LATERAL RELEASE FAILED - VMO advancement next

[keri]

HI EVERYONE
I AM SOOO SICK OF MY KNEES. I AM 17 AND BEEN HAVING KNEE PROBLEMS SINCE I WAS ABOUT 13. I HAVE CHONDROMALACIA PATELLA AND IT REALLY SUCKS. I HAVE BEEN IN AND OUT OF THERAPY SINCE I WAS 14 YEARS OLD. I HAD A LATERAL RELEASE WHEN I WAS 16 BUT NOW I AM HAVING MORE PAIN THAN EVER BEFORE. IF A LATERAL RELEASE DID NOT MAKE MY KNEE CAP TRACK RIGHT WHAT IS THE NEXT STEP? IT HAS GOTTEN SOOO BAD THAT I HAVE HAD TO STOP DOING THE THINGS THAT I LOVE. I AM A SINGER IN MY SCHOOL CHOIR AND IT ABOUT KILLED ME TO PERFORM IN OUR CONCERT AND COMPETITION. I COULD NOT DO OUR SHOWCHOIR THIS YEAR BECAUSE OF MY KNEES. MY LIFE IS NOT COMPLETE IF I CAN NOT SING, AND IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT I HAVE TO BE ABLE TO STAND FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME, BUT THE WAY MY KNEES ARE I CAN NOT DO THIS WITHOUT MY KNEE CONSTANTLY THROBBING. SO IF ANYONE KNOWS WHAT THE NEXT STEP IS PLEASE LET ME KNOW. I GO BACK TO SEE MY OS TOMARROW BUT I WOULD LIKE TO BE PREPARED FOR IT. ANY INFO IS GREATLY APPRECIATED!!

[AJK]

Keri-
WOW!!!! Sounds like my life!!!!
I've had problems with condromalacia in both knees for years (I'm 24 now) and it has affected my musical life (i'm a jazz signer and vibraphonist/Drummer) I have spent endless years in PT and four years ago I had a Lateral Release and it gave me only temperary relief. Now I'm scheduled for a Distal Patellar Realignment (A TTT - thats a Tibial tuberosity transfer - i think that is how you spell it) It is when they realign the angle of the kneecap and do some other stuff. It seems from what my new OS tells me that a Lateral release is usually not a permanent fix but is a stop gap measure.
Tell your OS how important music is to your life... Make him understand that it is more than a hobby it is part of your life... Tell him that pain that keeps you from music is unacceptable and should be treated....
As for the next step....
If your Lateral Release failed and you still have alignment problems then you doctor might want to try it again... if that is a good idea or not I can't say... if your lateral release worked yet you are still in pain there are many options... including but not limited to synvic (sp?) injections, a Distal patellar realignment (TTT), more physical therapy...
Most important of all is that you are seeing a very good Ortho that is a specialist in knees, you need to be seeing someone who has a subspecialty in the knee. If you need to find one in your area goto www.kneeguru.co.uk and search for a doctor.
Hope everything works out for the best and let us know.... If you need anything just ask or email me.
AJK

[Stacey]

Hi Keri and AJK

I too had a LR back in august of 2000 (i think lol). It lasted until the canadian thanksgiving (october of 2000). While it lasted it was great but once it started to hurt again oh my watch out. It did put a damper on my life as well since i had just started university however mine was kinda hte opposite. I had to be able to sit for long periods of time (Im going through for computer programming) and it still hurts to do that. My second OS (who didnt do the LR) knew instantly that the LR shoudl never have been done on me since i am extremely hypermobile and that just allowed my kneecap to move both laterally and medially now. He went in and reconstructed some things in june of 2002(still not exactly sure what he did) and it worked great up until wow the canadian thanksgiving (october 2002) again when i got (or am told i had, the ultra sound says differently) patellar tendonitis (then bursitis and then tendonosis). My OS is completly baffled at this point (And he is supposedly the best in canada) and is sendign me to a rhemy as soon as i can get in. Sorry this is kinda long and doesnt really answer any of your questions but i find just hearing about other peoples simlilar problems is good too.

[Donna]

Hi,
I had a lateral release and a Fulkerson TTT at the same time in April of 2002. Both of those failed and on February 13, 03 I had another open lateral release along with removal of the Hoffa fat fad. Has anyone else had a lateral release AFTER a Fulkerson TTT and did it work? It is too soon to know if the new lateral release worked for me because I am still using crutches. My TTT worked for about 8 months after the 02 surgery but then my knee stated maltracking again. I would like to hear from anyone with a similar story.

Thanks,
Donna

[andreafiumi]

agree