Knee fusion – arthrodesis

Hello,

I am going to have my leg fused and wondered weather you could answer some questions for me. I have read that you can drive with a fused leg but what i am confused with is how to you get into the car (i am 6 ft 2)? Do you need some sort of adaptions? When you walk do you have to swing your leg out to the side or can you swing your leg forward? How does having a fused leg effect you lator on in life e.g do you have back pain? have you had any problems with your hips or knee?

I would like to thank you in advance for your help.
Chris

How much will your knee bend after fusing? None at all, a few degrees, etc.? Thanks.

I have a friend at work getting ready for a knee fusion.I'm not sure they told him all there is to know about this type of surgery.I have RA so sometime in my future I may need one as well.I'm glad there are some positive results from this operation.Thanks for all of your input.It helped me so much.I will  go and talk to my friend who is going in for the operation soon.Thanks

Hi Pixatra.
Where do you live? I am from Croydon and before fusing my knee (after few revisions) I would like to speak and see performing everyday duties someone who has done a knee fusion. It has proved to be a very difficult task to find through Internet people walking with a stiff leg. A very rare breed.
My phone number is 

***post is edited by moderator *** private phone numbers not allowed*** Please read our Terms of Use

Regards
Jacek

Do you work? I just had my knee fused in August of this year and I am still wobbly when I walk. I am on disability now but would like to try working but I don't see anything that I can possibly do? any advice??

You can do what ever you want. Riding a bicycle is not easy. I switched to a hand cycle with a motor assist. Good workout. I have had my fusion for 25 years. It is not easy, and people do not understand. But life goes on. Keep your faith up and never give up. I believe that you will be an inspiration to others with a good attitude

Jim

hi,
my name is ajo ,i have done knee fusion last year now i can,t bend my right knee
with this some times life is difficult to live if i walk out side flat place realy had
if any one going on same i like to know about them

 ***this post is edited by moderator *** *** private e-mails not allowed*** Please read our Terms of Use

My husband has had 20 surgeries on his left knee ending with a TKR in 2007. He has had 4 more left knee surgeries since July 2013 due to infection since the original TKR. He now has a "spacer" and is facing either fusion or amputation mid thigh. As the drs can't seem to cure the infection, all but the ortho dr have recommended amputation. Very difficult decision - does he go through more months of pain and suffering with a fusion only to end up losing his leg or just go ahead and have it removed. The emotional and physical pain has been overwhelming for him as he is only 54 years old and for our whole family.

 ***this post is edited by moderator *** *** private phone numbers not allowed*** Please read our Terms of Use

Wow what a similarity to your husband and my husband he also is 54 yrs old, he has had a total of 9 surgeries TKR 2009 and 5 wks later had infection, pic line wash out and did great for 2 yrs, until he fell and broke the side of his kneecap off he was put in a brace trying to get the kneecap to grow back but it did'nt so oct 2012 they went in and removed that piece of broken kneecap 8 days later he had puss running out they took him back to surgery and washed out took sample and waited 48 hrs came back he had 2 kinds of bacteria infection, took him back in surgery and removed all hardware installed spacers for 12 wks, and pic line for 6 wks, after infection cleared they went in on Jan 25 2013 and put joint back in, he never really got over this surgery still had pain and couldnt walk much, in May 2013 he felt something inside the knee break took him back to dr and after x rays showed the kneecap broke into small pieces, Oct 24 2013 they did reconstruction of the extensor mechanism and 10 wks into it got another infection , on Jan 1 2014 dr took him back into surgery did another wash out and pic line but on Jan 21st 2014 had to take him back into surgery 7 hour the dr had problems removing the joint from dales tibia bone and it split all the way down 3 ways so then the dr had to put screw into tibia bone to hold it together, while in surgery he had a stoke which has affected his eye sight he can only see out of half of each eye. all that said now he has to make a choice to either fuse the knee or amputiation. Which neither one is a good choice b/c our lives will be changed drastically, they said if he went with the fusion he would wear his hip out in 3 to 5 yrs and he would never be able to have a hip or any other joint replacement b/c of the infection, and if he goes with the amputiation it is alot of work to be able to use b/c he also has prepherial neuropathy mid thigh down he can't feel. Is there anybody who has had this many problems and what did you do? He is already disabled and has been since he was 38 yrs old from the neuropathy...Please advise..Thanks Dale (undecided)

Wow! I think we are all married to the same 54/55 year old man! Mine also has two artificial shoulders, both knees, lower and upper back fusion and is schizo effective! Are facing getting the fused knee due to multiple infections. Orthopedics will no longer touch him and have recommended a trauma surgeon. Have an apt next week with the infectiouse disease doc to consider options. Besides constant pain, husband keeps falling down even with walker. Not sure if fusion will take care of that issue or not. Think he may have more stability then going amputee just because of his other issues. Main concern is getting into the car. Was barely possible when he had the immobolizer on. Definitely gets old on the spouse and family! Nice to hear those who have had positive outcomes......Would love to have a positive outcome for once.

Both my knees are fused.actually my knee Capps were removed bone was cut off each end of my legs then the bones grew together. I am now 4ft. 6 inches tall.I was born with cerebral palsy. My dr. In the mid 60s did a sugery that was experimental. The total knee fusion surgeries gave me stability again and corrected the experimental surgery problems. I am a real person who has her legs back thanks to fusion surgery. Plano, Texas signed Carrie Austin

Does anyone know what happens if knee fusion fails? My husband had fusion surgery in march 2014 and knee still has not fused

If the knee has not fused yet they probably will try to add some more fixation. They might try to put one ore two plates onto the bones. The other way would be to open the knee again and put bone graft between the bones. Ask the doctor what he thinks about adding a plate to the bones and what he thinks about a bone graft! What fixation have they used at the time of knee fusion? Internal or external fixation? Does he still have a supporting fixation like a legbrace? Before opening the leg with a big surgery again they also might try to give him a really stable legbrace. That would be the things to ask them, about a leg brace, about using a plate and bone graft.

They used outside fixator. We do have a custom leg brace now. But leg has motion We are also using a bone stimulator. He has had so much trouble healing that I think surgery would be the last thing they would try. I wish they would have done something inside but they were afraid of infection

If the legbrace did not help, surgery is the only next way to go. They propably will use internal plate fixation. If this fails as well, they need to do bone grafting. Let´s hope, internal fixation will fix that problem.