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Undissolved stitches following TKR

Posted by ptbradshaw @ptbradshaw, Jan 22, 2020

Has anyone had a stitch that didn’t dissolve? I had TKR on my right knee 15 months ago. I’m now getting ready to have TKR on my left knee but my right knee Hurts worse than my left. To me, it feels like a bone spur on the front of my knee. I’ve been back to my surgeon about this and was told that it’s just a stitch that hasn’t dissolved. It really hurts. Has anyone even heard of this?

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saeternes | @saeternes | Jan 24, 2020

That's interesting. My PT noticed a dark spot on my scar (this was at about 4 weeks) and said he thought it was an undissolved stitch. I peered at it with a magnifying glass and decided he was right, so I pulled it out with a tweezers. Turned out it was about 1/4" long and the bottom was dissolved; the top part that was sticking out had not dissolved. But I didn't have any pain, and am surprised to hear that a stitch can be internal and undissolved.

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glasgow46 | @glasgow46 | Jan 24, 2020
In reply to @saeternes "That's interesting. My PT noticed a dark spot on my scar (this was at about 4..." + (show)
@saeternes

That's interesting. My PT noticed a dark spot on my scar (this was at about 4 weeks) and said he thought it was an undissolved stitch. I peered at it with a magnifying glass and decided he was right, so I pulled it out with a tweezers. Turned out it was about 1/4" long and the bottom was dissolved; the top part that was sticking out had not dissolved. But I didn't have any pain, and am surprised to hear that a stitch can be internal and undissolved.

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I had that happen also. The sutures are designed to dissolve in moist conditions, the lit,le pieces left outside the skin tend to dry out and become very prickly. I kept moistening mine well in shower, and it gradually fell out

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ptbradshaw | @ptbradshaw | Jan 24, 2020

That’s one reason I don’t think this is a stitch. Also, the knot/bump is right at the bottom end of my incision. Maybe I’ll go back and make them look at it AGAIN. Both the surgeon and the nurse practitioner have checked it out twice.

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