OS said when I had my original lateral TPF surgery 21 months ago that he was able to achieve very good alignment but that I was now somewhat knock-kneed. The operative report says that it was a Shatzer (sp.?) II comminuted fracture with 5mm to 1 cm depression. I've had pain ever since the surgery, certainly not pain I cannot stand, but it's always there, anywhere from a 1-2 on an unusually good day, 2-3 when pretty inactive, and when I try to carry on my regular activities (such as they now are), it'll get to a 4-5 with a high 8-10 stab of pain once or twice a day. This past February, I had the hardware removed and arthoscopy where he said I had Grade III chondromalacia patella which he debrided. My leg looks slightly crooked, and whenever I extend it all the way, it'll go straight but then at the end of the extension it'll kick out to the left. I've also had constant swelling on the medial side of my knee and medially below the knee which OS says is bursitis. I just had cortisone shot in bursa two weeks ago but it's still hurting and swolen.
OK, when I asked OS about my leg being crooked, he said it is a little bit (about 5 degrees), and didn't seemed very concerned about it, but I think maybe that 5 degrees might be causing the chondromalacia getting worse as well as the pain and swelling on the medial side of my knee. I also can absolutely not do any kind of squat exercises without high level pain.
I'd really appreciate some opinions about whether 5 degrees can be the cause of my continuing problems. I'm now doing the hyalgan shot series for the patella pain (have had three so far) and not seen much in the line of results yet. I had two pretty good days but today was on pain killers again.
Thanks much. Donna T.
