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Scar tissue after knee replacement
Joint Replacements | Last Active: Apr 22 9:03am | Replies (1521)Comment receiving replies
My problem may be a little different. Had first replacement (rt), in 2010. VERY dedicated to PT and fabulous results! Danced at a concert and traveled to a reunion, at 6 weeks. Current issue is I was told to "wait", by PA, though he had told me I was eligible 2 years before, for TKR. Told him my lt. knee would "give out", with no warning. 6 weeks later, fell directly on that knee (gave out) and broke my patella. Had to wait 5 months, to have replacement. Patella had to heal, with wires wrapped around. Again, very dedicated to PT. Now, 15 months after TKR, returned to ortho and told I have scar tissue from patella repair. Using the "roller" device but MUST live on Advil, also. Even with that, very painful to walk and navigate stairs. Any other suggestions? Just use Advil (400 mg) twice a day, to barely function?
Replies to "My problem may be a little different. Had first replacement (rt), in 2010. VERY dedicated to..."
@amcit340 Thanks, Chris, for inviting me to this discussion. I think it would be worthwhile to try myofascial release as Chris suggests. The patella is the only bone in the body embedded inside a tendon which connects to muscle. All of that is connective tissue. When connective tissue which includes fascia has scar tissue and gets too tight, it pulls the body out of alignment which can cause pain or extra wear and tear on something. With a knee, there is also the possibility that there could be an alignment problem in the pelvis or the foot/ankle than can affect the knee alignment or put stress on it. Even though the knee has been replaced, the patella is still functioning independently. It's like a system of pulleys and levers from the spine through the pelvis and down the leg, so if any of that is "off" it can change the dynamics.
MFR works by stretching out the kinks in the overly tight fascia and lets the body move normally again, or closer to normal. When tissue stops moving correctly, it gets compressed and dehydrated. Tight fascia can also restrict the muscles too because they are encased in it and it weaves through them. That can cause muscles to shorten and pull harder on something causing pain. The key to success is finding the right therapist who has been trained in the John Barnes methods of MFR. There is a provider search at http://mfrtherapists.com/
You can find a lot of information in this discussion on MFR, and the beginning pages have lots of links and information.
Myofascial Release Therapy (MFR) for treating compression and pain: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/myofascial-release-therapy-mfr-for-treating-compression-and-pain/
I and Chris have both had good results with MFR. Do you think you would like to try it?
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Hi there @amcit340. I just read your post......before turning in for the night. Everyone has some scar tissue.....it is part of the healing process. The only way I got rid of it was MFR, myofascial release therapy. Because the tissue is wrapped in layers of fascia and the fascia becomes restrictive, it can be quite annoying and even painful.
I am going to ask @jenniferhunter to come over to say hello to you and explain just how this works. In the meantime, here is a video that will show you how the fascia moves within your body. When you watch it you will understand how it can build up in a restrictive way around the scar tissue.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eW0lvOVKDxE&t=86s. You can skip the Ad im the beginning.
Let me know what you think.
Chris