Specific rehab following knee surgery...

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Re: Specific rehab following knee surgery...

OK, thanks again for the info...I have lots of other stuff on this week but will certainly bring it up with the doctor in 8 days when I have my next appointment.

By the way, I am sure that what everyone is doing IS for my muscles...the knee is in itself "untreatable" because the ligament will not regenerate itself and will always have this weak point...I have a feeling that the treatment will take a different course after the next appointment.
 
Re: Specific rehab following knee surgery...

Snicko;389694 said:
...By the way, I am sure that what everyone is doing IS for my muscles...
Click to expand...

Undoubtedly, but if you have a heart problem, you would see a heart specialist, cancer - an oncologist, if it's a spinal problem, you would see a chiropractor. You have a soft tissue issue, you should be referred to a soft tissue specialist. ;)
 
Re: Specific rehab following knee surgery...

Back from the doctors again...unless something dramatic happens the road for surgery has been set. I have an appointment at the end of March in the hospital with the Head Surgeon (he has had some very famous legs, arms and god knows what else in his hands).

He did the shelf test again, and saw that whilst the muscles are now back to almost full-strength, there was still lateral movement within the knee. This indicates that the muscles cannot support quick movement etc.

I also finally discovered what was diagnosed in the operation, namely a lambda (lesion)tear of the ACL. This is where the ligament tears from top to bottom, not across, leaving a flap of ligament hanging. This flap then falls backwards onto the PCL and can fuse with it (and irritate it). Not ALWAYS a reason for knee reconstruction, but with chronic instability and recurring pain very common.

Its the waiting and not knowing thats doing my head in though...once again its not 100% sure if the OP will go ahead or not for another month.

Still, look on the bright side, I just watched Eoin Morgan vs Bangladesh!
 
Re: Specific rehab following knee surgery...

New update...

I had my long-awaited appointment with the head surgeon at the hospital yesterday. He did all the normal tests and detected the weakness that still remains in the knee, then tested the differences in ligament movement between both knees using a special gizmo.

Healthy knee was 3 mm
Other knee was 6 mm

5 mm is the border when a ligament is generally considered as no longer fit for purpose.

He suspects that the ligament is ruptured and I have to go for another MRT next Wednesday, following which I have an appointment directly afterwards with him.

The knee is still as it was, can't run, gives way about once every two weeks and then swells up, can't kneel and can't walk for sustained periods or distances.

Another week of waiting...:(

On a more positive note, I passed my ICC grade 1 umpire course last week. :)
 
Re: Specific rehab following knee surgery...

Well done for passing the course :cool:.

Sorry to hear about the rupture. Are we still talking ACL?

Let us know what happens. I guess surgery is on the cards and possible reconstruction :eek:.
 
Re: Specific rehab following knee surgery...

OK, this is the situation as it stands.

My MRT on Wednesday was "inconclusive". In one of the pictures my ACL looked abnormally thin and damaged (compared to my PCL), with evidence of a rupture. However, from another side, you could not tell that anything was wrong.

The way forward is now an operation planned for May 20th. This will start out as a normal arthroscopy, he will check the ACL thoroughly and then IF the damage is irreperable, he will carry out the knee reconstruction.

He has said that he has experienced cases first hand where he has pulled a "loose" ACL with the hook in the operation and it has been snagged on something in the knee. When this was smoothed off the ACL was back to normal, although the patient was fully expecting knee reconstruction. Another thing is that if the knee is still bleeding (a possibility, according to the pictures) as a result of the constant giving way, then he has also experienced a loose ACL that springs back into place as soon as the blood and fluid around it is sucked out.

Whatever happens, I will only know what has been done when I wake up...at least EITHER way I know it will be fixed, either over the short term or long term. At least its better than "try this and wait and see".

Oh, and obviously this means I am out for the season :(
 
Re: Specific rehab following knee surgery...

Just back home after two days in hospital following the operation...

I had reconstruction to one of the two ligament "threads", in other words partial reconstruction. The ACL was ruptured then after all, as initially feared. Rehabilitation is however the same as a complete replacement with the same time scale.

Things have gone remarkably well up to now, I have felt minimal pain since the op itself and have not had to take any painkillers at all. There is no swelling, no bleeding from the wounds (will be some nice scars though) and I am already putting 20kg of weight on my leg with the crutches.

Have a full recovery plan for the next six months, which will be further detailed on Tuesday when I visit my first orthopadic surgeon.

Obviously the next few weeks are going to drive me bonkers because I cant walk fully or help out much at home, but am feeling optimistic at the moment.

Cheers
Mark
 
Re: Specific rehab following knee surgery...

Sounds great Mark. It looks like everything will be going upwards from now on and you will be up and running very soon. If you get bored in the meantime, you could always take up knitting :D.

Keep positive and work on the exercises, including upper body.

Good luck and keep us informed.
 
Re: Specific rehab following knee surgery...

So, lets see if the imaging function works...

...apparently not, just go here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/29708357@N02/4639917642/

Knee is swollen and bruised, as you can see. Apart from this everything is just fine, only pain is when I wake up...nothing when crutching along or anything.

