MPFL Reconstruction 28June2011......2nd left knee surgery in 2 years

[Suejs14]

Already I don't like your PT, taking away your crutches . . . a descendant of Simon Legree?

I found I had continued swelling until I had a walking gait that was somewhat "proper" . . . heel, toe, push-off on the bad leg . . . you need the pumping action to get those fluids moving back up your leg.  Other than that, elevate when you can.  And, call a friend to go out to a movie, lunch or dinner . . . but get out of your place for some sunshine and fresh air.  Finally, know that we are thinking of you and wishing you the best of the best even when the odds toss you something less than that. 

It's good news that one of the incisions has healed -- one down and two to go.  Scratch your dog's ears for me and have a good rest of the day.

Sue JS

[Ibacavergrl]

Tank enjoyed the ear scratch       

What kind of PT should I be doing??

[Runner1993]

Looking back in my post-op diary from my TTT, MPFL reconstruction, and lateral release, at about 3 weeks post-op, in physical therapy (which I started 3 days after surgery), I was doing ankle pumps, ankle alphabet, and ankle stretches to improve flexibility and decrease swelling in my ankle, hamstring exercise (lay on a table with your leg straight then dig your ankle into the table), quad sets, straight leg raises..only a few (I did my first one at 2 weeks post-op), hip strengthening (standing and pulling my leg with a resistance band in diff direction while I balanced with my crutches), and at three weeks post-op, I was still walking with both crutches, but my pt unlocked my brace to 30 degrees, which was the most I was allowed to bend to at that point. I was also getting stim and massage done on my leg I believe. At 4 weeks post-op, I got on the treadmill and walked at 1 mph with my pt working my leg into the proper gait.

Sorry he took your crutches away, make sure you don't limp a lot, it's very hard to get rid of once you get it.

[Ibacavergrl]

I had a lateral release and TTT for the same knee on 1APR10, so I already limp bad.  He took them away b/c the military only allows crutches to be "borrowed" for 3 weeks.  I have not even started PT... my first appt was a pre-PT where they measured me.  I have it every Tues and Thurs.  I am really pissed off.  I went from both crutches to toe touch, to full weight bearing and no crutches like that......

[agresknee]

boy would I love to talk to your doctor, Nothing like putting fear into you already for the surgery and to make your day worse lets talk about HIV, Kate had cadevar tissue for her second MPFL and our doctor who is awesome and friends who have had cadevar tissue with other doctors were told Cadevar tissue is stronger and works better and Kate is proof of that since her own tissue just strecthed back out and the cadevar tissue is doing great year 2.   On the HIV and other diseases from the tissue I did a lot of research on it and had all kinds of statistics on catching disease from the tissue, I looked to see if i could find them to put your mind at ease but after two years dont know where they are.  I also did research and talked to the doctor about the donations what  happens to the tissue how it was processed etc............Because I was putting this tissue into my Daughter if it was myself I might not have been as diligent.  I even did research on the places he got his tissue from.  There were also something done to the tissue during the process to help prevent the spread of disease if I remember correctly so It is diffferent say then getting a kidney transplant where the tissue is alive.

And I felt very comfortable with taking the risk for my daughter after all my research I felt the risk was minor but yes there is that risk.  If you do research it is very interesting how your own tissue after time takes over that tissue and it becomes your tissue, hard to explain but if you read up on it I think you will feel better.

Hope the surgery went well

[jessiismith20]

