knee problem - what next?

bailey27

Hi

Am due to see orthopaedic dr in feb because my knee has been playing up. I had key hole surgery last march where i was told i had 'wear and tear' of the knee cap. He cleaned it out, trimmed some cartlidge and removed the fat pad from the knee. I have been having the same problem as I had before the surgery but more intense, I was told on my last appointment that I was too young ofr a knee cap replacement and that they would give me synvisc injections to help instead, which have done absolutely no good at all.
What is the next step without a replacement??
I could manage with jsut my knee problem but I need to keep myself active to stop my back and hips flaring up, if I dont keep moving I end up stiff for days, so feel i am going around in circles at the moment.
Any advice / suggestions?

markc1

In the same boat as you matey......my knees have been much worse since arthroscopy.
The next step for you will probably be referral to pain clinic which is my next stop next week.

blibblob

Bailey

I have had the same problem, after an MRI scan the orthopaedic Dr Said there was a small tear in my cartilage.

I had lots of swelling all over my left knee for about 6 months before I even had the MRI, I was hobbling/dragging around my left leg. The GP was saying to just take it easy with it, the knee was very swollen, stiff and my leg muscles was wasting away. I even payed to see a private orthopaedic Dr to find out what was really going on!

The private orthopaedic was great, he got me into a MRI real quick (even tho I went to the NHS), said he be there for the MRI and diagnose it there and then...I was impressed. In the end I had it through the NHS.

I went to see the NHS orthopaedic DR, he said I needed keyhole surgery. The only thing he could see on the MRI, was a small tear in my cartilage. So they went in and cleaned it all out, trimmed some cartlidge, but couldn’t find anything majorly wrong, took some bio samples and gave me a steroid shot.

The first week was great I seriously thought that was it, I was over the moon. I went to the GP I told him I was feeling great, He said still take it easy for a couple of weeks, so I did.

The steroids wore off after about two weeks and I started to stiffen up again and the swelling came back again (but not as much as before).
After the Keyhole I had to start taking pain killers (before that it wasn’t too painful, I really didn’t have that much pain before, (I was just unable to use the knee and I was just hobbling around with lots of swelling).
I went to the orthopaedic Dr after the op and he said nothing much......I had to ask HIM everything, He didn’t even have the bio results and I had to wait an hour and a quarter. Just for the pleasure....(I could hear the conversation over the curtain).
Ever since I have had so much pain, and I have to take pain killers, I get good days and I get bad days.
The rhumey diagnosed me with mono articular RA after an examination and put me on Salasalazine which I have been taking for 12 weeks. (to no effect so far) He also got me to do some blood test for ESR?. THE RHUMMEY told me that the orthopaedic Dr had said in his notes that I had a chronic inflammatory synovitis.
I’m going back to see the rhummey results in two weeks time so I’m hoping that he will differently diagnose me with RA ( I know it sounds bad to say that, but i’ve had this for a year now).
Your problem sounds similar to mine, although you have been diagnosed with sero-negative spondyloaropathy before this knee problem, so I was thinking could it be another part of your RA??......I don’t know?
All i can say is THANKS for the other replies and answers you have given me
Good Luck
Paul