KNEE ARTHRITIS - Total Knee Replacement :
Are you young and having problems with your TKR? - - Posted by Jan_L. (Jan_L.), 5 January 2005
One of my surgeons told me that statistics now show that young people, whose knees were damaged in an auto accident (or other severe trauma) don't do well following a TKR. He said that they had no idea why they just now have learned that there is a pattern. He said that older people that needed a TKR because their knee had just worn out do much better. The surgeon that told me this, limits his practice to knee replacements and has done a lot of research on TKR and has also help to design an implant that is being used throughout the world today. He also told me that had I come to him first, he would have been very reluctant to do the TKR because of this.
So, it would be interesting to see if that is true here. How many of those with failed knee replacements had severe trauma to their knee?
I had a car accident, my knee went through the dash.
Posted by Teresa_S (Teresa_S), 5 January 2005
Jan As you know I already had needed a knee since the mid 1990's, but the auto accident , being hit on and knee slammed to the dash, causing a fracture in the knee and several meniscus tears, didn't help it. I 'll be interested in the out come of this posting also. By the way, did you have the knee revision yet, or did you get a new knee and how are things going? Thinking of you Teresa
Posted by Jan_L. (Jan_L.), 6 January 2005
Hi Teresa,
After a long wait I have finally seen both knee specialists. After a CT scan and xrays (toes forward and then knee forward), he believes he can help me by doing a complete revision. He doesn't like the Oxinium knee implant and feels that their advertising id somewhat misleading. He wants to remove this implant and put in the one he has help design. He is heavily involved in TKR research. He says that my first doctor did nothing wrong and the implant was put in correctly per manufacture instructions BUT it is incorrectly rotated for my bone structure. He says that is why my knee doesn't bend. He said it was like putting a hinge on a door incorrectly, it can look fine but the door won't open. He said my x-rays look good but my knee doesn't work. He doesn't believe that the scar tissue has played any part in my knee not working and has no plans to treat the scar tissue and won't even discuss a post op treatment plan for the scar tissue. He just said that I didn't understand scar tissue and that that wasn't my problem. I have scheduled the revision for March 18. He is probably the most knowledgeable (for TKR) doctor in my area. So I am trying to gain as much info right now and talk with as many people who have dealt with this to help me decide if I am making the best decision giving my situation.
It is so hard to know what to do.
How are you doing since your surgery?
Jan
Posted by SuburbanLife (SuburbanLife), 8 January 2005
Humm, no car accident here, just being clumbsy and tripping and falling. I'm 44, was 41 then, I fell oddly, holding a case of cokes that I didn't want to drop, I fell on my driveway without breaking my fall so all the impact on my knee after diving headfirst with a weight in my hands. Slammed my kneecap into my bone causing the whole mechanics to go off. 2 scopes later I get my TKR on 3-4, personally can't wait, but wondering if my injury would fall into that catagory. Wouldn't call it severe trauma, but definatly trauma to cause the eventual loss of the knee. I'll be keeping an eye on this post, hopefully you at least keep it going, thanks for all your info!
Posted by Teresa_S (Teresa_S), 8 January 2005
Jan, Unfortunately, the quad having been cut twice and sewn together twice in one year has made it really short, thick, stubborn, and it doesn't want to bend. I did some research, on Dr. Bal, the surgeon at Univ. of Mo who I saw and told me I was not his legal liaibility. He and two docs from Florida are inventing unicompart. knees, lateral, medial, and anterior, I believe. BUT the best thing is he and an engineer at the Univ of Mo have designed a new surgical approach to the knee, sparing the quad, and making the recovery almost complete in 4 weeks or so. The engineer and Bal, have designed new instruments to enter the knee through two 1-2 inch incisions, and spare the quad, as they go in from each side. Sounds really promising. He is the one who did the FDA study on the zirconium knee by Encore in 2002, but doesn't use it as he says it is not available in enough sizes to fit everyone. He also has developed a technique using a computer to align the knee prosthesis with the ankle, and hip of each individual, thus sparing the patient, those rods they put in the femur and tibia to size the implant. He refers to it like the navigations system of the new cars. He really is on the cutting edge, too bad he doesn't want to help me. Bet he doesn't want to take the chance on my failure making his numbers bad. Hope all goes well for you. My newest problem is the knee rubbing bone over bone, loud noise, and the leg jerks as one bone gives way and the knee goes to one side. The physical therapist actually was working with the knee today, and felt and heard it and it almost made her sick, as she says total knees don;t do that. Hope the prosthesis has not failed again. Later, Teresa
Updated Sat Nov 21 2009