Hi Jessica,
I had a MPFL reconstruction in my left knee on May 24, 2011. Army doctor as well, here on Fort Knox. I feel so bad for you, because I know your pain!! It sounds like you are having a much tougher time than me. A week and a half out I started PT and was about 35 degrees. It hurt so much just to get out of the recliner, but I would only need about 1 or 2 percs for the pain. ICE THAT GUY. Ice it like there is no tomorrow, I would sleep with the ice. Since your knee is so swollen, icing it will take some of the pain away! I am 8 weeks out, and finally able to go all the way around on the bike and 120 on my own...after squats and other exercises. My PT pushed it to 125. It is so painful sometimes in PT I just bust out crying. But, dont let that scare you. I would hit spots to where I could only get 75 degrees and take me forever to get to 80 then get stuck, just keep working on it. I know it is so painful, but any free chance you get, try wall slides. Just lie on  your back on the floor, put that sucker on the wall and just try and bend it (slide it down the wall.) Go until you cannot stand it at all and hold for 20 seconds. I was in tears alot. 2 weeks ago I was stuck at 95. No matter how hard I tried I couldnt get past. Then out of no where I got 120. Just ice that knee as much as possible.  I am telling you so much, so you can kind of base your recovery off of mine. I had a doctor I really trusted. He is a MAJ...and very handsome, lol. He just cleared me to run, I dunno when I can I cant even take a normal step yet, and I am still a little bit swollen. Are you taking IBprofen or anything for swelling? I am still exhausted after walking around the mall. When they took my crutches away, I swelled so much. Just keep icing and icing and icing. Frozen peas works best if you have em. There were days I would just lay in front of the tv and cry from pain. I also have a jump rope that I put around my foot and pull my foot towards my butt to get the knee to bend. I know you dont want to hear this right now, but the more active you are on it, the better the results. Your doctor should be more informative. Also, I go to PT 3 times a week, they had to refer me off of post...damn copay gets expensive! I know your recovery is a little bit more extensive from your other surgery but if you have ANY questions, I can try my best to answer em, or ask my PT for you. I know searching the internet sucks because apparently this is a rare surgery. Elevate and ice. I cant say that enough, and just try to bend until you cannot and do it like 3 or 4 times a day. Before you sleep and when you wake up. I know that is the worse time for the pain, but your knee wants to bend, even though you dont think so. After you bend it, ice it and see how you feel. I always felt better after PT but then an hour later needed a pain pill. I hate takin em, but everyone else who commented is right, the less pain, the faster healing. I have the same incisions as you, and also was sewn up. no staples. I had mine with part of my hamstring. Also, I have a disovable screw in my knee. When the PT did some joint movement, (they would just slather it with cocoa butter and try and move it up and down) my knee bent better. Also, get some cocoa butter and vitamin e, and start rubbing your stitches. It will make your scars less visable. Please keep us updated on your knee. Try getting in a pool if you can/ are allowed and try walking and bending in the pool. It is less painful. Hang in there, I PROMISE it will get better, it may take some tears and hardwork, but I thought I would NEVER get to 120. I still have a long road of recovery, but we can motivate each other. Plus I'm a Jessica too. We stick together, lol. 

[Ibacavergrl]

Thank u so much for ur support and u have no idea the relief I feel that another person is dealing with military surgeons!  I will write bk tomorrow....

BUT......

I am needing advice!  My pain level sits around a 7-8 non stop. I have been on Vicodin and pain patches, and right now I am on morphine and percs.... Nothing is working. I just get high if I take 4 percs w one morphine tablet, but the pain is still there.  I have barely slept since the surgery, and I am physically and mentally drained. Does anyone have any ideas on how to control this pain?  What can I ask from my doctors?  I have asked for a TENS unit, and they said it's special order bla bla pretty much no.  Anything I can do to cut this pain from an 7-8 to, at a minimum, a 5?? Please!!??

[jessiismith20]

Is the pain on the inside of your knee? Thats where mine is CONSTANTLY. I am amazed you are able to take so many pills, I feel so bad for you because I know how painful it is. Your recovery sounds more intense than mine. I would try elevating and icing, and massaging your thigh. I noticed a lot of pain actually comes from your hip. So I massage the my hip and back. Mine was done on my left knee as well. Military surgeons, well I should say hospitals SUCK. I am thankful for mine, but I know how hard it is to get the help you need. They're quick to do surgery, and then just leave ya hanging. My physical therapist told me a lot of pain can come from not bending the knee as well. I am 9 weeks out and I still have pain. You will get pain when you start walking on it as well. I was told this just comes from being inactive. I just wanna give you a big hug. Surgery and your hubby being deployed. If you need any other help just let me know, I hope this helps at least a little bit!

