Has my partial knee replacement failed?

GraceB

For the last couple of weeks my unoperated knee (my left one) has kept locking. I now have a high level of pain in the outer part of the knee.
In the meantime, my right knee (my partial replacement is 4yrs old in May this year) has started to seriously play up and I'm getting pain over the area of the replacement and where the prosthesis meets the bone at either end. This is more pain than usual.
My gut reaction is to seek an x-ray of both knees but I'm dreading doing this as I have a horrible feeling they'll confirm that what up until now had been my 'good' knee (and I use the term 'good' very loosely indeed) now needs surgical attention. Difficulty is, with having had a total of 8 procedures on the right knee I know what's coming. X-rays taken in 2010 confirmed my left knee has OA in it and my hospital then said it would need replacing, but they wouldn't do it then.
Yesterday I had to resort to using both walking sticks (I normally manage on one) and am now having to support the replaced knee with a stick in my left hand. This is leaving my 'good' knee (remember my use of the word 'good' please) and my knackered left ankle unsupported.
Do I go back to both elbow crutches? Do I wait for my GP appt on 9th Feb or get a more urgent one beforehand? Do I talk to my back physio on Wednesday to see if he'd authorise knee x-rays? I'm rattling with pills and am sure people can hear me coming from miles off what with the pill rattling, the multiple joint crepitus and the stick which has a tune all of it's own. Hey - p'raps I could market myself as a one-woman percussion band
Any ideas/thoughts would be welcome.
Thanks.
GraceB

dachshund

Hello Grace
could you be having the pain in your good leg because you are walking different.a op does make you walk different i have a
tkr mine is 10 years old no problem yet.
take care
joan xx

villier

Hi Grace

Sorry to hear you are in a lot of pain, afraid I don't know much about the knees as it's my hands that are affected, if you think your physio would be able to authorise the x-rays I would maybe go for that as it is soon then you could maybe try and get a quicker GP app, I'm sure there will be others along soon to give their input....................tc.............Marie xx

elnafinn

Hi Grace

I am sorry to hear that you are having problems after 4 years with the "better of the two" knees. It could be that it has had to work harder recently and your bad ankle too. I would ask your physio if it is at all possible to arrange knee xrays for you and if not, I would go and see your gp earlier than 9 February if possible to discuss. Partial and Total knee replacements both have a good lifespan generally and you should not really be having substantial problems after only 4 years if before this episode it was perfectly fine for you......

Hugs
Elna x

salamander

Hi Grace, I'm wondering, like the others, if it is to do with the way you are walking. My inclination is to say to get x-rays of both asap.

My mother had both knees replaced and seem to remember they told her if they didn't do the other one it would affect the replacement one. Hers lasted for years but, just before she passed away, was told the first one needed doing again. It won't help either knee if you leave them as the muscles will became weak etc. Best to get them sorted out.

GraceB

Thanks for your thoughts everyone.

I think the issue is, we get used to living with a certain level of pain and it can sometimes creep up without it being noticed. Then it gets to a certain level and wham! you notice - by heaven's you notice :!:

My 'gut reaction' is that something's not quite right and to be fair to me I need to know what's going on, even if it's not what I want to hear.

Elna - I was told my replacement would last 15-20 years if I looked after it which I've done, so this is a mystery at the moment.

I'll talk to the physio on Wednesday and if he won't authorise x-rays will ring my surgery and get a phone consult (getting appointments is like trying to get blood out of a stone!).

Thanks again - I appreciate your help.
GraceB

elainebadknee

Grace

Id like to say the pain you are getting is because the good one has been overcompensating for the bad one and now its reached a cruciendo? But I guess its back to see them and see what they say, I know you dont want more surgery but if its the answer then it may have to be considered..

