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  • Bad knees

    Have had scoliosis surgery as a teen, then a few revisions. All the squatting over the years has done a number on my knees. Has anyone else experienced knee problems too? I also had a few bad falls from balance problems which didn't help. Would love to hear about other experiences with knee issues.

  • #2
    I have bad knees. I have much pain . But no Doctor can figure out where it is coming from.
    Melissa

    Fused from C2 - sacrum 7/2011

    April 21, 2020- another broken rod surgery

    Comment


    • #3
      Bone scan lit up on my knees, but X-ray doesn't show anything. I think it's from us standing differently.

      Comment


      • #4
        I think you may be on to something. We scoliosis people walk and stand different. I am not too bothered with my knees except on occasion. But I know I stand a lot and walk different. I do try to always wear good shoes with support. But sometimes bare foot feels so good. I know in my exercise class the instructor always says to not bring the knees forward but the posterior back. It is hard to do with a fused spine. It must look silly when I try!
        T10-pelvis fusion 12/08
        C5,6,7 fusion 9/10
        T2--T10 fusion 2/11
        C 4-5 fusion 11/14
        Right scapulectomy 6/15
        Right pectoralis major muscle transfer to scapula
        To replace the action of Serratus Anterior muscle 3/16
        Broken neck 9/28/2018
        Emergency surgery posterior fusion C4- T3
        Repeated 11/2018 because rods pulled apart added T2 fusion
        Removal of partial right thoracic hardware 1/2020
        Removal and replacement of C4-T10 hardware with C7 and T 1
        Osteotomy

        Comment


        • #5
          Jackie, are you fused to the sacrum? Did I read that you had the trapped scapula. Under a rib? What kind of excersise are you able to do? I don't feel like I can do anything or I will just ruin everything.

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          • #6
            I do the exercises the way I have to. Yes I am fused to the s-1and pelvis. That surgery is six years old. So pretty solid. I always do what I can the way I can. Looks weird at times if I compare myself to the others but I do it my way. The instructor knows.

            Yes I just had a portion of my right shoulder blade removed to allow the scapula to move along a rib deformity. It is too soon to do any exercises on that area. I will start PT on August 17 to get that moving again. The shoulder has come back up and I pray it stays where it belongs. Fingers and toes crossed!
            T10-pelvis fusion 12/08
            C5,6,7 fusion 9/10
            T2--T10 fusion 2/11
            C 4-5 fusion 11/14
            Right scapulectomy 6/15
            Right pectoralis major muscle transfer to scapula
            To replace the action of Serratus Anterior muscle 3/16
            Broken neck 9/28/2018
            Emergency surgery posterior fusion C4- T3
            Repeated 11/2018 because rods pulled apart added T2 fusion
            Removal of partial right thoracic hardware 1/2020
            Removal and replacement of C4-T10 hardware with C7 and T 1
            Osteotomy

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by jackieg412 View Post
              I do the exercises the way I have to. Yes I am fused to the s-1and pelvis. That surgery is six years old. So pretty solid. I always do what I can the way I can. Looks weird at times if I compare myself to the others but I do it my way. The instructor knows. Yes I just had a portion of my right shoulder blade removed to allow the scapula to move along a rib deformity. It is too soon to do any exercises on that area. I will start PT on August 17 to get that moving again. The shoulder has come back up and I pray it stays where it belongs. Fingers and toes crossed!
              my surgery is not quite a year yet so looking forward to possibly becoming active. I had a shoulder surgery about 4 years ago and I know it was by far the most painful surgery I have ever had. More painful than spine! Make sure you do the physical therapy as directed. I ended up with frozen shoulder and still have loss of some motion in it. Never realized how I would not be able to do the most simple things. I had long hair! What a nightmare when you have to rely on your husband for hairstyling. Funny how a man can't even do a simple ponytail. I hope all turns out great for you. I will keep you in my prayers.

              Comment


              • #8
                My knee issues starts about 1 year postop. Doc ruled out RA and pain was horrible. Non of the meds really helped. Made some lifestyle changes that included nutrition, finding the right combination of natural supplements that replaced all meds along with modified IT band stretches. My knees don't slow me down anymore. The only time they flare up a bit is after an intense hike.
                44 years old at time of surgery, Atlanta GA

                Pre-Surgery Thorasic: 70 degrees, Pre-Surgery Lumbar: 68 degrees, lost 4 inches of height in 2011
                Post-Surgery curves ~10 degrees, regained 4 inches of height

                Posterior T3-sacrum & TLIF surgeries on Nov 28, 2011 with Dr. Lenke, St. Louis
                2 rods, 33 screws, 2 cages, 2 connectors, living a new life I never dreamed of!