[Doggus]

Sorry to hear about your pain.  I was fortunate that the pain was never my recovery issue.  I iced my knee for 6 hours/ day though and used CPM machine.  Took prescription strength anti-inflammatories around the clock- still do almost 11 weeks post-op. 
I really think you need to cut down your percocet ASAP, even if it hurts. You have to realize you are still in bad pain even on them, so how much worse would it be off them?  Narcotic pain relievers can mess with your brain and are really addictive as I'm sure you are aware.  If they aren't taking away your pain, they are just going to cause you problems and likely withdrawal pain.  I'm assuming your infection has resolved at this point as infection would be a different scenario regarding pain.   
Can you go buy a set of crutches to use?  I found using one crutch on my good side really made it easier to get around for the first week after I was allowed to walk again. 
I didn't start PT for 6 weeks after surgery and felt like I was way behind in recovery.  At that point I think I was at about 80 degrees although could push it further with the CPM after an hour or 2 into the mid 90s.  Now I've gotten to 120-130.  It feels a bit better everyday although I swear I get maybe 1-2 degrees better a day and it is a slow process. 
Also, if you think you are depressed you should get treated.  It sounds like you've been through the emotional and physical ringer and you don't have the close support of your husband which doesn't help.  Depression will worsen your pain and impede your recovery.   I don't think the military surgeon will care at all but talk to your PCP.  I echo the comments about socializing and getting out to places as often as you can (where you can keep your leg extended fully, of course.) 

[Doggus]

What's the scoop, Jessica?  How are you?

[sascha]

Hi, I had an MPFL reconstruction in June 2011.  I'm back at work now, with a physically demanding job, and am so glad that I had the operation done.  Although I stayed in hospital for three days, my pain was under control and I was quickly able to move around the house, using the stairs etc, almost immediately.  The one thing that really helped me with the pain control was using a TENS machine, which I would definitely recommend to anyone.
I also religously did my exercises, although it could be quite sore sometimes. After reading some of the posts about the MPFL, I appreciate that everyone recovers at a different rate, but from my experience it was well worth the discomfort!  I didn't have a leg brace, and could be fully weight bearing almost immediately. I was driving after a month, and if I had been employed in a sedentary job could have returned within the month, although may have had problems with swelling etc! Happy to help if anyone else needs some information, as I know its still quite a 'new' operation and its difficult to find much information regarding the procedure.

[Ibacavergrl]

Well so far my body has rejected the cadaver tissue... but its fully healed now so they dont know the damage yet till my MRI.  My hip is messed up cuz of my overcompensation, and the bursa burst, and I had a corticosteroid injection in it on Thursday.  Said it would help with the pain.. they lied.  Pain is still pretty severe (8/10) most of the time.  The Army is throwing me around, trying to shove pills down my throat and it irritates the crap out of me.  I am doing more at work now than I did before I had surgery... which sux.  So all in all, I am a wreck... lol

Still in a full leg brace which is locked most of the time when I walk b/c my quads are shut down so severely

[Runner1993]

How do you know your body has rejected the issue?

Did the bursa burst in your knee or hip?

Your brace is still locked at 0?! That has to be hampering your ROM and gait. How is pt going?

[Ibacavergrl]

The Dr told me cuz I had gotten a bad infection that I was rejecting it... The bursa burst on my hip on my L side... same side as my bad knee.  And I gave up with PT a few weeks ago.. I am just done..

[Suejs14]

echoing your virtual scream    So sorry for the body/health piling on.  However . . . DO NOT give up!!!  Ice and ice and more ice, find non-addicting pain meds, and please re-visit PT.  It can take a while before you notice any benefit . . . but not doing it now can cause you to totally regret it later.  Do you have crutches?  I don't know how to deal with a burst bursa - but my (sometimes good) common sense says to keep your weight off it for a while.  You can still do knee ROM and quad strengthening without any weight bearing. 

Give Tank another scratch behind the ears and get to work -- and please keep us posted, Jessica.  There's lots of us who care about you!

Sue JS