Anyone with knee injuries? Meniscus tears? Cortisone?

[Elphaba2140]

Well-Let me start from the beginning. On New Years Day I was cleaning out my mothers house to sell it (not so recently passed on) and stepped out of the garage and my knee gave out. It just hurt some but I could walk on it. I did so for a week or so (ok maybe a bit longer-you know how us nurses are) and when I finally couldn't take it anymore went to the MD. She sent me for an MRI. Torn meniscus. Off to Ortho. Scheduled surgery and had a partial meniscectomy and chondroplasty on my patella. By 4 weeks out I felt really good. I didn't have total range of motion but no pain and that was good. A couple of weeks later I go back to see him. My calf is sore and knee achy. Suggest I finally take up the PT offer. I do 3 weeks of PT and then my leg is good and swollen and knee is so painful. I cannot bend it more than 90 degrees. Ice, Ibuprofen, Vicodin. This is all in 3 months time. Back to Ortho a week ago. Another MRI this past Tuesday. Have retorn it!! Most likely chasing stupid 12 week old chicks that refuse to go to bed at night.
So I am seeing him again Monday and the nurse said they may want to inject with cortisone. Anyone else have these problems or have had injections? How did it go for you? Has anyone had repeat tears and opted for second surgery? Thanks..

 

[Bantamlover23]

I have has any shots but I know how bad knee injuries hurt. I dislocated my kneecap on March 5th this year and though I am healing it is taking forever. I still have moments where is slips out of place. Fortuneately I work for a Chiropractor who specializes in Sports Medicine and she is able to look at it. I also had to go to an ortho but he has said about the same thing it is just going to take time.

 

[Kaitie09]

When I was 10, I was diagnosed with Osteochondritis dissecans (joint condition in which a piece of cartilage, along with a thin layer of the bone beneath it, comes loose from the end of a bone) it caused both of my knees to start dislocating. All of my nerves died from them popping so much. I went though a little of PT, but it did not help. At 17, I had Patella realignment surgery ( extremely invasive, ) I now have a 6in vertical scar along my knee and a 3in horizontal scar right below it. It was a 4 hour surgery, and they removed 80% of dead cartilage out of the right knee. I had 19 staples and 20 stitches and was in a full leg cast for three weeks. I was given Oxycontin and Oxycodine, but only used it for the first week (I have a very high pain tolerance) and then switched to Tylenol. I was bed ridden to two weeks and was not able to move my leg. Six weeks after surgery I was doing PT 3 times a week. I was on crutches for 2 months, and had a limp for 6. Overall, it was a 1 1/2 yr recovery time. I am never allowed to play sports again (was a softball catcher on an all-star travel team) or even run. My Ortho surg. wanted to hold out to do my left knee as long as we could. In April I slipped and dislocated my left knee the worst it has ever been and I could not walk for a week. So, now at 20 yrs old I have to have the same surgery on my left knee during winter break so I have 6 weeks of recovery before I have to start my spring semester.

 

[kara_leigh]

My husband jumped off of the retaining wall in our backyard and snapped his ACL, tore a big chunk off his meniscus, and crushed a few bones in his knee. He started physical therapy shortly after surgery due to the extent of his injuries and was assigned to a great therapist. On one of his appointments she had to be somewhere else so he worked with another therapist who didn't know what she was doing. She made him do exercises and movements that he shouldn't have been doing and actually damaged his knee. His doctor was SOOO mad, and that PT ended up getting fired b/c of it. My husband chose to not have surgery again and has had to live with constant pain for the last 5 years. Are you sure the damage wasn't done during your PT?

I'm not sure how it's done in the knee, but I've had steroid shots in my shoulders before b/c of arthritis. The only painful part was the numbing shots, which just pinched. Otherwise the actual steroid injection didn't really hurt, it just felt weird. My doctor was awesome at giving those shots.

 

[Laurajean]

About three years ago, I was going into a restaurant with my then-boyfriend, and I had high heels on and long pants, the kind that have wide long pant legs. As we were walking, I playfully reached my leg up sideways, to lightly kick him in the butt, just being silly. Well, on my foots' way back down, my high heel got caught in the pant leg and I fell, my knee slamming STRAIGHT down, first onto the concrete step of the restaurant entrance, then slipping off that and slamming a second time onto the parking lot pavement.

My kneecap was bruised for a long time, but when the pain did not get better, and I was limping horribly, I finally went to see a doctor and found out I had fractured my knee cap and torn my meniscus. I was in a brace for months, and he said I may need surgery at some point if it didn't heal. Shortly after that, I moved out of state and ended up with no more health insurance, and so I never did get the surgery. It still bothers me periodically and can get very painful. I had cortisone shots, which I found to be EXTREMELY painful! I am not a shot wimp, needles don't bother me, and I have a high pain threshold, but those shots were agony. It felt like he was drilling into my kneecap, it was awful.

When I look back on it, here's what I regret:

1. I wish it had happened someplace more exciting than a TGI Friday's parking lot

2. I burned those pants and will never wear fancy pants with wide legs again

3. Now that my ex and I are broken up, I think back and wish I kicked him REALLY, REALLY hard that night to make it worth the knee injury.

 

[Petej]

I had a Partial Menisectomy a little over a year ago. I was at work when I tore it....... OUCH!!!

In addition to tearing the Meniscus while moving lockers, I also tore my ACL's and PCL's in the same instance.

I have Osteoarthritis and cortisone seems to help with my pain.

I have some issues now, despite the PT that's been done. I call it "Jello Knee", it just gives out. The destabilization is from the torn ligaments and they are no longer tight enough to maintain stability at all times. I have pain and lots of it. Once the jello occurs, I'm done for a couple hours, The bones actually rub together when it goes, not fun. I feel "gravel" in the joint as well, definitely not fun.

 

[Elphaba2140]

wow. Seems like I have good company. Thanks for all the replies. I just got back from the MD. He said it is NOT retorn. Oh thank goodness!!!! I do have terrible inflammation in and around the joint plus the Osteoartritis. We chose to do the steroid shot and he gave me a soft brace. My entire leg has been and still is very swollen but he feels this is all from the knee swelling and compressing on the back of the knee area where all the blood vessels run. I am glad not to be having surgery again. I was given Voltaren cream. I have been taking the pills for sometime but he thinks this will work well. Anyone use this before?
I am not sure this didn't happen in PT because all of this seemed to flair up once I started it. I also see two different therapists and they do do some different things. I am off of exercise until this settles and then I am to start up again next week. We'll see how that goes. Hoping to see my right ankle again sometime soon.

 

[Petej]

That's good! Not retorn is the best! Arthritis is no fun, I'm riddled with it!

I'm hoping since I moved from Astoria, OR to Bellingham, WA that I can see one of the surgeons here and get a second opinion on what to do about mine.....