MPFL Recovery, Knee Spasms, Pain and Lack of bend

[Mpfljonf]

Hi

I’m Jon from Solihull, had my MPFL 2 weeks ago, good god if I knew the recovery process was this bad or had read some of your diaries on here I probably wouldn’t have gone ahead LOL. I was supposed to be having a different surgery but it got changed to MPFL as Consultant said less risk greater chance of full recovery so I agreed to MPFL. I did no research just agreed and went ahead placing my full trust in the consultant who had been recommended by numerous people.

Bit of History, I’m 37, played a lot of sport when younger but I think my knees weren’t right at birth. My knee caps never sat right and pointed outward so prone to slipping out of place. As a result suffered from a few knee dislocations in both knees and thought a year ago that I wanted to sort this out once and for all so went to see my consultant to get the ball rolling. Left leg first as that was last one to dislocate, with a view to doing right leg in 18 months. I’m already dreading the right leg and the left leg is no where near being recovered. Maybe in a year when the left hopefully feels much better I will confident about getting the other one done, at the moment I am unsure of whether i can put myself through this again.

Surgery went well, no local anaesthetic or nerve block just a general. Came round in a lot of pain and been taking codeine, ibuprofen, oramorph and paracetamol ever since. I was out of hospital in 2 days, COVID19 stopping me from having any visitors.

Was doing quite well after a few days, walking on crutches, no brace then on Thursday last week these knee spasms started when moving the knee off the floor, getting in and out of bed, out of car, off sofa etc. The pain and the feeling of the spasms is awful. I can no longer walk on crutches without using the crutch to push my bad leg forward. I cannot lift my leg without it being supported from behind, a week ago I could life it and move it forward fine, its horrible to feel I’ve gone i back with my progress.

I spent 2 days and nights in bed since Thursday which isn’t good for my mental health... I managed to get up Saturday but struggled to get back into bed that night without a lot of spasms and pain. Then I managed to get up today and get downstairs onto the sofa having washed shaved got dressed etc. A different four walls and being up and dressed, clean etc does wonders for my state of mind. I’m doing a bit of work emails etc and trying to keep doing my exercises to build by quads up and that’s about it.

My knee can barely bend, 10 degs at most at the moment, and that is with not wearing a brace at all, just feels locked. A bit concerned about it but after my last dislocation it wouldn’t bend until I was into a physio after a few weeks so trying  not to worry.

My main worry is these spasms, I hate them and the anxiety of them coming is affecting me even before we start to move the leg which if causes tenses me up and guess what... starts the spasms, catch 22.

My pain threshold is not very good, runs in the family so this is pretty bad although I will say that when stood up, lay down or on sofa the pain is minimal, it’s when moving the leg to get into cars, into or out of bed or onto the hospital bed when the nurses look at it is still dreadful.

Still taking all my meds every day and waking up in night so taking them again whenever I wake up. Luckily I don't have an addictive personality!!!

Not sure why I’m posting really althought it has been cathartic to write it down. Maybe some of what I have said will resonate with others, I’d like to hear if anyone’s progress was similar to mine, ie got begin with and then major set back due to spasms etc.

Thanks for reading if you got this far :-)

[sammilou03]

Hi Jon, I feel for you completely! I have posted before you about my recovery, I have had a tibia tubercular transfer and lateral release due to having 27 dislocations from the age of 7, I am now 35.

I too had to stay in with covid alone and have no visitors which is awful. I am in a full brace for 6 weeks but can only touch weight with my leg and can’t bend or walk at all. I had my shin broken and reset and then pinned with screws and my kneecap realigned andantes lateral release and tighten on both sides of my kneecap. I’m 3 weeks out of surgery and haven’t been able to do anything. I have literally been bed bound apart from odd ups and to the toilet and shower as I have a broken leg but no pot on. It is soul destroying been unable to move. I am lucky that my pain threshold is good and I got out of hospital after 1 day and I am now only on paracetamol but bear with it is what I’d say. I know it’s tough and I have cried and been beyond fed up with the pain and the fact I have gone from been an independent person to relying on everyone to look after me! You will get though it and hopefully have a better life at the other side.

I too feel the same as you, if I’d known what I know now I don’t think I’d have had it done, I just hope the results are worth it because if not I don’t know how I’ll cope.

Hope you feel well soon

[Mpfljonf]

Hi Jon, I feel for you completely! I have posted before you about my recovery, I have had a tibia tubercular transfer and lateral release due to having 27 dislocations from the age of 7, I am now 35.

I too had to stay in with covid alone and have no visitors which is awful. I am in a full brace for 6 weeks but can only touch weight with my leg and can’t bend or walk at all. I had my shin broken and reset and then pinned with screws and my kneecap realigned andantes lateral release and tighten on both sides of my kneecap. I’m 3 weeks out of surgery and haven’t been able to do anything. I have literally been bed bound apart from odd ups and to the toilet and shower as I have a broken leg but no pot on. It is soul destroying been unable to move. I am lucky that my pain threshold is good and I got out of hospital after 1 day and I am now only on paracetamol but bear with it is what I’d say. I know it’s tough and I have cried and been beyond fed up with the pain and the fact I have gone from been an independent person to relying on everyone to look after me! You will get though it and hopefully have a better life at the other side.

I too feel the same as you, if I’d known what I know now I don’t think I’d have had it done, I just hope the results are worth it because if not I don’t know how I’ll cope.

Hope you feel well soon

HI Sammi Lou thanks for your reply.

I'm 6 weeks in today... Found out a week or so ago that I should have been having physio for the past month, hospital messed up and I fell out of the system, as a result my recovery has been affected.

I managed to get to my first physio last week and have been given some very simple exercises to complete which I am working hard on. Physio advised me to get back on all the pain meds, Morphine, Codeine, paracetomal and ibroprufen to help me manage to the pain while I do the exercises.

My range of movement is improving, I can bend the knee to about 80 degrees now but its very tight!! My balance is improved which must mean I am stronger but I am a way of walking still. I think I will be lucky to walk again this year at this rate.

More physio due next week.

I really feel for you Sammi, your recovery sounds even worse than mine tbh. How is it going since you posted??

Thanks - JOn

[Mpfljonf]

Hi

Thought I would update.

Physio started to benefit me just before Xmas and I was able to lift my foot up off the ground for the first time. This made getting into bed, the car, off the sofa a far lot easier.

I then moved to use the crutches less, holding onto things around the house and lifting my leg, moving it forward, ie talking a step!!!! Thank God.

I paused my physio due to the pain increasing and have got to a point now where I can walk around the house without crutches. The pain is actually reducing too so I am shortly going to restart physio as I need to build strength.

I’m driving which is good as I enjoy going for a drive and it means I can get a McDonalds drive through or collect a takeaway, I feel a bit more useful to my partner again!!!

Where I am struggling is outside the house, I don’t like uneven surfaces, or wet surfaces, or ramps, inclines declines. I’m ok if I have something next to me, like a car, I have the a safety blanket of being able to grab it!! The minute my brain doesn’t like the environment I’m in, the knee goes to jelly....

I think I need to return to physio, build strength and with that strength I will build confidence and overcome the anxious feeling that renders the leg useless.

My OP was October 12th, I didn’t walk for 3 months, and I can barely now in February.....

Do not agree to an MPFL unless your HAVE TO!