How do you treat excess scarring after TKR?

Hi Jmacvol.....Do you live close to Mayo (which one?). I've been there twice for 2 different issues and for me it takes 3 flights each way to get there. Well worth the effort. Not to make you jealsous but after my first TKR, when I went back to see the surgeon in 2 weeks for a check, I needed no cane, etc. The gal asked where my cane was and she said they were going to put me on a pedistal in the waiting room! However I went to a nursing home for post care for the first one as I live alone. The physiatrist there was nuts. This was back when they still used ths passive motion machine, and she got upset when I raised the angle to bend my knee over 90 degrees. That is what you go there for, to get as much bend as possible. When she wasn't around I'd raise it again, but the best I ever got to was about 124 degress of bend but after I got home and used my stationionary bike to help me with the bending by lowering the bike seat as much as possile. My second one is an even better story. gailfaith

Do I understand you correctly, that outside of the scarring, the rest of the TKR results were good? If so, I am happy for you. After my second TKR also on the machine before I left the hospital, I went to a different nursing home. I expected to use the machine there, but when the she saw my ROM already, she didn't order it. However on day 1 there, they measured my ROM at something in the mid 120's. But I was having calf pain and to be sure I didn't have a clot, I did no PT over the weekend until they could confirm there was no clot. So after lying in bed for 3 days, I was concerned that I had lost some of my good 120+ degrees of bend. So when I started PT again on Tuesday, I joking asked how much did I lose. His response: you're now up to 132 degrees! As far as I can ascertain, that is about where I was pre-surgery! Now that I have monotonic dystophy, I need that 132 degrees to get up from the floor though I still need help as the legs are weak, but I can at least get my R leg under me and get ready to stand.
When you fly to Mayo, where do you fly from and where is your plane change? I fly out of Lancaster airport which is just down the street (2 miles) to Dulles, then to Minneapolis and then Rochester. But coming home the last time, they cancelled the last flight back to Lancaster as they never told us that airline had changed hands and the FAA had not yet approved them flying into Lancaster. ! So instead of a 45 minute flight, they DROVE me and another passenger right to our front doors! But that was an hour wait at first then a 3 hr drive.

Hi @jmacvol, welcome to connect.
I am not a doctor but understand your situation. I injured my right knee. Tore my meniscus & ACL & broke a bone off my thigh (fell of silly tedmill) 6 years ago. I learned that the key to slowing down the process of scar tissue is continous exercise & stretching, even when therapy discharges. You may need to revisit therapy for some help breaking up some of that scar tissue. I actually still see therapy to keep mine feeling great, a maintenance program. This might be a great option for you.

Hope this helps.
Dawn

Hi,
I am posting here to see if I am in an exclusive club with my ongoing issues following knee replacement. My initial total replacement was a little over 3 years ago. Other than the typical PT experience with getting to full extension and 120 plus degree bend, all went as expected for the initial 3-4 months. At that point I started experiencing increased pain in the joint especially climbing and descending stairs. My surgeon recommended different PT and other exercises but I continually went downhill getting progressively worse. He had me do a wide range of imaging, infection and allergy tests all inconclusive. Other that hope it would remedy itself, he had no plan of action. After a year or more of increasing pain, I went for another opinion.

After another series of testing it was concluded that my replacement was loose and needing a complete revision. I did that 14 months ago and the new surgeon said that among other items he would have done differently, the first prosthesis just about fell out with zero effort required to remove it. The new implant is much more aggressive. This time around I had no flexibility issues and was over 110 degrees by my first visit to the PT facility. All was great for the first few months and then again, I started experiencing increasing joint pain. I have great stability, no flexibility issues, can walk miles but I have constant pain with simple knee bending movements and stairs. The diagnosis is excessive scar tissue or sinovitis. After another range of tests I had an arthroscopic “clean-up” about 8 weeks ago. I had immediate pain relief but 2 weeks later the pain returned and continues. I am having PT to break up scar tissue but my therapist says he has never felt a knee grinding like mine does. To me it is almost like I have a bag of marbles in the joint. So much so that at times you can hear the grinding.

Last part of my story is my older brother is a retired knee and hip replacement specialist. Both he and my current surgeon are somewhat stumped on why I continue to have excessive scar tissue. They are confident the scar tissue is the problem. I am considering a 4th procedure to inspect and remove the scar tissue but there is no promise that this would not happen all over again.

I am curious if anyone in this group has experienced anything similar and what you did or are doing. Although few, there must be others with an experience similar to mine as I am hoping to get ahead of the problem and start to experience life as I expected it to be when I had the initial replacement over 3 years ago. Any replies are greatly appreciated.

