KNEE ARTHRITIS - Changing the forces through the joint :
Osteotomy Help!! Never Ends! - - Posted by miles (miles), 22 October 2003
Since i was first diagnosed with osteochondritus dessicans as a 13 yr old boy, i have been in trouble with my knee. Over the years have had 3 grafts, 2 OATS procedures, 2 chondroplasty, plus many many arthroscopies to clean the joint.
Following all that just had a high tibial osteotomy to change weight bearing of the joint in an effort to ease the pain, and it hurst likes hell (8 weeks after). Knee fees weak and still original dessicans site is painfull.
Has onyone out there any tips on how to ease the soreness associted in the knee especially where sleep is concerened
Posted by lam651 (lam651), 23 October 2003
I know this is a long shot but, I had a HTO that never healed. It's unlikely another physician would be as inept or uncaring as the one I had, but if I had not got another opinion to find out why my leg hurt worse than before, I would still be walking around on a broken leg.
My doctor kept assuring me it would get better. So, if that is not the case, I would look into pain meds, pillows at night help to get comfortable.
I hope you can get the help you need from your doctor. Good luck, Larry
Posted by gimp (gimp), 24 October 2003
Miles,
I am only 2+ weeks post op from my HTO and finding a comfortable sleeping position is nearly impossible for me too. Of course I still have the achy sort of pain at night - or maybe I just notice it more then. This is a completely uninformated observation, but 8 weeks out seems like a long time to have that much pain.
At this point the only time I am taking anything for pain is occasionally at night. I would do the same, and would also push for your doctor to take some fresh xrays to see how things look.
Good luck and I hope you feel better soon,
John
Posted by june212 (june212), 28 October 2003
Miles,
Sorry I can't answer your question about easing the soreness, but I can agree with you on the pain! I'm at 8 weeks today and I still can't get comfortable when sleeping. I'm still in the Bledsoe brace, although some nights I do take it off. I just feel more secure sleeping with it on. I've been taking Advil or Motrin to help with the pain at night. I begin PT tomorrow. When do you begin?
My HTO was also to change weight bearing of the joint to ease the pain due to osteoarthritis and being knock-kneed. I had torn the ligaments and cartiledge when I was 16, had cartiledge repaired 7 years ago and had acl recon with an allograft 6 years ago. I'm not old enough for a knee replacement (40) and the HTO was my only alternative right now and will have the knee replacement at 50 or so.
Hope you have a better day today! Keep your chin up!
Posted by muskypike (muskypike), 15 December 2003
Oh MY!!
I am reading your posts and I am 1 year post HTO and still have pain. Not from surgery but from staph infection-whole different story.
Anyway, you guys need to realize your surgery was a major operation. Where you ever got the idea that you would feel okay so soon is crazy. first of all your OS surgically fractured your bone, how long does it take to heal a broken bone 12 weeks usually. but that is not all that was done to your knee, you also had other procedures too.
Give your knees a chance to heal. Yes it is uncomfortable at night. I think everyone that had a TTT complains about sleep. Try to do some stretching exercises before you go to bed. this does help.
Patience my friends things will get better and the pain will start to subside. But also mention it to your OS, just in case something else is going on.
Good luck!
Posted by june212 (june212), 15 December 2003
Miles,
I last I wrote at the end of October that I was still having pain too. Well, at that time the OS let me start partial weight bearing and PT and I was in terrible pain. I thought it was my calf muscle so the PT did some deep tissue massages and heat therapy for the three weeks until my next appointment with the OS along with the usual PT. Not a good thing! When I went back to the doctor mid-November, I explained my pain and he pressed on the side of my lower leg (near the fibula) and I screamed in pain. My OS took a look at the xrays and it seems that the fibula was not showing signs of healing! I explained that I was taking Advil and Motrin for the pain and he stated that this may be one of the reasons that the bone wasn't healing --- he put me back on pain meds and back to non-weight bearing for another three weeks. I went back to the OS again on 12/4 to find out the fibula was finally showing slight signs of healing. He has me non-weight bearing for another three weeks and on 2000mgs of Oscal per day. My next appointment is on 12/30 and if all still isn't well, he will need to go in and put a plate against the fibula to force it to heal! So far it's been 15 weeks for me since the surgery (9/3) --- I'd love to know where you are in your recovery.
Posted by nan (nan), 21 January 2004
Miles,
I am 9 weeks post-op from a HTO. I had a 7.5mm wedge with an opteform graft. Does the pain get better? I have a lot of pain on my lateral side. My medial side only hurts when I bend my leg. This is improving, I started therapy being able to only bend it to 35 degrees and now they can bend it to 120 degrees. I can only bend it to 110 on my own. Not sure I am happy I did this procedure. Last Feb. I had an Osteochondral allograft done on my left knee. I have osteoarthritis in both knees, we started with my good knee first and then in November we did the osteotomy to my right leg. The allograft knee is doing wonderful just wish I could have done the same procedure to my right one. How long before the pain lets up? I have found that taking tylenol at night works better for me than pain medications and putting a pillow under it helps too. I am allergic to MANY pain medications so wasn't on them too long. The tylenol seemed to work best as I can't take advil, motrin,... If you have any words of wisdom let me know. Nan
Updated Tue Dec 2 2008