                http://thebionicachronicles.blogspot.com/

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by Doreen1 View Post
                  My knee issues starts about 1 year postop. Doc ruled out RA and pain was horrible. Non of the meds really helped. Made some lifestyle changes that included nutrition, finding the right combination of natural supplements that replaced all meds along with modified IT band stretches. My knees don't slow me down anymore. The only time they flare up a bit is after an intense hike.
                  Doreen, What natural supplements did you find that work? I am interested

                  Melissa
                  Melissa

                  Fused from C2 - sacrum 7/2011

                  April 21, 2020- another broken rod surgery

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    I am fairly new to the forum.i am I so much pain in my knees. I have had Harrington rods, flat back and revision surgery. I have spent most of my life bending at the knees to protect my back from further damage. Guess what, now they are bad too. My primary doctor tells me there is a doctor that injects gel into the space where cartridge has worn away. Sounded like my answer since I'm not up to surgery. Now I found out insurance doesn't cover it. Has anyone ever connected bad knees with scoliosis? My deformity dr injected one knee with steroid and it never made a difference. I am in pain management for my back, but the meds are not even Touching the knees. I am also curious as to what supplements helped. I'm desperate!!!!!

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      knee arthritis

                      Regarding knees, I posted about this last year and I'm glad someone else has started another thread on it.

                      I started having achy pain in the front of my kneecaps and right below the knee (going down about three inches) four years ago. I used to be an avid hiker, and going downhill, even with hiking poles, was excruciating. I tried every stretching known to man, PT, but they got worse. I received cortisone injections twice per year which were very helpful. Then they stopped working. I tried the Synvisc injections, which is a series of three, but they did nothing. At first it was just pain, but then two years ago I started having stabbing pain and a feeling that the joint was out of sync. A couple of times the knee actually gave out on me. Then that stopped and a new thing started - stiffness. It is now agony to get up from the toilet or stand up from bed. Going down to the floor on one knee is awful, and so is getting back up again, which I can no longer do without holding onto something. Every time I bend my knees I hear the telltale crunching of arthritis.

                      In four years, I have been to six knee doctors. Until last week, they all said that I had chrondomalacia, or pre-arthritis, and that it wasn't bad enough to operate on, or there was nothing to operate on. One even said that I would never need a knee replacement. All denied that my Scoliosis had anything to do with my knees being bad. Likewise every deformity surgeon I saw also denied there was any connection.

                      Then I went to a new knee doctor last week and he said that I had bone on bone that could be seen on the MRI, knee tracking problems, and that i needed to have full knee replacements on both knees. At that point, I told him the whole story about my Scoliosis surgeries, the developing flatback, and the way I have to stand to compensate for the flatback. He said that if it wasn't for my upcoming spinal surgery, that I should just have both knees replaced. Then he said that since there could be a possible correlation between the Scoliosis and the knees that it would make sense to have a lesser surgery, an arthroscopic "clean up" chrondoplasty surgery. I will see if that helps, and if it does, then have the spinal surgery. If there is a connection and my back has been fixed, then perhaps I won't need a knee replacement. If the lesser knee surgery doesn't help, then I will have to have both knees replaced before having my fusion to the sacrum. Apparently you need decent knees in order to have the fusion to sacrum.

                      I am daunted and sort of shell-shocked that I will be having both knees replaced and my fourth and most difficult Scoliosis surgery. I figure the next two years will be surgery years for me.

