knee surgery - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

Katie · 05-31-2005, 04:57 PM

has anyone ever had this before?? For about a year now my knee has been bugging me and its finally caught up with me, so whenever i walk it feels like the bones are grinding together and its always popping and i can move my knee cap and keep it there so i have to basically snap it back into place (it hurts!).. today in school last block in gym it dislocated for the first time.. so now for the past 3 hours i have had it up with ice on it and i'm going to the doctor's on monday.. anyone think i'm gonna need surgery? i'm so confused

Katie

likwid · 05-31-2005, 05:00 PM

Go to an orthopedic surgeon and get an opinion.
I wouldn't guess on this in a million years.

It could be a bunch of different things.

Katie · 05-31-2005, 05:02 PM

thats what my mom said we had to do but we need a referral first..

likwid · 05-31-2005, 05:04 PM

Even if the doctor tells you one thing and dosen't refer you, ask for one regardless.

Its worth the time.

CAL · 05-31-2005, 05:23 PM

Does it hurt on the side of the knee or in the middle?
I've had three knee operations and all were because of
meniscus tears. Felt like bones grinding like you describe,
and there was lots of popping. Never had the kneecap
lock though.

Doctor will most likely get you an MRI. If it's the meniscus,
don't worry. You'll only be off your feet for a day or two after the scope.

Best of luck

basswipe · 05-31-2005, 05:24 PM

Get two opinions.

I shattered both knee caps in an auto wreck in '99.The doc who saw me in the ER later recommended minimal physical therapy.Bad idea.At some point I WILL NEED full knee replacements.If I had a better doc and done much more instensive therapy I probaby would've only needed a partial in my right knee.

Moral of the story: Get a 2nd opinion.How you walk later on in life may depend on it.

nightfighter · 05-31-2005, 07:18 PM

Katie, tell your Mom and Dad to push the envelope with your primary physician and get you in to see the orthopod tomorrow. The squeaky wheel gets the grease in these situations. Don't take no for an answer. Tell them it requires to be seen now, today, and tell them how long it will take you to drive there thank you very much.... Red Crabber, don't let her wait.... four operations later my problem isn't with the torn ligaments or lack of meniscus, it's the damn arthritis!!!!

hooked · 05-31-2005, 11:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by basswipe

I shattered both knee caps in an auto wreck in '99.

Both kneecaps

I did this one 2 years ago.
Now I'm through wired.

Follow the advise given, be a pain in the ass and get a referral to a qualified Ortho surgeon that is a knee specialist.

Katie · 06-01-2005, 04:59 AM

We did call the doctor yesterday to get in ASAP, but the guy is booked til monday, so basically i wait.

Quote:

Does it hurt on the side of the knee or in the middle?

It tends to swicth places every now and then, but lately in both. Feels like a ton of sludge hammers just hit it, if you wanna decription on how it hurts..

I lost a bunch of weight last summer to maybe help my knees, but the weight went and the problems stayed.

MakoMike · 06-01-2005, 07:20 AM

Katie,
Do not get one opinion from an orthoedist, get two. And make sure that at least one of them is a guy (or gal) that specializes in Knees. I had mone done in NY but I'm sure there are knee specialists in Boston. Usually they are part of a large orthopeadic group. Find out who the red sox and Patriots use for their players knees. This is serious stuff, and if it isn't done right now it will bother you for the rest of your life.

Fishpart · 06-01-2005, 07:34 AM

My mom had her knee done about a month ago, she is 67. She is hobbling around only slightly worse thatn she was befrore the repalcement.

Need kneed go to Ft. Bragg or West Point, they do more knees than anyone on the planet....

whiplash · 06-01-2005, 10:11 AM

Katie , If the ortho says surgery don't go anywhere but the Baptist

in Boston.It is the BEST ortho hospital in the US!!! Its only an hour away. Nobody comes form around he world to go to providence

or Fall River

for surgery they go to Boston . Your too young to have some local hack cut you up and screw up your knee forever. I had my hip replaced 18 months age up there and they are fantastic up there. I'm 50 and I was back to work in 17 days and now I can out hike my teen age boys. If you need the names of some great Doctors

let me know. Good luck
Jim

Katie · 06-02-2005, 05:16 AM

Thanks all! We definitly will get a 2nd opinion.. and my mom said it was a really good idea to see who does the athletes injuries, so were looking into that.. The fastest i can get in to see the doc is monday around 1:45pm.. so i'll have to go easy until then. my mom says that theres this guy in fall river that does really good work and we'll see if we get referred to him..

thanks all..

JohnR · 06-02-2005, 08:11 AM

I tore out half of my miniscus cartilige, tore out the ACL and strained the MCL. When the cartilige ripped, a large part of it fliped up between the leg bones and the kneecap effectively wedging the knee open at a 50 degree angle with only 10 degrees of motion. Like putting a wedge in a door jamb. Xrays won't show much, MRIs will show a little more. You need to have your primary refer you to a knee guy, preferably in sports medicine.

No matter what they do (if surgical), make sure you do the PT afterwards. It will make a big difference...

Good luck

fishweewee · 06-02-2005, 08:18 AM

Aw, sounds like you just need to swap out some bearings. A little shpritz of WD-40 woudn't hurt either.

Seriously, hope your knee gets better!

JohnR · 06-02-2005, 09:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fishweewee

Aw, sounds like you just need to swap out some bearings. A little shpritz of WD-40 woudn't hurt either.

Seriously, hope your knee gets better!

The bearings are fair but the racers are shot

Saltheart · 06-02-2005, 12:21 PM

See the Dr , insist on seeing an orthopedic guy. Good guy is Dr Buonano in Johnston. Also , a most excellent guy who does knees at NE Baptist in Boston is called Dr Runyun.

