Ruined Knee?

[PNWGATOR]

How’s the healing progressing?

 

[Kevin Dill]

Thanks for checking in.

It's now been +16 days since surgery. Sutures are out and things seem to be going pretty good. I still have some occasional milder pain on the medial side of the knee which has been evaluated as due to the MCL sprain and partial tear. I'm walking normally and trusting the knee more. Stretching and ROM exercises every day x 2. About 2 more weeks and I can lace on the boots for a bit of shed hunting or trail hiking. Very thankful I went with the surgery.

 

[AKDoc]

Thanks for checking in.

It's now been +16 days since surgery. Sutures are out and things seem to be going pretty good. I still have some occasional milder pain on the medial side of the knee which has been evaluated as due to the MCL sprain and partial tear. I'm walking normally and trusting the knee more. Stretching and ROM exercises every day x 2. About 2 more weeks and I can lace on the boots for a bit of shed hunting or trail hiking. Very thankful I went with the surgery.

Very glad to hear of your recovery progress KD!

 

[Kevin Dill]

Thanks Doc. It's getting harder to convince my wife I'm not ready to shovel snow or clean garages!

 

[kevinlindgrenMD]

For those of you who have had total knee replacement, Where was your pain, in the joint only or above knee and in patella tendon area or, all of the above? I have seen my X-rays and there is no doubt there is little cartilage left in knee joint. May complaint is the only pain I have is below the knee in patella tendon, which was causing me to limp to the point it caused pain in my groin, making the limp worst. I have been wearing patella knee strap which has helped reduce the pain and for the better part the limp. Everyone I know who has had knee replacement told me, the pain they had was limited to the joint only, not surrounding area. I have an appointment in early Feb. with surgeon to evaluate my situation. I don't want to undergo knee replacement surgery unless it is absolutely necessary but, will if he convinces me it's the only thing that will help. So where was your pain?

It is possible to have pain anywhere around the knee when you have arthritis. Many people get pain in the thigh or down into the shin. Common areas are along the inside and round the back of the knee. The patellar area is particularly symptomatic for people when they are on hills or stairs. Those activities put more stress on the front of the knee. A knee replacement can be a great option when other things aren't working. Over 1million knee replacements are done every year in the U.S. I do my best to do my share when I am not hunting of course.

https://kevinlindgrenmd.com

 

[GSPHUNTER]

It is possible to have pain anywhere around the knee when you have arthritis. Many people get pain in the thigh or down into the shin. Common areas are along the inside and round the back of the knee. The patellar area is particularly symptomatic for people when they are on hills or stairs. Those activities put more stress on the front of the knee. A knee replacement can be a great option when other things aren't working. Over 1million knee replacements are done every year in the U.S. I do my best to do my share when I am not hunting of course.

https://kevinlindgrenmd.com

Well I went to talk to surgeon and he told me I really need knee replacement surgery, and my hip is shot. I set up for knee replacement surgery for the 28th of April. Well the hip has gotten so bad , I went back to see him and asked if we could switch and do hip first without changing date and he said not only yes, but, wise choice. So on the 28th of April, I get new right hip. The knee pain has never been so bad that it was a real problem, mostly a annoyance. The hip on the other hand went from annoying to real painful, but not all the time, thank god. This surgeon has worked on me before and I am very confident in his work. He did my detached rotator a few years back. Everyone I talked to told me how painful the post surgery was. I had almost no pain what so ever, never too any pain meds. until PT started. I think she studied at Dr. Mengele school of torture.

 

[kevinlindgrenMD]

Well I went to talk to surgeon and he told me I really need knee replacement surgery, and my hip is shot. I set up for knee replacement surgery for the 28th of April. Well the hip has gotten so bad , I went back to see him and asked if we could switch and do hip first without changing date and he said not only yes, but, wise choice. So on the 28th of April, I get new right hip. The knee pain has never been so bad that it was a real problem, mostly a annoyance. The hip on the other hand went from annoying to real painful, but not all the time, thank god. This surgeon has worked on me before and I am very confident in his work. He did my detached rotator a few years back. Everyone I talked to told me how painful the post surgery was. I had almost no pain what so ever, never too any pain meds. until PT started. I think she studied at Dr. Mengele school of torture.

Good luck. I think that going for the hip first is a great decision. Many people actually get pain down to their knee from a bad hip. You may find that when you fix the hip, your knee pain gets quite a bit better as well. You may be able to wait on the knee replacement for a while. When that time comes, I will tell you, the knee replacement recovery is usually harder. Worth it in the end, but any of my patients that have had both a hip and a knee will agree.

 

[Kevin Dill]

It is possible to have pain anywhere around the knee when you have arthritis. Many people get pain in the thigh or down into the shin. Common areas are along the inside and round the back of the knee. The patellar area is particularly symptomatic for people when they are on hills or stairs. Those activities put more stress on the front of the knee. A knee replacement can be a great option when other things aren't working. Over 1million knee replacements are done every year in the U.S. I do my best to do my share when I am not hunting of course.

https://kevinlindgrenmd.com

Thanks. Welcome to the 'Slide and much appreciation!

 

[GSPHUNTER]

Good luck. I think that going for the hip first is a great decision. Many people actually get pain down to their knee from a bad hip. You may find that when you fix the hip, your knee pain gets quite a bit better as well. You may be able to wait on the knee replacement for a while. When that time comes, I will tell you, the knee replacement recovery is usually harder. Worth it in the end, but any of my patients that have had both a hip and a knee will agree.

