KNEE ARTHRITIS - Total Knee Replacement :
PROBLEMS AFTER TOTAL KNEE REPLACEMENT - - Posted by c21joanne (c21joanne), 21 August 2004
Hi everyone, I am new to the forum. This past November I had total knee replacement on my left knee. 2 months after surgery, it had swelled and was extremely painful. My OS at the time put me on antibiotics and took a blood test. It all came back that I had no infection.
2 yrs ago, I had my right knee done by a different OS and I went back to him to take care of my left knee also...but in May, my left total knee that was done in November acted up real bad. I had swelling, extreme pain, extreme weakness and could not walk on it...I went to emergency. I was given pain meds...and celebrex.
I went to my OS, the one who did my right knee. He thought I had an infection, but all tests, scans came back neg.
Yesterday, when I went to him, he was reading over my results from the tests. He stated, that all of these tests are never 100% correct. I sat there with my mouth open...
After reviewing the tests, he said, "Well, I sure had you scared, didn't I"? Then he added, "well, it looks like you had no infection". This OS has confused me so much that I am now going for a second opinion.
He told me to come back in a month and not to do any excersies, nor walk far. Not to stress the knee....so I asked him, what do you think it is? He said, he didn't know, and that maybe a piece of bone had been under my knee cap and maybe it will heal. Keep in mind, the last visit to him my implant was loose and still is loose.
Has anyone ever experienced this..?
Posted by Teresa_S (Teresa_S), 31 August 2004
Ihad my knee replaced on October, and have had alot of problems with it. I also went to see three specialists, who told me it needs to come out, bone biopsy, and replace it depending on the results, and to go back to the dr. who did it.as it has an unsatisfactory result, that will never get better, but might stop getting worse. It is swollen, hot,mishapen, and hurts like the dickens, especially at night, even the bones are sore all the way to the thigh.Holding my laptop on it is excruitating. It has extensive scar tissue that plays a part in the pain cycle as it is so tight.and pulls against itself. I have a tagged white cell nuclear scan scheduled on Tues, and Wed. I also had MRSA before the joint was put in, and It would not surprise me for it bo be inj=fected butI don't want to go through all that again, as it has been so bad. What are your specific symptoms and we can compare. Teresa
Posted by c21joanne (c21joanne), 31 August 2004
Well, I went to my new OS today and I really like him. I brought all my x rays, documents from the hospital, etc. I had also typed up everything that has happened since this knee went bad, since the tkr in November. He was impressed with that and it helped him.
He took his own x rays and told me that the knee implant is way to large for my knee and that's causing me the problems. It must come out....
He was shocked at what my first 2 OS's had told me and had done to me.
When he walked in the room, I felt like a saint walked in to see me.
My prosthesis is not loose, as my last OS had said, the implant is so big that it's causing pieces of the plastic to break off, also the knee cap is sublextion........that's why it feels like it's going to dislocate at times..
Updated Sat Nov 21 2009
