Platelet Rich Plasma Treatment and Synvisc Injections

[adevlop]

Hey everyone,

Okay so heres the deal, I'm a 20 year old girl who has had 3 knee surgeries and is still in a considerable amount of pain. Since I was about 7 years old I have been complaining of knee pain, but lets face it, how many people take a 7 year old seriously, I was told it was growing pains and my parents were told to put me in sports. I became very involved in dance classes, as well as a different sport every season. I was still in a lot of pain, but I was told it would all be okay. Finally, when I was 16, I found an OS that did an MRI and then decided that my cartilage was so messed up, he would do surgery to clean it up, and also just take a look around. That surgery did nothing for my pain what-so-ever. When he heard this, the OS said there was nothing he could do, and I would just have to learn to live with the pain, and go to physical therapy to control it. That was the last straw, I went to 2 other OS and they both said that my MRI and xrays looked so severe, there was nothing they could do at my age. I was angry, but didn't know what to do, so I quit sports, and that helped a little, but not nearly as enough. Then, when I was 18 and away at college my knee dislocated completely, which I didn't think was too bad because my knee was sublexing multiple times a day. I went home immediately and found a new OS who specialized in sports medicine. He diagnosed me pattela-alta, and also said my knee sat too far to the side. So, He performed a TTT, lateral release, and medial imbrication, as well as cartilage cleanup again. He said my knee looked like a 60 year old. The surgery worked, but it didn't work enough, again. So after about 8 months of intense physical therapy, I decided that was enough, I was now 19, and my quality of life was horrible. I found a specialist at the hospital for special surgery in nyc and she is amazing! she performed an MPFL reconstruction, and took out the screws from the TTT. She said that is this doesn't help, she will revise the TTT because it wasn't done the way she would have liked, which explains why I didn't have much relief. I have been in physical therapy now, for a year and a half, and although it is helping, I am still in pain.

Now, to my question: I have been told I have developed severe patellar tendonitis and that is what is causing a majority of my pain. My OS has prescribed synvisc injections (since supartz did not work on my last time) and platelet rich plasma treatment. I was just wondering what I should expect from the PRP. I am having it done on 12/4. I was also wondering what to expect from the last 2 synvisc injections, I've heard they are worse the 2nd and 3rd time. Any information you could give would be great. I'm just hoping this works and I am finally pain free.

Thanks everyone, and sorry this was so long!
Alyssa

[arkitect06]

How did your PRP work for you?  Just curious.  I had one in 2009, but couldn't follow through with physical therapy b/c of some other medical problems.  So I am scheduled from my second one on Jan 22nd.  I don't know anyone that has had this except myself, so I was curious how you made out. 

Tendinitis is usually not the reason for needing synvisc injections....I guess you must have some chondramalacia/cartilage deterioration. 

Let me know how the PRP turned out! 

Farrah

[adevlop]

Hi! Yes, I do have some severe chondramalacia which is why I needed the synviscc-which unfortunately did not work. At the same time I also had 2 cortisone injections; 1 on the lateral side, and one on the medial side directly into the new ligament from my mpfl reconstruction.
As for the PRP, I was shocked when I had no pain following the procedure because the surgeon who preformed it and made it perfectly clear that I would hate her for a few days after-but nothing. After a week or so I started feeling a little relief, and was so excited because I thought something had finally worked. Sadly, I have not felt any better since then, and I have been working very hard in physical therapy to get the most out of the treatment. My surgeon feels that I may have gotten all I can out of the PRP, and I am scheduled for an MRI of both knees for tomorrow morning. I'm not saying that I think this was a waste of time or money, because it wasn't. I got some relief from it, but just not enough to improve my quality of life-which is what we had hoped. Being 20 years old, I'm just very frustrated.
You should also keep in mind that I had very severe tendinitis, so that could have contributed to why I didn't see much relief. Let me know if you have any questions. Good Luck!!
Alyssa

[arkitect06]

Alyssa, I am sorry you didn't get any real relief from the PRP or the Synvisc!  I did the Euflexa injections for my chondromalacia and got nothing out of it too.  I have RSD, Chondromalacia, and Severe tendonitis.  My doctors are the doctors of the pro football and hockey teams and they have never seen a worse case their entire careers.  So I am not sure how much I will get out of the PRP either.  The slightest movements kill!  The RSD/CRPS is probably what caused my tendonitis to get so bad since I wasn't walking correctly.

It sounds like we have the same knee problems!!!!  I have already had MRIs of both of my knees which showed patella subluxation.  I had Fulkerson TTT 2yrs ago that started the RSD.  I have grades 3-4 chondramalacia also.  I am not yet a candidate for knee replacement, but probably will be once I am in my 30s.  I just started walking again about a month ago (after 2yrs) thanks to a spinal cord stimulator implant to help with my RSD in my right  knee/leg. 

I have also done tons of different PT, injections, and other treatments for my knees for the tendonitis and chondramalacia.  Most of the last year has been spent getting over MRSA from one of my back surgeries to help my leg.  I have had 7 surgeries since January 2008!  6 were on my back to help with pain in my leg. 

I would be nice to communicate via regular e-mail if you are interested.  Private message me your e-mail if you want.  Thanks!!  Good luck with the MRIs!

Farrah

I am trying to get my life back to a degree of what it was before my Fulkerson TTT, but may never be 100% of what I was back then. 

[adevlop]

It really does seem like we have very similar knee issues. I have had so many MRIs that I have lost track. I have always had problems with both knees, but the right has always been worse so thats what we've concentrated on, but now the left is really getting bad. It is definetly time to see what's going on in both right now since the injections. I see the surgeon next thursday to go over the results, so hopefully they aren't too bad. I've been in physical therapy nonstop for over a year and a half, and had previously been going on and off before that. Before the synvisc, and I previously had supartz injections which did not work, so I didn't have very high expectations for these. I too am not yet a candidate for knee replacement, basically everything I do now is to buy time until I can have one. I am sorry that you have been having so much trouble, but hopefully it gets better soon. I private messaged you my email address-Talk to you soon!
Alyssa

[StalkerZERO]

It really does seem like we have very similar knee issues. I have had so many MRIs that I have lost track. I have always had problems with both knees, but the right has always been worse so thats what we've concentrated on, but now the left is really getting bad. It is definetly time to see what's going on in both right now since the injections. I see the surgeon next thursday to go over the results, so hopefully they aren't too bad. I've been in physical therapy nonstop for over a year and a half, and had previously been going on and off before that. Before the synvisc, and I previously had supartz injections which did not work, so I didn't have very high expectations for these. I too am not yet a candidate for knee replacement, basically everything I do now is to buy time until I can have one. I am sorry that you have been having so much trouble, but hopefully it gets better soon. I private messaged you my email address-Talk to you soon!
Alyssa

It seems that the platelet rich plasma injections were working but they just weren't enough.  I say you should get even more aggressive and try autologous stem cell injections combined with orthokine injections.

[klychak]

Hi

i am in dusseldorf undergoing orthokine treatments as i speak.  it consists of a series of 6 injections, one each day. there is little pain. the results seem very promising, better than synvisc. i would recommend you investigate it and contact the doctors. You can speak to them personally over telephone, send them your data, and they will advise. I am very hopeful. By the way, Nick Nolte, the actor has had severe OA in his knees for many years. He had orthokine. It saved one of his knees from knee replacement altogether, and gave him another 5 years on his worst knee before he just recently had a knee replacement. It has been 7 years and counting since his first orthokine treatment.