Good luck

Elainexx

GraceB wrote:

For the last couple of weeks my unoperated knee (my left one) has kept locking. I now have a high level of pain in the outer part of the knee.
In the meantime, my right knee (my partial replacement is 4yrs old in May this year) has started to seriously play up and I'm getting pain over the area of the replacement and where the prosthesis meets the bone at either end. This is more pain than usual.
My gut reaction is to seek an x-ray of both knees but I'm dreading doing this as I have a horrible feeling they'll confirm that what up until now had been my 'good' knee (and I use the term 'good' very loosely indeed) now needs surgical attention. Difficulty is, with having had a total of 8 procedures on the right knee I know what's coming. X-rays taken in 2010 confirmed my left knee has OA in it and my hospital then said it would need replacing, but they wouldn't do it then.
Yesterday I had to resort to using both walking sticks (I normally manage on one) and am now having to support the replaced knee with a stick in my left hand. This is leaving my 'good' knee (remember my use of the word 'good' please) and my knackered left ankle unsupported.
Do I go back to both elbow crutches? Do I wait for my GP appt on 9th Feb or get a more urgent one beforehand? Do I talk to my back physio on Wednesday to see if he'd authorise knee x-rays? I'm rattling with pills and am sure people can hear me coming from miles off what with the pill rattling, the multiple joint crepitus and the stick which has a tune all of it's own. Hey - p'raps I could market myself as a one-woman percussion band
Any ideas/thoughts would be welcome.
Thanks.
GraceB

barbara12

Hello Grace
I really feel for you, you must feel like you are going backward .
And I understand how you feel about the xrays, I dread them saying it more OA.
But if it was me I would take the weight off it with crutches, at least then you are not doing any arm to the goodish knee. :?
I do hope you get some help in Feb..I will have everything crossed for you.xx

kentishlady

Hello Grace. Sorry you are having such a tough and painful time with your knees and do hope you can get sorted out with appointment soon. Notice you are in Ashford. Is that Kent or Middlesex? If it's Kent you are fairly near me. I have trouble getting a GP appointment too. Maybe it's a Kentish problem, though I rather suspect others on the forum which say that they have difficulty too. Take care and let us know how you get on. Beryl. ((()))

GraceB

Again a thank you for the responses.

Beryl - I'm in Kent so suspect I may be fairly near to you. You are welcome to PM me if you wish. My surgery is one of those that you have to call at 8am, the line is constantly engaged, you count to 10 hit the redial button, etc., and when you do get through all the appts are gone! If you see a GP who wants to see you again 3-4 weeks afterwards you explain that to the receptionist, there's no appts available, must call on the day. Which day does s/he work you ask? Don't know at the moment comes the response - you'll have to phone every day and ask ... :roll: So frustrating. Whatever happened to customer service? (Now I'm showing my age!!)
GraceB

barbara12

Grace you are totally right there is know such thing has customer service now...I move from my GPs because of not being able to get an appointment...the one i have now..you can make an emergency appointment...I know you are struggling to get through... is there no way you could go round there and explain the pain you are in..xx

stickywicket

Grace, I think you have a good plan in place re your knee and I hope you get some quick results and a relatively easy solution.

As for your GP's surgery. That's not good enough. What would happen in an emergency? Have you considered changing practices?

GraceB

The surgery a bit nearer to me is even worse - you have to have 3 weeks notice you need an emergency appt! The only way you get seen there is to go and sit and wait - for hours.

Here in Kent it's quite common for GP surgeries to tell you to go to A&E. I was once sent to A&E following my guinea pig biting me (I was only trying to give him his tea - talk about biting the hand that feeds ...). I rang the surgery I was at then to check with the Practice Nurse did I need to do any more other than rinse it thoroughly a few times with soap and water? I was despatched quickly to A&E with my bitten finger. I felt like a right fraud. What did A&E tell me? I'd done everything I needed to with washing it with soap and water! And I didn't even get a sticker for being brave, or a colourful Disney character plaster.

I'll talk to my physio tomorrow about my knees and if he won't give me the paperwork for an x-ray (which I suspect will be the case), I'll ring my surgery and ask for a telephone consult - it'll be quicker than trying to physically see someone.

GraceB

GraceB

An update for you all.
X-rays done last night (31st Jan). Radiographer said something when I was positioning myself for the standing x-rays. She asked me to fully weight bear on my left (good) knee... Now I hadn't even realised I was unconsciously protecting the joint until she said that.
Knees both very sore still and painful and affecting my getting off to sleep.
I should get the x-rays results by the end of next week. I have a nasty feeling I know where this is leading, certainly with the left knee ...
GraceB

stickywicket

I hope the knees will soon recover from the x-ray exertions. As for the results, just try not to worry. Hard, I know, but it could still just be something remedied by physio. I hope so.