Marilijn (Netherlands, age: 56)
9. Sept. 2024
In early January 2010, I slipped on ice and injured my right knee, leading to severe pain and locking issues. After extensive physiotherapy, I underwent two arthroscopies in 2010 and 2011 to adjust my meniscus, revealing that my cruciate ligaments were somewhat stretched. In 2012, I suffered another fall, resulting in a small fracture of the tibial plateau. On November 12, 2012, I received a knee prosthesis but was discharged from the hospital with only a 40-degree bend.
Note from the IAA: For privacy reasons, the name Marilijn used in this story is a pseudonym.
Following the surgery, I committed to physiotherapy five times a week, exercised regularly at home, and used a stationary bike. However, by the end of March, my knee had to be bent under anaesthesia. Despite my efforts, my knee has never achieved a 90-degree bend, and bone growth has developed in several areas. I can only manage stairs with small steps, my knee’s flexion is too limited for cycling, and walking is difficult.
My orthopaedic surgeon mentioned that with arthrofibrosis, the condition tends to return more quickly after surgery than one can recover from it. Last fall, I sought a second opinion, and it was noted that knees replaced after an injury often lead to additional complications. Surgery might be an option, but I would need to discuss it further with my original surgeon. I was allowed to try the pain clinic, but TENS caused large blisters where the pads were placed and did nothing for the pain. I’m hesitant to try a nerve block and have found that medications didn’t help much and caused unwanted side effects.
Looking back, I sometimes feel that with a knee like mine, such an approach might not have been the best idea, even though it was the standard practice at the time.
In early June, I stepped into a hole and could no longer bear weight on my right artificial knee. Multiple X-rays showed nothing was broken, but there was concern about the posterior cruciate ligament. My knee was twice as swollen, and my orthopaedic surgeon advised patience, suggesting we wait until after the summer. I’m considering pushing for a scan to see if it reveals anything more. In the meantime, I’ve been sleeping better (after weeks of hardly any sleep due to the pain), and my knee bend is around 70-80 degrees again. However, descending stairs is difficult due to instability, and standing for more than 10-15 minutes causes my knee to lock up, making it very painful and difficult to bend again.
Currently, I’m not doing any physiotherapy because I’m worried that, in hindsight, the intense and frequent physiotherapy treatments after receiving the prosthesis may have done more harm than good. I’m also fearful of undergoing surgery again, concerned it might make things worse. I’m particularly interested in hearing current views on extensive physiotherapy and pushing through pain. Looking back, I sometimes feel that with a knee like mine, such an approach might not have been the best idea, even though it was the standard practice at the time.