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Scar tissue after knee replacement

Posted by leithlane @leithlane, Jan 31, 2017

I had knee replacement surgery 6 weeks ago . Through PT I have been working on breaking up the scar tissue only for it to regrow by the time I get back to PT two days later. I have been massaging at home, using a hand held massager and roller. It is painful and swollen. I am getting very disheartened. Any suggestions as to what else I can do. Has anyone had laser treatments to break up scar tissue? Were they effective?

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lioness | @lioness | Dec 24, 2018
In reply to @contentandwell "@carolamead this is truly terrible! I have not seen the movie but from what you say..." + (show)
@contentandwell

@carolamead this is truly terrible! I have not seen the movie but from what you say it is unbelievable that they are doing this. I think if I was about to have a TKR I might rethink if I thought I was a "test". Thankfully I have had two TKRs and both are fine, and they are two different knees with two different surgeons. I do not have quite the flex I would like but I am going to have a minor procedure done to help with that.
I hope that all of you who are having these problems are able to get some relief, somehow. It seems as if a total revision might be the only possible solution. Please keep us posted.
JK

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@Contantandwell With so many posting about revision I wonder if this is another way for Drug companies and Dr,s to just make more money?Back in the 60,s you never heard of this .Tkr was put in and that was it oitside of P.T which was started in the O.R. Interesting?

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1 reply
JK | @contentandwell | Dec 24, 2018
In reply to @carolamead "I waited 7 months, my appointment is in 3 days with a Revision MD. Some people..." + (show)
@carolamead

I waited 7 months, my appointment is in 3 days with a Revision MD. Some people are fine with the metal, maybe not all have the nickel, supposedly there are all ceramic that are stronger, last longer. Flexing 65 degrees for two years and the pain has been horrid. I rode my bike 20 miles a day before surgery, rode horses. I have to lie sideways across the front seat of the car just toe get the knee in. Every single time I get in! I am very active, just do what I can, could not even use a Pottery Wheel at class. The contortion causes a twist and aggravates sciatic. Hope it gets fixed!!! The pain of bone on bone was far preferable as I could bend it at least.

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@carolamead Oh my goodness, you have been through a lot. My flex is at about 115 I think and I find that to be tough at times. My ortho said if I lived in Japan I couldn't function. I presume because they sit on the floor to eat. It would be difficult to not be able to bend enough in that situation.
I hope things go well with the revisionist.
JK

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JK | @contentandwell | Dec 24, 2018
In reply to @lioness "@Contantandwell With so many posting about revision I wonder if this is another way for Drug..." + (show)
@lioness

@Contantandwell With so many posting about revision I wonder if this is another way for Drug companies and Dr,s to just make more money?Back in the 60,s you never heard of this .Tkr was put in and that was it oitside of P.T which was started in the O.R. Interesting?

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@lioness I suspect they just very rarely did revisions unless the knee was truly impossible. I don't think anyone would go for a revision unless they really felt it was necessary. People back in the 60s probably just put up with more.
JK

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1 reply
lioness | @lioness | Dec 24, 2018
In reply to @contentandwell "@lioness I suspect they just very rarely did revisions unless the knee was truly impossible. I..." + (show)
@contentandwell

@lioness I suspect they just very rarely did revisions unless the knee was truly impossible. I don't think anyone would go for a revision unless they really felt it was necessary. People back in the 60s probably just put up with more.
JK

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@Contantandwell That could be but my Mother had 2TKR and never complained that' was in the 70,s but they still started the rehab on the machine then in
O.R which they don't do now from what I understand

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JK | @contentandwell | Dec 24, 2018

@lioness I would suspect that would help, I wonder why they no longer do it.
JK

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1 reply
gator1965 | @gator1965 | Dec 24, 2018
In reply to @melcpa86 "@damewocane @rayreich3 @gator1965 Here’s an update on the arthroscopic lysis I had done 3 weeks ago...." + (show)
@melcpa86

@damewocane @rayreich3 @gator1965

Here’s an update on the arthroscopic lysis I had done 3 weeks ago.

I was at my wits end last week - crying in each PT session as they forced my leg back to 130 - where it was after the surgery. I broke down and emailed the surgeon to see if he could do anything. He doubled my dose and said to try that for a week (eg 3 more PT sessions and the homework).