Aside from the basic physio (just leg raises until next Thursday, when the stitches are out and "real" physio starts), am doing the following program every other day:

3 sets of 20 bench presses at 30kg
3 sets of 15 leg curls (one leg only) at 20 kg
3 sets of 15 bicep curls with 10 kg dumbbell
3 sets of 20 shoulder pull-downs at 30 kg
Abdominal rolls

Any other tips or comments greatly appreciated...
Cheers
 
Re: Specific rehab following knee surgery...

Looks good... very neat :).

There is not a lot you can do until the swelling goes down... best not to overdo things just yet. If you have a cable machine in the gym, you could do some rotator cuff exercises.


PS: Do you have a bathroom fetish by any chance?
 
Re: Specific rehab following knee surgery...

Ha, those are some pictures of our two newly-renovated bathrooms...the jacuzzi will pay for itself in the next six weeks.

Bit more pain and swelling as the days go by, mornings are the worst.

As for the exercises, the shoulders and rotator cuffs are getting enough of a workout as it is thanks to the crutches...
 
Re: Specific rehab following knee surgery...

Snicko;400612 said:
...As for the exercises, the shoulders and rotator cuffs are getting enough of a workout as it is thanks to the crutches...
Click to expand...

The six main muscles around the shoulder will become tight due to contraction under resistance [from the crutches]. Believe me, you will need to keep them loosened. ;)
 
Re: Specific rehab following knee surgery...

New pics of the knee:

CIMG6315 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
CIMG6320 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

As you can see, the bruising has come out with avengeance (not entirely sure why its down the side of my leg though). Pain is manageable, as before its just the mornings that cause me issues. Am also continuing the weight training (went out last night and did a bit too much though, felt as if I had been kicked in the balls today).

Another thing is the swift degeneration I am feeling in my thigh and calf despite the light exercises given to me in the hospital, I imagine I will be prescribed the TENS device again as well.

Next appointment at doctor with stitches removed on Thursday, plus first physio appointment.

Cheers
Mark
 
Re: Specific rehab following knee surgery...

The bruising is coming along really nicely; a really good colour.

Unfortunately, atrophy occurs quite quickly but don't worry, as soon as you are ready, you will be able to get those muscles back.

Let us know how the physio goes.
 
Re: Specific rehab following knee surgery...

Got the stitches out yesterday, well I say "out" but there was a teeny problem. The brace I am wearing rests over the main cut on the knee, we then found after taking the plaster off that the brace had actually pushed the knot of the stitch right into my leg. After they opened up the wound / scab with tweezers and tried to reach in and grab it, we found the only way was to pull out the entire lot from the opposite side (i.e. the lost knot is then pulled through two inches of flesh). Of course, this didnt work and the nylon snapped, but apparently the remaining bit will grow out of the skin as it heals.

Physio was good, the movement is normal and have felt today for the first time a strengthening of my knee itself, have simple exercises to do at home and physio with EMS device twice a week (the old EMS device was rented and the costs were not accepted by my insurance unfortunately).

Next cricket match from the sidelines on Sunday...looking forward to it already.
 
Re: Specific rehab following knee surgery...

Right, just back from the doctors...mixture of good news and bad news.

The good news is, no more straight brace (especially at nights, its like sleeping in ski trousers!) and no more Heparin injections. Knee and leg are getting noticeably stronger following physio and EMS and am up to 80° bend with no pain.

Bad news is an infection/bruise like last time, both around the ligament and behind the big cut. This means I have to stay on crutches for another two weeks and in my previous moveable Donjoy brace (also while sleeping, but better). I can however put increasing amounts of weight on it depending on the pain. Have to take ibuprofen once a day for the next two weeks for the infection.

Next appointment on 1st July...
Cheers
Mark
 
Re: Specific rehab following knee surgery...

No more crutches...hurrah! Although I will still probably take them with me for a week or so and am not exactly running about the place...

Infection has gone down significantly, still have to wear the brace all the time for the next two weeks, after this I can sleep without it and also start normal walking without it.

Am now onto standing physio exercises..only a couple of degrees out on extension, around 100° flexion. Walking still feels strange and everything is still wobbly, but am hoping that the only way is up now.

Cheers
Mark
 
Re: Specific rehab following knee surgery...

I've been eavesdropping on this thread, and would just like to say good luck for the rest of the recovery.

I've had three operations on different areas now, two of them to do with cricket/baseball, and although none of them as serious or troublesome as this, it really is a pain in the a***, especially the recovery (the constant physio I found the worst).

Seems like things are much better now for you but, good luck for the rest mate.
 
Re: Specific rehab following knee surgery...

Thanks Liz and Boris for the kind words. Since I came off crutches the leg is getting stronger but the knee hurts from time to time...I like to think this is progress though. My next appointment with the doc is in a month, will keep you up to date with the progress.

Has been interesting to look back on this thread since it started...now six months since the initial operation...six months from now I hope to be playing again. :)
 
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