KNEE ARTHRITIS - Changing the forces through the joint :
Osteotomy recovery - - Posted by dawnapril2 (dawnapril2), 23 September 2004
Hi All.
I'm looking for some experiences with recovery from a Femoral Osteotomy. Particularly how long before you were able to go back to work and how long til you were at least partial weight bearing. I have a job that requires at least partially to be somewhat mobile (I take care of servers for a large computer center) so I have to at least be able to get from my desk and about the machine room around lots of cables and such. Also I need to be able to drive as I have to respond if something crashes during off hours. Anyway, from what my Dr's have told me it should be 6 - 8 weeks to partial weight and able to drive as it's my right knee. The problem is this, when I called my Dr's office to get a note for work the nurse who wrote it said 2 weeks? Does that make any sense to anyone who has had this done?
Posted by hmaxwell (Heather M.), 23 September 2004
I haven't had the procedure, but am looking at something similar for my knee. The nurse goofed, no doubt about it!
You may want to go up the Patello-femoral joint section as that's where most of the osteotomy patients live. Most have a tibial osteotomy there, but the principle is pretty much the same and it's a surgically broken bone at a weight-bearing joint. The recovery is prolonged, but the results really seem to be worth it for the vast majority.
Here's the link, or just go up to the patello-femal joint section.
http://www.kneeguru.co.uk/cgi-bin/KNEEtalk/YaBB.pl?board=PF_joint
Also, check out the post-op section and read some stories there. You will find most posts have a subject regarding TTT or tibial tubercle transfer. Sometimes it's called the Fulkerson procedure, etc. TTT or HTO (high tibial osteotomy) is a general name, and Fulkerson procedure is a specific type of TTT. So if you could find out you doctor's specific name for the procedure (beyond the general femoral osteotomy) that might help you look up specifics.
Heather
Posted by dawnapril2 (dawnapril2), 23 September 2004
Thanks for the info Heather, I will check it out.
When the Dr. described what he was going to do he said it was his own technique. Basically it will be an open wedge in the femur and he will be putting a plate and screws to maintain it while it heals which I may or may not have out later depending if it causes any issues. The OS who is doing it is the Chief of Orthopedics at Maine's largest hospital, pretty much the best I can find in New England without going to Boston. I'm sure it's not going to be a picnic compared to the other surgeries I have had ( 1 menisectomy, 2 scar tissue 3,4,5,6,7 scopes) but if it eliminates some pain in the long run it is worth it. 
Updated Thu Apr 29 2010