                      I strongly encourage anyone who has painful knees to go to several surgeons until you find one that is willing to operate. If I had stayed with all those other doctors, my life would have been permanently held up as no knees=no sacrum surgery.
                      Last edited by Tableone; 09-15-2015, 01:50 AM.
                      1st surgery: Fused T1-L3 in 1987 with contoured Harrington Rods. Rods broke at top.
                      2nd surgery: Re-done two weeks later; fused C7-L3. Left in chronic pain.
                      3rd surgery: Hardware removal 1997, but still pain for 30 years.
                      4th Surgery: Fused to the sacrum in 2016. Came out of surgery with left foot paralysis. (Drop Foot) Can't walk on my own.
                      I'm blessed to have found my peace and reason to live not from a husband or kids (I have none) but from God and within myself.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Tableone View Post
                        Regarding knees, I posted about this last year and I'm glad someone else has started another thread on it. I started having achy pain in the front of my kneecaps and right below the knee (going down about three inches) four years ago. I used to be an avid hiker, and going downhill, even with hiking poles, was excruciating. I tried every stretching known to man, PT, but they got worse. I received cortisone injections twice per year which were very helpful. Then they stopped working. I tried the Synvisc injections, which is a series of three, but they did nothing. At first it was just pain, but then two years ago I started having stabbing pain and a feeling that the joint was out of sync. A couple of times the knee actually gave out on me. Then that stopped and a new thing started - stiffness. It is now agony to get up from the toilet or stand up from bed. Going down to the floor on one knee is awful, and so is getting back up again, which I can no longer do without holding onto something. Every time I bend my knees I hear the telltale crunching of arthritis. In four years, I have been to seven knee doctors. Until last week, they all said that I had chrondomalacia, or pre-arthritis, and that it wasn't bad enough to operate on, or there was nothing to operate on. One even said that I would never need a knee replacement. All denied that my Scoliosis had anything to do with my knees being bad. Likewise every deformity surgeon I saw also denied there was any connection. Then I went to a new knee doctor last week and he said that I had bone on bone that could be seen on the MRI, knee tracking problems, and that i needed to have full knee replacements on both knees. At that point, I told him the whole story about my Scoliosis surgeries, the developing flatback, and the way I have to stand to compensate for the flatback. He said that if it wasn't for my upcoming spinal surgery, that I should just have both knees replaced. Then he said that since there could be a possible correlation between the Scoliosis and the knees that it would make sense to have a lesser surgery, an arthroscopic "clean up" chrondoplasty surgery. I will see if that helps, and if it does, then have the spinal surgery. If there is a connection and my back has been fixed, then perhaps I won't need a knee replacement. If the lesser knee surgery doesn't help, then I will have to have both knees replaced before having my fusion to the sacrum. Apparently you need decent knees in order to have the fusion to sacrum. I am daunted and sort of shell-shocked that I will be having both knees replaced and my fourth and most difficult Scoliosis surgery. I figure the next two years will be surgery years for me. I strongly encourage anyone who has painful knees to go to several surgeons until you find one that is willing to operate. If I had stayed with all those other doctors, my life would have been permanently held up as no knees=no sacrum surgery.
                        oh Tableone I feel so bad for you. I am in as much misery with my double knee pain. It's very hard to believe with all the studies I have seen posted on this forum that a study has not been done regarding Scoliosis and severe knee pain. There is obviously a relationship between the two. You certainly need to get those knees in shape for surgery since they are major weight bearing joints. I will defiantly check some other forums and see if there are posts about knees. I am seeing a non surgical knee specialist this week but do not have high hopes that he will be able to help me. I have already had injections which gave me no relief.is there someone on this forum who knows about knee pain? I know I have said this before, but I really wish there was a doctor ho answered these types of questions.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Knee weakness, sensory loss

                          I started having trouble with one knee about eight years ago, and this year I developed difficulty with the other. I walk like a penguin, I feel. I saw a knee specialist both times, I'm going to try the gel injections. But he isn't optimistic this will help me, my xrays don't look bad, I still have good joint spaces.
                          1966 fusion in Buffalo of 11 thoracic vertebrae, with Harrington rod

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Knee arthroscopy

                            Just wanted to let everyone know that I had a knee arthroscopy done on my left knee three weeks ago. I saw five different knee surgeons before I found one to take me seriously. The difference in opinions was scary - one guy told me that no surgery would help me because my arthritis was not bad enough. Then the next day I was told I needed knee replacements as I was bone on bone! How two doctors can look at the same MRI and come up with two such totally different statements is beyond me.

                            Anyway, I explained to the knee surgeon about my Scoliosis flatback and showed him how I stood to compensate for it. He felt my knee condition was probably connected to the flatback. However, every spinal deformity surgeon I have seen vehemently denies this. To me it is common sense - if you stand in a funny way, your knees will be effected, but what do I know? I'm only a patient! Anyway, maybe the Scoliosis Research Society should do some research on this. I've seen so many others here talk about their knees.

                            During my knee surgery several "loose bodies," or loose pieces of bone and cartilage were removed, and the cartilage was smoothed out. My torn meniscus, which had torn because of the arthritis, was also repaired. Just think - if I hadn't persevered until I found my current great surgeon, I'd still be stuck with painful knees!

                            So far I still have pain, but I am slightly less stiff and it's early days yet. I've been informed that I will definitely need full knee replacements in both knees; this surgery was only to buy me time so I could have the sacrum surgery.
                            1st surgery: Fused T1-L3 in 1987 with contoured Harrington Rods. Rods broke at top.
                            2nd surgery: Re-done two weeks later; fused C7-L3. Left in chronic pain.
                            3rd surgery: Hardware removal 1997, but still pain for 30 years.
                            4th Surgery: Fused to the sacrum in 2016. Came out of surgery with left foot paralysis. (Drop Foot) Can't walk on my own.
                            I'm blessed to have found my peace and reason to live not from a husband or kids (I have none) but from God and within myself.

                            Comment

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