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At first was worried it was shingles, but got the immunization when I turned 60. I went to Urgent Care and the doctor said it was a non specific allergic reaction and prescribed a cortisone cream. Although it helps with the itching, the rash has not diminished after two days.
I felt terrible when I realized that I had not told the doctor I was allergic to metals when I was younger. I am afraid that this is as a result of an allergy to the new joint. My understanding is that it is stainless with a chrome alloy.
Is there a way to be both tested and treated for the allergy...so that it would not need to be removed....the thought of that makes me extremely scared. It was the first surgery that I've had that necessitated use of pain killers....I have had abdominal surgery, a bone graft and three scopes and never used pain medicine....just ice and lidoderm patches.
If there is anyone with information on how to treat the allergy other than removing the metal, I would welcome your advice.
Thanks kindlyView Thread
At the beginning of the new year I will be having a femoral rotational osteotomy on my left leg to counteract a femoral acetabular impediment which has cause a 30 degree retroversion and in turned caused a patellofemoral malalignment.
I am a 22 year old male college student who has been dislocating my left patella since I was eight years old. I have not been able to ride a bicycle in years, swim, nor even have a vigorous workout at the gym; limping constantly limits my activity.
I have had two previous arthroscopic surgeries on the left leg including a lateral release. In 2010 about 5 years after the first surgery, in which the doctor inserted a screw to hold the patellar tendon, I made a misstep on a sidewalk and ripped that tendon out of position. The second surgery I had in 2010 was to correct this problem, but unfortunately something, I'm not quite sure what, went wrong, and while, yes, my tendon is reattached, when I bend my knee my patella dislocates anteriorly and when I extend my knee my patella dislocates exteriorly.
I went out of town for college the next year and continually kept dislocating the patella. I would dislocate it 4 or 5 times a semester, and it had become increasingly frustrating.
I am now (Dec, 2012) going to college in Metro Denver. Late last year I decided to bite the bullet and see someone else about my problem. But instead of just going to one clinic, I would go to two because I knew that if I had done the same when I first saw the original orthopedic specialist, I might not have gone down that mud-ridden path.
The first doctor said I should have the femoral osteotomy. Both my mother, an LPN, and I were wary citing the previous surgeon. So we got our second opinion at the University of Colorado Anschutz Sports Medicine clinic. I definitely felt more sure about their diagnosis because 6 M.D's (lead by Dr. Armando Vidal) observed my leg and X-Rays and came to the same conclusion that the first doctor did, except there was one caveat. Because of the long abnormal wearing of my patella against the femur and tibial bone behind it, I have early onset osteoarthritis and I am going to have a second surgery to put the left patella on a metal track so that it functions normally and pain free.
Dr. Vidal has sent me to another doctor who specializes in the femoral osteotomy (he will be performing the knee surgery at a later date; some time this spring) at The Children's Hospital Colorado, Dr. Laurel M. Saliman. After a CT-scan, she and the Dr. Vidal concluded that the femur needs rotated 30 degrees to the anterior. Additionally, they concluded that I must be in a lot of pain with this constant dislocation. (1) My nerves were severed in the first two surgeries. Could that be hiding the pain or have the nerves grown back and am I just that stoic?
Much to my own agitation, I have decided to take spring semester from school off to focus on my health. I have talked to Dr. Saliman's office and have learned some interesting facts. First, I'll be in a cast for a month. Second, I will be in the hospital for two days.
(2) Do you know if I will be getting metal hardware inserted? I've seen a question mark shaped metal slit with screws inset (picture after the jump: (http://openi.nlm.nih.gov/imgs/rescaled512/3135568_1475-925X-10-57-4.png). It that a reasonable assumption?
(3) What kind of physical therapy will I need (technique, exercises, etc.)? I realize that I am fairly old for this surgery (usually done at 15 year old and younger) and that a femoral osteotomy on a patient with a retroversion is rare. When can I expect PT to begin?
All questions begin with a number in front of it, like so: (#). Thank you for sticking with me on this long journey, and I really appreciate the answers.
Ask questions if you have them, and I will respond post haste.

