I’ve posted on this forum off and on over the past two years or so. I wanted to give an update on what looks like a definitive answer as to the multitude of issues with the replacement that I have been facing.

Short synopsis is that at 53 I had a torn meniscus at the root from a running injury. That was almost immediately turned into I had arthritis bad enough that I needed a partial knee replacement.

The physicians office forgot to order the replacement parts the day of the surgery and on the day of the rescheduled surgery, I fell in the parking lot. I woke up from what should have been a partial knee replacement with a total knee replacement, a very swollen knee and swollen ankle.

Two months after the surgery, I still could not stand or walk without pain and my ROM was less than 110. I was diagnosed with arthofibrosis and had another surgery to remove scar tissue. Significant pain and PT later I was able to get my knee bending more, but still could not stand or walk.

Multiple other doctors and 18 months later, I was diagnosed with a broken foot and shredded tendon from the parking lot fall from the original surgery. A bone fragment in my foot from the fall shredded the tendon. However, I still can not stand or walk without significant pain. At 56 now, I went from running and cross-fit to being able to walk less than 5,000 steps a day.

More doctors, tests and appointments later, the doctors are thinking I have a stress reaction or stress fracture in my tibia. I then found a doctor who deals with periprothetic fractures. He took a bunch of X-rays with my knee in positions I never had before. He then told me what you never want to hear after this surgery...

My implant is crooked. It’s not loose. It’s cemented in good - but at the wrong angle. It was installed crooked to the tune of slightly more than 5 degrees. The forces on my tibia and ankle are too much. My pain will never go away until it comes out and by the way, your good side hip is now a mess because your standing on one leg.

I told the doctor I’m only 56 and what happens at 66 when the revision wears out. He told me to go home and think if I wanted the revision. I sent him a follow up question in the portal asking the same thing a week ago and haven’t heard back. But I think I know the answer - it can’t be done.

So for those of you who have been following this story along and are still struggling with the pain - you now know one way this story ends.

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