HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Question for my husband - arthritis in the knees

Support Forums
>
Rheumatoid Arthritis
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 6/6/2008 7:08 PM (GMT 0)
My husband found out that he has significant arthritis in his knees, arthritic spurs, fluid buildup and weakened/torn midiscus.  He is supposed to be on Mobic for 2 weeks to see if it helps reduce the inflammation.  But if not, the ortho surgeon suggested scraping out the arthritic junk in there to help ease his pain and stiffness.  My question: is it even worth it to have his knees scraped if it's just going to come back?  He's only 41 and he's afraid that by scraping it will be taking more and more of the bone/cartiledge or whatever is in there if he was to have this done in the future also.  Any experience in this and advice would be greatly appreciated - thanks!
Posted 6/6/2008 11:54 PM (GMT 0)
Well, if they are just removing the spurs and abnormal growth, I would think they are not removing normal cartilage. My husband had three arthroscopic surgeries on his knee to take out scar tissue and other junk. He had to do PT after each one but they always improved him function and lessened the pain. It's rough getting older, isn't it?
Posted 6/7/2008 6:02 PM (GMT 0)
How long does your hubby have to be out of work (if he does work) for each of his surgeries? My husband is a go go go kind of guy and even though the disability pay he can get is good, it just takes a while to arrive. That is also a main concern of his (as well as mine). Also, by scraping the bone spurs out, will it thin his bone more and more each time?
Posted 6/8/2008 12:33 AM (GMT 0)
A bone spur is actually the growing of NEW bone on the edge of the original. Think of it like this...I'm sure you have seen people with big arthritic nodules on the joints of their fingers, especially the joints closest to the nails. Those nodules are bone spurs. I have huge ones on the outside and between the bones in the joints. The nodules weren't there when I was born. They have grown out from the edge of the bone as I aged.

Bone spurs can occur in most any joint. Your hubby's could have been caused by any number of things, like athletic injury, overuse, or heing genetically predisposed to arthritic knees. Scraping off the bone spurs is only removing the recently grown nodule.

Wish I could recall how much down time there was after my husband's surgeries but I don't. And I can't ask him because he died almost two years ago. The first was a very involved surgery to correct other problems but the last two were simply removing scar tissue. I do recall they had him in PT the following day bending and exercising the knee. I think he could have gone back to work as soon as 3 days.
Posted 6/8/2008 2:07 AM (GMT 0)
I have a knee that was injured in an accident 30 years ago, and since then has had very little cartilage. It's done very well until the past 5 years. Now the remaining cartilage has broken down, I have a partial ACL tear and bursitis (my knee looks like it has a balloon on the front of it.) I will eventually need a knee replacement, but I want to put that off until after retirement. Over the past four years, I've had three rounds of injections into my leg. The material injected, Hyalgan, is a lubricant. Usually a series of five injections keeps me happily walking for another year. This might be helpful to your husband after his surgery, too.
Posted 6/8/2008 12:15 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you Ides for the detailed explanation :) I remember you telling us about your husband - sorry I had forgot :( So basically it just depends on the work that has to be done in there in regards to his off time right?

Judy, I just told my husband about that injection and he just sort of grunted at me lol. He does not like doctors, medicines and/or doesn't believe in things can be wrong with him. He's a stubborn guy when it comes to that but I imagine many guys are eh? :) But thanks for letting me know that such a thing exists.
Posted 7/20/2008 9:06 PM (GMT 0)
I had both knees ( separate) scraped and repaired...once on one and twice on other. I was 39 when I did first. It helped very much. Years later I did the Hyalgan shots and they did not help. I think it was because the damage was too severe. I would suggest giving it a try, though. In 2004 I had left knee replaced and that turned out beauiful. I would do it over again. The relief it gave me is worth all the PT involved. Now, I am considering doing the right one. Hope you find the answers you need. Good luck.
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply