So I am now 12 days away from my MPFL &LPFL reconstruction, & grade IV chrondoplasty. I'm quite nervous about the post-surgical rehab as 5 weeks post-op from my initial MPFL repair in 2008 I suffered 3 lumbar herniated discs with an annular tear. This was all caused by me not being allowed to put weight onto my left leg, and the uneven load bearing caused scoliosis and then disc ruptures.
I am much better for day-to-day activities now with my spine, but I still cant bend forwards or backwards without severe pain. Since the initial herniations after knee surgery, I have had 3 open decompressions (debriding of the herniated disc material) and one complete bilateral lumbar rhizotomy. (electical burning of the nerves at all 6 lumbar levels that's performed as a pain management treatment)
After the first knee surgery (and each spine surgery as well) I developed severe adhesions (scar tissue) that prevented me from achieving any range-of-motion. It's called a "frozen knee" and literally is exactly how it sounds - the scar tissue grows around the surgical sites and freezes all flexion of the joint. It gets worse the longer you have to make the joint stay immobile for healing purposes after surgery. Typically the scar tissue has to be manually ripped apart by forcing the joint to bend past the range where the motion is available. These are called "manipulations" and are either done in the PT office or under anesthetic by your ortho surgeon. When I had my knee surgery in 08, I needed 6 manipulations in order to get my knee to bend 90 degrees, and none of them were performed under anesthesia. I was never offered that option, If you're wondering how it feels to have scar tissue ripped apart, I can say it is the most painful thing I have ever experienced in my life. And I have major spine issues, have torn my ureters apart during a routine diagnostic kidney scope, and have had kidney stones. It's absolutely brutal.
Anyways, I am hoping this time I don't develop those adhesions, but I am prepared for it as in all 4 of my surgical procedures I have had the same result. I remember for example during my 3rd lumbar decompression surgery rehab, I was stuck at bending over nearly 90 degrees at the waist, I couldnt stand straight up because of the scar tissue formation. It was awful.
Today my good knee (the right leg) is still swollen and painful since yesterday, It's been subluxing a lot this past week and is right now more painful than my bad (left) knee.
Theres not enough ice in the world....
No comments:
Post a Comment