizone shot and he shot me down.  I wanted something to kill the pain and get the swelling down but all he said is that I didn't need that.  What is a good anti inflamitory drug besides alleve and advil?  What is medrol steroid dose packs? do those work?  The only time I can walk normal is if I have a ice pack on my knee to keep swelling down.  Getting really concerned and worried.

Nick

[Janet]

Nick:

I can only speak from my experience, which of course is different from yours. But if I remember correctly, you waited a long time to have your surgery. The same thing happened to me. By the time I saw Dr. W, I had already had LOA twice and had been complaining about the continuing problems for about two years. He told me it would be 6-8 months before we even knew if the surgery was successful (I think because it had been going on so long and I also had a patellar chondral defect). He was right. At the four month mark, I was still in a LOT of pain, especially through the patellar tendon, and it was affecting my rehab and my daily disposition! Like you, my ROM had been good from the beginning. But the pain eventually started diminishing, my rehab started progressing, and I was happier. I remember that it was about seven months before I could do half my body weight on the leg press....a major accomplishment! All in all, it was about 18 months before he considered my rehab to be complete.

Perhaps you are expecting too much too soon? Did he give you any idea how long your rehab would be? In the meantime, I would limit your activity to things that don't irritate your knee too much (I know, easier said than done), keep icing and elevating, etc. I would ice before I went to work, sit at my desk with my knee elevated, ice at lunch and in the evening. When I came home from work, I stayed off my feet almost exclusively, sitting my legs elevated all evening. This was for months and months.

I know it's hard not to worry. I'd be worried too. What does your PT say about the situation?

Janet

[Nick 33]

Hello

Does anybody out there know what a good anti-inflamatory is for the knee?  What is Medrol steroid dose packs good for?  What good does cortizone shot do? 
Here is my problems everything below my knee is swollen, calf all the way down to my ankle.  I was told to walk, so I have been.  I had a LOA almost 6 weeks ago and I believe I have scar tissue returning, but have been doing everything Doc. W has told me to do, even return to work.  Walking is no problem if I could constantly stay moving, when I rest for awhile it stiffens up and walking is difficult again with snapping of scar tissue.  If any body has any suggestions please state them.  NEED TO GET SWELLING DOWN!

Nick

[stgiles16]

Hi Nick, my doc has me on Relafin as an anti inflammatory. It works ok but it does give me heartburn when taken with my normal maitanence drugs. I dont have any great suggestions about the swelling but the pain and stiffness were the same after my LOAs. It hurt for several months. You have to remember, they did a huge amount of soft tissue work in there and it takes lots of time to recover.

On the other hand, I totally understand your frustration with your OS when you are so worried about something with your knee and he seems to not be concerned. I get that frequently. I love my doc but I worry much more than he does.  My surgeries were all open (the LOAs) but even with a scope, going back to work at 6 wks , if you still have that much pain and swelling, does sound a bit soon to me too  but Dr W is the one who has all of those fancy degrees so we have to hope that he knows what he is doing and that he has seen this hunddreds of times before. I think that is one of us arthrofibosis patients problems, it is immediate to us and strange but we tend to forget how many times that our OSs have seen this exact thing and dont realize that what we are going thru is normal. Does that make any sense to you?  What to us is scary and serious, to him , it is normal and nothing to worry about.

anyway, wishing you luck and hoping that your scar tissue is not returning.

missy