The first of those PT sessions was yesterday- and guess what? I “graduated”!!! I was able to force my leg on my own to 125 - so the PT guy said I can now walk 10 mins twice a day and reduce the homework to 3 times a day! Other than that- butt on the couch with leg elevated - but no longer 5 hours of stretching a day!!!!! Only bad news is I can’t lift my leg for a short arc anymore- but can move the kneecap - so PT just upped the quad sets to “unlimited “ or as many a day as I can stand.

I’m convinced that I’m one of those unlucky people that has a genetic disposition to generate scar tissue. This is the third surgery that I have had this issue and by far the most painful.

But - there is hope. Slot of painful work in front of me still - but hope. And if I can get back to standing and walking without pain eventually- I’ll take that pain (and the pain meds) now.

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Golly I would love my knee flexion to be 125 degrees. I am now 3 months post arthroscopic arthrolysis and debridment of left knee and not even 100 degrees. Wonder whether I will ever get there...... nearly 9 months following my TKR

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lioness | @lioness | Dec 24, 2018
In reply to @contentandwell "@lioness I would suspect that would help, I wonder why they no longer do it. JK" + (show)
@contentandwell

@lioness I would suspect that would help, I wonder why they no longer do it.
JK

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@Contantandwell I dont know never heard but follow the money?

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1 reply
JK | @contentandwell | Dec 27, 2018
In reply to @lioness "@Contantandwell I dont know never heard but follow the money?" + (show)
@lioness

@Contantandwell I dont know never heard but follow the money?

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@lioness Yes, I have heard that of course, but I would hope that those in the medical profession would still be doing what is best for the patient. I do think that they sometimes order additional tests or refer a person to another specialist, but I cannot imagine that they would change from having PT that quickly to not, if the patients were really benefitting from it. Maybe I am naive, but I hope not.
JK

REPLY
1 reply
JK | @contentandwell | Dec 27, 2018
In reply to @melcpa86 "@damewocane @rayreich3 @gator1965 Here’s an update on the arthroscopic lysis I had done 3 weeks ago...." + (show)
@melcpa86

@damewocane @rayreich3 @gator1965

Here’s an update on the arthroscopic lysis I had done 3 weeks ago.

I was at my wits end last week - crying in each PT session as they forced my leg back to 130 - where it was after the surgery. I broke down and emailed the surgeon to see if he could do anything. He doubled my dose and said to try that for a week (eg 3 more PT sessions and the homework).

The first of those PT sessions was yesterday- and guess what? I “graduated”!!! I was able to force my leg on my own to 125 - so the PT guy said I can now walk 10 mins twice a day and reduce the homework to 3 times a day! Other than that- butt on the couch with leg elevated - but no longer 5 hours of stretching a day!!!!! Only bad news is I can’t lift my leg for a short arc anymore- but can move the kneecap - so PT just upped the quad sets to “unlimited “ or as many a day as I can stand.

I’m convinced that I’m one of those unlucky people that has a genetic disposition to generate scar tissue. This is the third surgery that I have had this issue and by far the most painful.

But - there is hope. Slot of painful work in front of me still - but hope. And if I can get back to standing and walking without pain eventually- I’ll take that pain (and the pain meds) now.

Jump to this post

@melcpa86 The flex they want you to achieve is generally 120, anything more than that is gravy. Mine is not at that in either leg but I do very well walking in most things, just cannot bend it enough for ease in getting up and down from the floor. I would give anything to have 125! When we were on vacation in October I walked about 37 miles in four days!

@klouis I am going to be having that surgery soon, I think it is probably the same thing. It's good to know that someone else found it did help.
JK

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1 reply
lioness | @lioness | Dec 27, 2018
In reply to @contentandwell "@lioness Yes, I have heard that of course, but I would hope that those in the..." + (show)
@contentandwell

@lioness Yes, I have heard that of course, but I would hope that those in the medical profession would still be doing what is best for the patient. I do think that they sometimes order additional tests or refer a person to another specialist, but I cannot imagine that they would change from having PT that quickly to not, if the patients were really benefitting from it. Maybe I am naive, but I hope not.
JK

Jump to this post

@ Contantandwell I didn't mean to imply that this is the total reason but Im suspicious in general with the Drug Companies and how they push meds on Dr,s The flex machine
may have had something that wasn't working right I don't know. P.T is needed I don't think it will go away unless they start using robots,pray not lol

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