Major disaster

[Beauzer]

I'm now 5 months out from OATS to the MFC.  Everything has been perfect, with no pain or disability at all.  I've been very good at babying my knee.  Today, just walking around, I felt a big pop and suddenly couldn't bend or stand on my knee.  I saw my OS, and the films look like I pulled one of my plugs partway out.  Worse still, it looks like my OCD is spreading (likely why the plug suddenly shot out).  So...

MRI tomorrow AM, scope Monday to at least take out the plug and then try to figure out what to do next.  My OS is thinking maybe TKR a bit sooner than we had planned.

SH*@.

Danielle

[blackbeltgirl]

Danielle -

I'm so sorry.     I can only imagine how you're feeling right now.  If I remember correctly, I think you used to practice martial arts of some sort.  What I miss most about martial arts is the ability to go hit things, and even people, after a day like this.  All without anyone calling the cops and carting me off to jail.  I hope your OS can find a solution for the OCD, so that he can replace the cartilage and it will last.

Good luck!
Jess

[Nettan]

Ahhh, Danielle, so terribly sorry !! You have come this far and now this going back. Hope the doc when he scope you can figure out a way to help you. Don't give up, I'm sure there must be some solution.

HUGS NETTAN 

[Beauzer]

Thanks.

TKD Jess, 2nd degree blackbelt.  I know EXACTLY what you mean.  Somebody asked me what I wanted to do today.  I said "do you mean other than bashing through the wall with my crutches right now?"  Oh well.  I just keep repeating what my instructor taught me, "you can't change what has happened, but you have complete control over how you react and what you do from this moment forward" , so, no use worrying about what I can't change.  We'll just have to see what we can do.

Knees suck (well, at least my right one, that is).

[kathleenj]

Oh Danielle,

That totally sucks!!!  I am so sorry to hear that the plug popped out.  I went thru the same thing only my pain was gradual, I didnt have the popping feeling you had.  I had mine re-done at 6 months.  I know you must feel totally devastated right now.  Those feelings of 'I cant believe I went thru all of this for nothing' can be very overwhelming.  Try not to jump to any crazy conclusions yet, a TKR may not be absolutley necessary...you may still have other options.
Having gone thru the exact thing myself, I understand how you feel so if you have any questions please feel free to contact me.  

Good luck with the scope and let us know how it turns out.  

I'll be thinking about you!
Kathy

[shadehawk]

Danielle,

OMG - sorry to hear this has happened. 

Let us know how everything goes.

Good luck,

Shade

[SallyW]

Ugh. I'm sorry.

What causes OCD to spread?

[Beauzer]

Don't know.  OCD is necrosis (death) of bone, caused by loss of blood supply, but no one is sure exactly what causes it.  Whatever started it in me obviously wasn't finished at the time of the OATS.

[scooter5]

Danielle,

Sorry to hear about your bad news.  I also recieved the same info this week.  I found out Wednesday that one of the plugs popped loose.  I had the OATS on the Patella.  I had an MRI today and will see the OS on 10/5.  I also scheduled a second opinion for 10/5.  It looks like I may be heading for TKR as well.

Hope you feel better soon.

Scooter

[blackbeltgirl]

Danielle -

Isn't someone else on the board having a plug "pinned down" sometime in the next week or 2?  Similar issue I think, minus the OCD.

Anyway - I recommend you pay a visit to your former TKD school if you're still in the area.  Ask for 2 minutes to use the heavy bag, and whack away at it.  It will make you feel betterm, at least temporarily.  Then head home, pour yourself a stiff drink, and deal with this tomorrow.

Good luck.  I'll be looking for a happier sounding post in coming days.
Jess

[brattkids]

Hi Guys,

I was supposed to have my OATS pinned down- but I too have OCD. When they got in the there was no salvaging the plug and they had to redo the plug (OATS) so I know exactly how you guys are feeling. I am 4-6 weeks back on the NWB and slowly counting they days again. Hope you all get better news keep me posted!!!!

Paulette

[Beauzer]

Well, I've looked at the MRI and talked to the OS, but the OS hasn't had a chance to look at the MRI himself yet.  From talking to the radiologist, my MFC looks really screwed up.  There is a lot of marrow edema.  My OS thinks it might be AVN, or (hopefully) I fractured the plug or my MFC or both.  He's going to call me in the morning, once he's had a chance to see it.  If it's AVN, it's my entire medial condyle, yikes.  Here's hoping for a fracture...

Either way, I'm on for 9AM Monday.  Wish me luck,
Danielle

[Beauzer]

Just got off the phone with my OS .  It really doesn't look good.  Basically, best case scenerio I fractured the OATS plug and my MFC and we can pin both in place and be NWB for 6 weeks.  Worst case scenerio (and what he thinks is more likely) my entire MFC is dead and I'll need major bone grafting and be NWB for 12 weeks or more and then need TKR.

Barf. 

Gonna go take some more vicodin (or maybe just drink a bottle of bourbon).  I'm just trying not to cry.

[scooter5]

Danielle,

Good luck with the surgery on Monday.  Keep us posted.  I won't have the results of my MRI until Wednesday.  I'm ready to start drinking myself.

Scooter

[JG]

Danielle,

Sorry to hear about the knee.  Have you considered seeing Bugbee in San Diego or Gross in Toronto.  They both specialize in large allografts.  Not allograft plugs like what I had done, but either shell allografts or large allografts (hemi-chondyles).  If my MFC every goes south, I'm going to look into the shell allograft (one huge plug rather than another 5 or 6 small plugs).  I met a patient in PT that cracked her MFC, had it repaired (not sure how), it didn't heal (AVN), and Bugbee did a large allograft on her.  It was a really long time on crutches, like months and months, but eventually she did great. 

This board mainly focuses on OATS (auto or allo), but there is lots being done with larger allografts.  Obviously it's used in extreme cases (mainly trauma), like TP fractures, MFC or LFC fractures, but it's being done.  However, very, very few surgeons are experienced at using them.  I really trust my surgeon to perform another mosaicplasty/OATs or microfracture, but not a shell allograft.

If you do a google search for Allan Gross, lots of good stuff comes up about large allografts.  Also, check out www.mtf.org.

The other thing I find interesting about this board, the number of individuals who have had their grafts "pop" out months after their surgery.  It just seems so odd.  I would love to know how often this happens to patients of the top cartilage docs like Bugbee, Cole, Gross, Buckwalter, Farr, etc.  I don't consider my physician in this group, but the next time I talk to him  I'm going to ask him about it.

Good luck,

Janice