Thetypest57View Thread
this has been a very very painful and long recovery and have about 120 rom and strength back in leg if finally coming back
I cant walk up stairs or steps and avoid at all cost and if I do I drag my left leg up because it to painful to walk up the steps.
anyways, all was going well and my leg locked up and took over 2 hours to work its way free so I could bend and straighten it again.
I called my dr and he advised me of scar tissue. it happens more frequently now and I can almost feel when it is going to lock up and the last 2 times it locked up I had to manually manipulate it before it worked free. the dr did another mri and showed no tear is tendon and in place and a grade 4 lesion blah blah blah. said no surgery and to keep kicking along as best as possible for better words but now its locking up more and more frequently and having to manually manipulate it to free up
does this sound correct? what is going on? surgery? pain tolerance?
second opinion?
any advise would be greatly appreciated and I prefer not go to another dr as I don't want to jump around since he knows my knee and wht has been done.View Thread
I am 15 years post ACL repair. I tore my ACL and fractured my knee in three places while in the Marine Corps. The surgeon at Bethesda Naval Hospital did a great job repairing the ACL. However 15 years later I deal with constant pain, swelling, my knee buckles and gives out on me and there is a loud audiable painful pop when I straighten my leg that can be heard across the room. I am a current patient with the VA, I went to the doctor there with the symptoms, he ordered x-rays, MRI and did a complete (so he says) exam on my knee only to say there is nothing wrong. What should I do now? I can not deal with the pain much longer. On a pain scale of 1-10 it is a constant 7 or 8 and shoots to a 10 plus at least 5 times a day.View Thread
I'm having a surgery in about a month that I'm pretty nervous about. Its not a replacement, but I can't find a single board that addresses this kind of thing. And I'm just hoping to speak to someone that has been there.
I'm 28 and my knee joint is mal-aligned. I've dislocated it several times and now I'm having such dramatic subluxation when I extend my leg that my doctor is sending in residents to see it as a "learning experience."
So I'm undergoing surgery - they are going to realign my joint by cutting the bone and moving the placement of the patellar tendon where it attaches at the bottom.
Has anyone ever had anything like this done? How much pain should I expect to be in and for how long?
Tips? Things I should expect?View Thread
Just wanted to see if I could get any helpful tips or answers. My mom had a total knee replacement last December. A year has gone by and my mom still wakes up every morning crying in pain. The pain has obviously subsided since the surgery, but its still excrutiating for her. She can't even get on with her days without her medication to help her along.
How much longer will she suffer? The doc suggests her other knee be done soon, she said she'd rather suffer than get it done - thats how much pain she suffers through everyday...
Please any help?View Thread
Previously I have had 2 ACL reconstructions and 3 or 4 scopes to clean out the arthritis so I was told that I am predisposed to adhesion problems due to my many surgeries. Does anyone have any suggestions??View Thread
I am a 59 year old male, 6'4" & 300 pounds at present. Over the past year I did lose 70 pounds on the orthos advise after 2 complete scopes were done that did nothing.
My issues came after a rear end car accident on the interstate where in typical rush our fashion you go from 55 to stop every ½ mile and the car behind me did not see the stopped traffic.
A total of 12 days in the hospital 6 in a surgical unit then the balance in the hospitals rehab unit & the only took me since it was a bilateral one knee would have been shipped out to a rehab center.
I have done extremely well post op & the Surgeon and PT kicked me loose after 6 weeks I have full flex to the point the doctor does not want me to bend them that far and full extension. I can sit cross legged in bed or my chair.
Phantom pain still happens, certain movements cause pain, standing & climbing stairs still hurt.
Am I expecting too much at this point in my recovery, both Dr. & PT says I have exceeded the normal goals. I can ride my bike 1 mile a day pretty much pain free.
When do they really no longer hurt???View Thread
At my post-operative follow-up appointment with the surgeon yesterday, I was told that I would need to observe these precautions for the rest of my life! I was shocked -- I'll never be able to bend over to tie a shoe on this side? To cut my toenails? Is my surgeon being overly cautious? If not, do any of you fellow hip-replacement patients have tips on how to best deal with these limitations?View Thread
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