ACL Surgery Problem ...

[seikeld]

I have a little problem with my knee. In January of 2005 i had acl surgery. My knee appeared to heal up fine except for a soft spot where they went in an inch or two below my knee. It broke open and puss came out. So basically ever since then it keeps scabbing up and pussing ever since. It doesn't hurt at all its just really annoying. Can anyone explain this to me, cuz it has had over a year to heal. Thanks.

[Nettan]

Have your doc looked at it ? What is his/her opinion ?

[seikeld]

Well my knee doctor hasn't yet another doctor looked at which wasn't a knee doctor and said to keep it from drying up and what not and that didn't do anything. I'm just off at school and don't have the time to go back to my knee doc until this summer. It never hurts so I figured that eventually it would just heal up but ... so I guess I'll get an appointment scheduled, have you heard of anything like this before?

[Nettan]

Have any doc run tests on you so you haven't an infection going on ?
Is the area hot to touch ?
What kind of graft have you ? Thinking of if it's something that your body doesn't like.
Go get a appointment soon with a OS..at least you can try call your knee doc and talk with him/her.

[harry78]

Sounds like a problem that occured during the closing of the operation, when one surgeon says to the other "finish and stitch it up please", in which case this person has'nt done his/her job properly.
The problem now may be one of concern especially if this has become infected (which it probably is). Make another appointment with your doctor and if necessary get a referral to hospital, after all the wound might need opening again so that everything is in place again and it heals.
In my case and probably others that have had ACLR, they used metal staples, around 10-12 of them to close the wound and it was a brilliant end result. You also need something like this.

Hope this helps, Harry.

[seikeld]

No they haven't run any tests. It is not hot to touch, but it is kind of numb, i figure the nerves got killed in the surgery. I had a hammy graft.

[seikeld]

Okay thanks alot 

[harry78]

The nerves don't get terminated during a hamstring graft (I presume the OS harvested both the Gracilis and the Semitendinosus). From what I've been told and read is that during the insertion of the tendon stripper in the paes anerius, the suprapatella nerve branch does become affected, and my OS told me that it can vary in different people to how long it takes for this feeling to return in the medial proximal tibia. In my case he gave me the all clear and asked him when this part of the leg will be ok again - he said it would be anything up to 2 years post op.

[sparkle999]

Hi

If I had pus oozing anywhere I would want soem antibiotics and treatment to 1)clear the infection  and 2) stop it from recurring.

I am 6 months post op and I wouldn't want an infection affecting any screws/graft or stitching.

I am sure you will be fine but an untreated infection will spread when you get run down or catcha virus.

Hope you get some help. After the op I had internal dissolving stictches and stristrips on the outside. It's possiblt just a stitch that won't dissolve but if so, it needs to come out.
xx

[firefytinfemale]

If it were me, I would go to a wound care cente quicklyr.  Here is some information I found for you....

What is bone infection?

Infection is invasion of the body with organisms that have the potential to cause disease. Bone infection occurs when bacteria invade bone, either through the bloodstream or by contact with the outside environment. The bacteria eat away at the bone and damage the local blood supply to that bone, consequently preventing antibiotics from reaching the bacteria.

 
What are the common symptoms of bone infection?

Infection often causes redness, swelling, and pain in the affected limb. Sometimes, fluid exits through the skin. This is called a draining sinus tract. Occasionally, the infection weakens the bone so much that the bone breaks. 

(This came from lifebridgehealth-sinai hospital)

Hope this helps.  Good luck!!!