Thanks for your reply. Guess the lucky thing for me is since my injury is so far posterior to my femur it doesn't effect my walking to the point of what it sounds for some people on here. The flip side to that is that fixing it is very difficult for a surgeon because of where it is located. My doc is a very well known name in Denver and I have done my research. I am a surgical tech and work for a surgeon, so I was careful in my surgeon selection and still trust him. Just confused my his conflict of opinion in just two days and not wanting to drag this thing out over the next few years. Bought an indoor bike (killing me because I am not an indoor person) so maybe that will help to rebuild my muscle. Getting way to skinny! I agree about the second opinion thing as well and maybe just needed to hear someone else tell me what I was already thinking! Blah, Blah, Blah.... so chill out and have patience? ) Fine, as long is it doesn't get worse, I can do that, I think! Good luck to you too.
08/23/2008 01:02 AM
stakro
Posts: 20
I have a large microfracture site that is growing very poor fibrocartilage. At 5 months post microfracture, my ortho went back in to see what was going on in my knee. I was experiencing a lot of pain and was unable to fully extend my knee, which makes it very hard to walk normally. One of my microfracture sites filled in nicely, but the other did not. Now I'm looking at using an unloader brace for a while and then possibly having a high tibial osteotomy surgery. Ugh!
My ortho told me before this last surgery that we could MRI my knee, but that all it would show is that I have 2 areas with compromised cartilage, since I had 2 microfracture sites done. I was under the impression that the MRI would show that since it's different from articular cartilage. You might want to think about getting a 2nd opinion. It couldn't hurt anyway. I know they say that it takes 6-12 months to start feeling relief, but when you start feeling more pain than prior to surgery, that's not a good thing.
I know, the waiting just about drives you crazy. I went from being a 2 to 3 night a week softball/volleyball player to doing absolutely nothing. You really have to find alternate activities to fulfill your needs. I discovered kayaking this summer. I haven't done it much, but just knowing that it's an option that doesn't hurt my knee makes me feel a little less crazy.
Good luck!
08/22/2008 11:19 PM
DebbyR
Posts: 2
I am 12 weeks post microfracture to the posterior femoral condyle. Other than the 3 days following surgery the recovery has been relatively pain free. About 2 1/2 weeks ago I started having pain identical to the pre surgical pain. Waaaay back behind the knee...in the posterior femoral condyle. Went back to the OS who ordered an arthrogram. The results came back showing no sign of any fibrocartilage regrowth. Yesterday I went back to the OS. He stated he didn't think any fibrocartilage would start to grow if there were no sign of it at the 3 month mark but also said that he doesn't usually order mri testing so early. He reviewed my options of waiting or trying another procedure, mentioning doing an OATS procedure, but using a "cartilage substitute" to avoid two procedures as my defect is not large. It was never considered before because of the placement of the injury being so far posterior, it could not be done via an arthroscopic procedure. After reviewing my case with one of his partners today he told me to wait it out another 4-6 mos. (Not opposed to that except the pain is increasing and I am not doing any impact exercise that may have worsen anything). At the end of our conversation he told me he thought the "cartilage would re-grow". OK, so this is where I am TOTALLY confused because just yesterday he told me that he didn't see any re-growth yet and said it should show something on the mri if it were going to work. I have been a long term runner but did my knee in snowboarding this winter. Looks like now my winter will be spent indoors and I am not sure what to think of all this. Had he not said the exact opposite after talking to his partner I wouldn't be questioning the wait but now I am. Does any one know how long it should take for the re-growth of fibrocartilage to appear on an arthroscopic mri? I don't want to have more surgery but I also don't want to waste 3 to 5 more months waiting for something to happen that is NOT gonna happen???? I can handle pain.... no problem but the inactivity, if it is stretched out another 5 mos. only to find out then, more surgery? Yikes! Any suggestions?
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) Fine, as long is it doesn't get worse, I can do that, I think! Good luck to you too.
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