From everyone I have talked to, the knee is the worst of the two. Surgeon echos what you said about hip replacement reducing knee pain. Which as I mention, was bearable. 3 on a scale of 10.

 

[the_mountain_man_matt]

New to the Slide. Sorry to hear about all the knees here but it is nice to know I'm not alone. Had two reconstructive surgeries on the left knee both athletics-related. Now at 26 almost I can say the 1 piece of advice that has consistently gotten me back in the game is staying consistent with the PT at home. I think we have a unique lifestyle that requires us to have healthy joints. You cannot rush getting back to the hills, that has always prolonged my recovery, furthered frustration, and ultimately limited trust in the knee down the road.

Hoping you a full recovery.

 

[Kevin Dill]

I'm 60+ days post-surgery now for the meniscectomy. I'm able to hike rather aggressively on intermediate terrain (think shed hunting in the Ohio hills) and other similar activities. I'm sleeping well with essentially no (or very little) knee discomfort at night. I DO still have some unpredictable pains from time to time, and I admit they worry me some. My goal remains to have a fully functional knee which doesn't limit my mobility or give me unusual pain. I believe I still have a couple more months until I finally know what I'll have over the longer term.

One thing I learned about ahead of and after surgery was a thing called 'knee confidence'. The process of knee injury and greater pain, followed by the typically painful period between injury and surgery, often leads to a loss of one's confidence in using the knee as intended. Fear of pain or re-injury is always there....at least for a while....and it takes time plus work to get that confidence back. Most people with healthy knees can ambulate, hike and hunt with no ongoing awareness or suspicion about their knees, but not so if they've been through severe pain subsequent to injury. I'm probably at 80% confidence now, which means I'm still cognizant of how my knee is doing and I'm sometimes tentative about certain steps or movements.

 

[Hschweers]

I'm 60+ days post-surgery now for the meniscectomy. I'm able to hike rather aggressively on intermediate terrain (think shed hunting in the Ohio hills) and other similar activities. I'm sleeping well with essentially no (or very little) knee discomfort at night. I DO still have some unpredictable pains from time to time, and I admit they worry me some. My goal remains to have a fully functional knee which doesn't limit my mobility or give me unusual pain. I believe I still have a couple more months until I finally know what I'll have over the longer term.

One thing I learned about ahead of and after surgery was a thing called 'knee confidence'. The process of knee injury and greater pain, followed by the typically painful period between injury and surgery, often leads to a loss of one's confidence in using the knee as intended. Fear of pain or re-injury is always there....at least for a while....and it takes time plus work to get that confidence back. Most people with healthy knees can ambulate, hike and hunt with no ongoing awareness or suspicion about their knees, but not so if they've been through severe pain subsequent to injury. I'm probably at 80% confidence now, which means I'm still cognizant of how my knee is doing and I'm sometimes tentative about certain steps or movements.

Glad to hear your “knee confidence” is returning. I’m 25 days post ACL surgery, and my confidence is LOW. If I’m not wearing my brace, I baby the hell out of it. I know I’m only a few weeks in to a ~6 month recovery, but It does get in to my head that my knee doesn’t feel normal yet.

 

[Kevin Dill]

Glad to hear your “knee confidence” is returning. I’m 25 days post ACL surgery, and my confidence is LOW. If I’m not wearing my brace, I baby the hell out of it. I know I’m only a few weeks in to a ~6 month recovery, but It does get in to my head that my knee doesn’t feel normal yet.

Though I'm no orthopedic expert, I think you're experiencing a very normal thing. My advice is to remain extremely patient and keep day-to-day expectations (for change) rather low. Follow your prescribed therapies and rehab with dedication. As time passes you'll notice improvement in your knee function and....as a result....your confidence will creep back in.

 

[The Ri Guy]

I've had messed up knees since I was a kid, spent the last ~15 years working up my walking/running/hiking capabilities, with the occasional knee buckle on heavy pack-outs (thank god for trekking poles.) Permanent Osgood-Schlatter with some fragmentation in one knee, dislocated knee and tore a bunch of ligament in the other.

The first thing that helped me regain normal functionality, enough to feel confident going alone into the mountains, was zero-drop ("barefoot") shoes. Not sure why, but switching to wider shoes and allowing my feet to naturally splay did wonders for my knees, and my legs on the whole really.

I also began sled exercises last year, specifically pulling weight in a backwards motion. I'm only a few months into it but it has done wonders for both of my knees in a short time, and all my remaining weaknesses have been slowly (but noticeably) dissipating.

I'm not doctor and opted not to have surgery on either knee, but the above has worked wonders for me. YMMV

 

[Z Barebow]

Late to the party. Good luck on your continued recovery Kevin.

I had knee surgeries, (each knee) but not in the category of your issues. (Meniscus tears). Both were bucket tears? The loose flap flipped over and that was the main issue.

My doc was orthopedic doc for US Hockey team. Top notch. He said preserving existing meniscus was paramount. If you lose more than 40%, statistically it really isn't a matter of if, it is a matter of when you will need a knee replacement. (I lost 10% on one side, 30% on the other)

RE: "Knee confidence". My last surgery was in 2018. To this day, every once in a while I will have knee pain. (I am active) The pain from prior injuries has left such an imprint in my brain that I sure I am back to square one (when I feel knee pain) But without fail, I pop a couple of anti inflammatory and next day I forget about previous pain. (Knock on wood)

Good luck and be well!