Anyway , I have no cartiledge or ACL in either knee anymore. Had about 11 knee surgeries. today , if it can be done othroscopically , its a breeze. hurts a few days then a couple weeks therapy and you are good to go.

best of luck with it katie. i'm no dr but i sounds like torn cartiledge.

GaryK2 · 06-02-2005, 12:43 PM

I've had two acl surgeries in the same knee and tore some cartiledge the second time around. Once you get it diagnosed, and if it is your acl, i can give you a heads up on what the road ahead will bring. I didn't seek/need a second opinion as I went to a great ortho who has worked on many athletes.

There is life in sports after acls replacements. I still play soccer and ski heavily after two operations.

likwid · 06-02-2005, 12:56 PM

Gary: get the hell out of the backseat.

stoopid alpine skiers.
LEARN TO TELE!

Katie · 06-02-2005, 01:50 PM

Today i left school early and went to the doctors and got a referral to this dr. brown in fall river who does everything upto the surgery, i had x-rays done. and i have a brace on my knee now..i'm out of gym till the 17th of this month, which is awsome for me cause my gym teacher is almost 76 and its just annoying...i could barely walk this morning, i can walk a little bit now but it still hurts.. i get to wait till tuesday to know if i need surgery (1 out of many opinions

)

RickBomba · 06-05-2005, 07:26 AM

Yup,
Keep your head up, whatever's wrong a good ortho can fix.
Had all the ligaments in my left knee either replaced by grafts or repaired, as well as my meniscus.
I feel a little pain every now and then...but it's not so bad.
Doesn't seem to stop me from working 15 hour days, six days a week.
PM Mikey too, he had his whole knee shatter during an indoor soccer game, after the first consult they told him he'd never run again!!!
He's fine one year later (after his two month vacation from work!).
Later,
Rick

Rappin Mikey · 06-05-2005, 08:14 AM

Yeah, knee surgery is no big deal. I've got four pins, a metal plate, and a piece of some dead guys leg holding my knee together. Get it done if you really Kneed it. Get it, KNEE-D it.

Raven · 06-06-2005, 11:12 AM

and give your knee extra support Katie... but you have to get physical therapy(even after a surgery) and a good physical therapist to rebuild the strength in your knee with very specific excercises....( they went to school to learn every muscle)....and have the exact excercise equipment to do it with...then they test your strength...re-evaluate your progress and continue... if you dont put a demand on it to heal it won't on the one hand...but if you over do it and
put to much stress on it....it isnt good either. remember R.I.C.E. rest ice circulation elevation. 20 minutes per ice pack if its burning....elevation if its swollen to help reduce swelling especially if your not taking anti-inflamatory medicine such as advil.

Karl F · 06-06-2005, 11:21 AM

Very good advise Raven. Physical Therapy is the most important part after reconstruction, makes all the difference in the world.

Best of luck Katie. Sent ya a PM

Katie · 06-09-2005, 01:49 PM

Well i went to the ortho tuesday and he said that i had a sprain.. but the only thing he basically paid attention to were the tendions and not really how is wasn't able to bed my knee completely and stuff like that... he recommended Physical Therapy for me not surgery..my mom says okay as long as you don't need surgery your fine..for some reason i feel this guy is wrong..i could be wrong but it just feels like he is.. i haven't set up anymore appointments yet, cause my mom says not to. we'll see what happens when i go back to work this weekend.

Raven · 06-09-2005, 02:35 PM

well katie, i'm very happy for you not to need surgery so far as that one doctors opinion.... but let me tell you....something...we all have two personal doctors ..our left leg and our right leg....and the more you WALK not jog
which is harmful in the long run, excuse the pun...to your joints where as walking builds strength... use them often...only you can "feel" what you feel so you can be the judge in that case...for some decisions...the best therapy center has a walking pool and plenty of hydro-therapy equipment...and if not, choose one that does OK? that way you can have the best of both worlds.

Sprains however can sometimes be worse than breaks because they take longer to heal... keep that in mind and continue to wear your brace.
tell the gym teacher that you have a sprain and your going to study.
make sure to get light duty notes from any doctor you see...as thats what your paying for....and the teachers and school/work related supervisors want to see.

MikeTLive · 06-09-2005, 04:43 PM

the docs dont want to do surgery cause even arthroscopic causes damage while they are in there.

They will post pone and delay until you are 50 before they do a knee replacement. Just be cause they dont want to do it.

My wife has gone through 4 arthro's. each time trimmed back torn medial miniscus (cartilege) her knee grinds, pops, and locks.

it swells up like a balloon.

She completed 6 weeks of cartilege replacement shotts about a month ago and is limping just the same if not more.

The docs dont want to do replacement cause of her age.
F That!

Katie · 06-10-2005, 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeTLive

her knee grinds, pops, and locks. it swells up like a balloon

Thats exactly what mine does! but the guy said its normal.. yea its definitley normal for it to hurt like hell dude!

i'm gonna keep wearing the brace till whenever...

MikeTLive · 06-10-2005, 11:09 PM

Keep yer chin up and keep looking for 2nd and 3rd opinions.
do NOT take the first one and live with it. And if the sole reason for no repair is age tell em to pound sand!!

keep asking questions.
start a journal and write down everything you do that makes it hurt more, or hurt less, or does nothing. Write down the weather too. (weather knees are for real)

I am very aggressive when it comes to my own health. I wish my wife was the same with hers. Some day perhapse.

crashfromamesbury · 06-11-2005, 03:23 AM

hey katie.. best of luck.. and i hope for you that surgery is not nec.. i have had both knees operated on.. then a shoulder 2x.. elbow.. hip ... etc..

orthopedic surgeons are great.. but i hope they can help you thru therapy.