JW

Hi,
I am posting here to see if I am in an exclusive club with my ongoing issues following knee replacement. My initial total replacement was a little over 3 years ago. Other than the typical PT experience with getting to full extension and 120 plus degree bend, all went as expected for the initial 3-4 months. At that point I started experiencing increased pain in the joint especially climbing and descending stairs. My surgeon recommended different PT and other exercises but I continually went downhill getting progressively worse. He had me do a wide range of imaging, infection and allergy tests all inconclusive. Other that hope it would remedy itself, he had no plan of action. After a year or more of increasing pain, I went for another opinion.

After another series of testing it was concluded that my replacement was loose and needing a complete revision. I did that 14 months ago and the new surgeon said that among other items he would have done differently, the first prosthesis just about fell out with zero effort required to remove it. The new implant is much more aggressive. This time around I had no flexibility issues and was over 110 degrees by my first visit to the PT facility. All was great for the first few months and then again, I started experiencing increasing joint pain. I have great stability, no flexibility issues, can walk miles but I have constant pain with simple knee bending movements and stairs. The diagnosis is excessive scar tissue or sinovitis. After another range of tests I had an arthroscopic “clean-up” about 8 weeks ago. I had immediate pain relief but 2 weeks later the pain returned and continues. I am having PT to break up scar tissue but my therapist says he has never felt a knee grinding like mine does. To me it is almost like I have a bag of marbles in the joint. So much so that at times you can hear the grinding.

Last part of my story is my older brother is a retired knee and hip replacement specialist. Both he and my current surgeon are somewhat stumped on why I continue to have excessive scar tissue. They are confident the scar tissue is the problem. I am considering a 4th procedure to inspect and remove the scar tissue but there is no promise that this would not happen all over again.

I am curious if anyone in this group has experienced anything similar and what you did or are doing. Although few, there must be others with an experience similar to mine as I am hoping to get ahead of the problem and start to experience life as I expected it to be when I had the initial replacement over 3 years ago. Any replies are greatly appreciated.

JW

At 15 months post op I still do all the exercises for my new knee as prescribed by my physical therapist! Includes things like stationary bike, strengthening with exercise ankle weights one and two pounders. Rolling down right left of knee with rolling pin center knee done with hands. Other leg strengthening exercises, squats, balancing and endurance exercises 3 times a week. At 65 will keep them up as long as I can. My new knee is awesome!!!
My therapist made sure I didn’t develop and scar tissue using deep tissue massaging which is not fun but I know necessary and taught me the art of using rolling pin which I do to this day. A lot of time and work for me but to date my knee has been awesome!!!

Hi,
I am posting here to see if I am in an exclusive club with my ongoing issues following knee replacement. My initial total replacement was a little over 3 years ago. Other than the typical PT experience with getting to full extension and 120 plus degree bend, all went as expected for the initial 3-4 months. At that point I started experiencing increased pain in the joint especially climbing and descending stairs. My surgeon recommended different PT and other exercises but I continually went downhill getting progressively worse. He had me do a wide range of imaging, infection and allergy tests all inconclusive. Other that hope it would remedy itself, he had no plan of action. After a year or more of increasing pain, I went for another opinion.

After another series of testing it was concluded that my replacement was loose and needing a complete revision. I did that 14 months ago and the new surgeon said that among other items he would have done differently, the first prosthesis just about fell out with zero effort required to remove it. The new implant is much more aggressive. This time around I had no flexibility issues and was over 110 degrees by my first visit to the PT facility. All was great for the first few months and then again, I started experiencing increasing joint pain. I have great stability, no flexibility issues, can walk miles but I have constant pain with simple knee bending movements and stairs. The diagnosis is excessive scar tissue or sinovitis. After another range of tests I had an arthroscopic “clean-up” about 8 weeks ago. I had immediate pain relief but 2 weeks later the pain returned and continues. I am having PT to break up scar tissue but my therapist says he has never felt a knee grinding like mine does. To me it is almost like I have a bag of marbles in the joint. So much so that at times you can hear the grinding.

Last part of my story is my older brother is a retired knee and hip replacement specialist. Both he and my current surgeon are somewhat stumped on why I continue to have excessive scar tissue. They are confident the scar tissue is the problem. I am considering a 4th procedure to inspect and remove the scar tissue but there is no promise that this would not happen all over again.

I am curious if anyone in this group has experienced anything similar and what you did or are doing. Although few, there must be others with an experience similar to mine as I am hoping to get ahead of the problem and start to experience life as I expected it to be when I had the initial replacement over 3 years ago. Any replies are greatly appreciated.

JW