MUA/MUA with scope Success Stories please!

[fitnesskitty]

Hi there,

I have heard one MUA success story from lafalot, but would like to hear more, especially from people who have torn or ruptured a tendon. I may have to have one and I want to hear about others that have had really good luck with theirs. I feel like I am not getting anywhere with my ROM, and I have a PT session tomorrow night to get one final measurement before I see my OS again the following Tuesday. I actually don't know if he is going to do MUA or the one with a scope.

Thank you everyone.

Sarah

[trainwreck]

i have had 2 mua's. both were extremely successful. my os said there was no way i could have ever broken thru the extensive scar tissue on my own. it is a painful recovery but it is short and well worth it.

[fitnesskitty]

Thanks for sharing. How long did it take you to get back to normal after your MUA? I am so looking forward to having a real life again. I really miss it.

[jessie23]

I had an MUA performed in July after ACLR since I could not regain ROM due to scar tissue. I was intially very worried after it was done because i still couldnt get ROM back. Over time it started to steadly progress and I almost get my heel to my butt, i can't straighten it though. I glad I had the MUA done though, it provided a drastic improvement. The pain after the MUA was worse then the original ACLR. I wouldnt say i'm back to normal but i'm function with the ROM, the OS is coming up with another plan so hopefully I will be able to straighten out the knee.. Hope it helps.

[trainwreck]

those particular surgeries were really rough recoveries and it took a good year to get back to normal. i had the mua's done at about 2 months each time. the mua defiately initially set me back a ways but was worth it. do you even know if you are having an mua?????? just curious.

[fitnesskitty]

I don't know for certain, but I have not seen any progress at home and my OS said if I didn't show a lot of improvement in ROM when he sees me next Tuesday, he is going to schedule me for a manipulation. I really hope that it helps. I am scared of it a little but I am trying to stay positive about it. I have a PT appointment this afternoon to get a measurement. We will see then but I am pretty sure I haven't gained any ROM despite my hard work.

[TIBBAR]

Hi Sarah
Please read John's story on the string I mentioned. It will inspire you as he was also very scared but after the MUA he has 130 rom and in his last post he describes how he is back into his old life and details what he is doing. HE had a quad rupture. I know this will help you see that there is not just hope but success.
PM me if you need me!!!!!!!!!! CAROL

[fitnesskitty]

Hi Carol,

I did do that, I am just scared. I guess I am having a bad day again. You know how you sometimes have those days. I have had several lately. Today is my wedding anniversary and I still can't seem to pull myself out of my sadness. Those of you that have been through this and survived all the pain are amazing to me. I don't know how I will get through all that. I am also scared that after the MUA, the scar tissue will heal right back up and freeze my knee again. Can it happen that quickly? It frightens me. I am sure most of my fears are unfounded; I am just having a rough day.

Thanks.

Sarah

[TIBBAR]

Sarah
I think that to answer your question about arthrofibrosis that whole thing would be better answred by a poster named JACI. She is our resident Guru on that. She will give you links to help you and she just has had a procedure done reciently. PM her or search her name and find some of her posts to others. Janet would be another to ask about that subject. Yes some people do have problems with that but others it is a one time occurance. There is amother poster who would be a good reference Jan L but she is in the hospital now herself. I wil find a post of hers that I thought was very helpful to me and let you know the link. Get to Jaci or Janet they might be able to help you very much. HUGS CAROL

[fitnesskitty]

Hi Carol,

I PM'ed Jaci, but found a couple of her posts around and saw that the information she supplied mostly states that MUA is only okay in the first couple of weeks after surgery and I don't want to be scared of it if my OS decides he would like to do one for me. There is a lot of negative information out there and I am really trying to focus on the positive as I am desperate to get back to real life. People in my life feel sorry for me and I hate that. I want to be back on my own two feet so that I can move forward and put this all behind me. I find myself shutting people out of my life and I am really trying not to do that. I need to cheer up somehow. After all, today is my wedding anniversary and I should be happy, but instead, I find it depressing that I can't go out and celebrate the way we usually do.

Hopefully if I need an MUA, it will be a success and the recovery won't be too bad.

Thanks.

Sarah

[Jaci]

Hello Sarah,

I think you're wise to want MUA stories from people who have had the same or similar injury and surgery to you. Yes, it's good to hear success stories as it will help put you in a positive frame of mind. However what is going on in your knee may be different from what was going on with others.

Have you found the info on KNEEguru's main website-- tutorials, article reviews, clinical casebook and so on? here are some links to get you started:

Dr. Millett's article/ clinical casebook

http://www.casebook.kneeguru.co.uk/index.php/knee/issues/arthrofibrosis_of_the_knee/

Dr. Noyes' arthrofibrosis tutorial and Dirk Kokmeyer's rehab tutorial

http://www.kneeguru.co.uk/KNEEtutor/doku.php

KneeGuru's literature review (look under problems with healing)

http://www.kneeguru.co.uk/insights/doku.php

The general concensus in the medical litertuare is that MUA should be performed early after the initiating injury/ surgery and with very little force. i.e. within weeks of the original injury or procedure and with as little as 2 fingers pressure. Scar tissue becomes denser and more fibrotic the longer it stays in there. Performing MUA early is more effective because the adhesions are generally in a wispy, filmy state and break easier. Forceful bending of the knee can cause damage to articular cartilage surfaces, ligaments and other structures. Unfortunately there is no absolute timeframe.

Re: Your question about the scar tissue sticking back together-- yes that can happen if there is a lot of scar tissue present. Again, that's why timing is critical; to be effective the MUA needs to be done when scar tissue is in it's early stages of formation.

Re: MUA with scope-- Really this should be scope then MUA. Remove adhesions then gently bend the knee. Early on I had an OS who told me he was going to do an MUA with scope. I figured he'd do the scope first to remove anything that might inhibit motion before doing the MUA. I had around -10 to 85 ROM so very little motion. He did the MUA first which lead to massive bruising; my knee was the color of an eggplant after surgery from all the bruising. And, as you'll read in the links, bruising/ bleeding creates inflammtion which leads to more scar tissue formation.

My recommendation is the learn everything you can about scar tissue. Then put together a list of questions for your OS. Make sure you let him know your concerns and see how he addresses them. See If he gives you answers that are inconsistent with what you've learned from doing your homework. Then make an informed decision about what you should do.

Also, not doing something is not an option. Scar tissue matures and can do major damage to your knee-- it can lead to permanent changes such as shrinking of the patellar tendon (patella infera). Adhesions change the mechanics of the joint ansd can lead to damage of the articular cartilage (the stuff on the ends of the bones).

best wishes,

Jaci

[trainwreck]

you are selling yourself short. you have to get thru this. what are your op;tions??? there aren't any. you are stronger than you give yourself credit for. pain is only pain. it sucks but you live thru it. you can';t let it rule your life or who you are. you just have to adapt to it. it is perfectly normal to fear the unknown but truth be told what you imagine is not ususally as bad as the reality.
if you need an mua you will survive. it is a sjort part of your life and you will heal. you will evolve and become whatever you are supposed to be. this is a small step in your life.
you are tough enough to do this. you don't have a choice. if you need an mua you need it. you certainly cannot choose not to have it done. the reprucussions would be horrific. there are lots of people here for morale support. lean on them Jaci is definately the master teacher on this particular subject and a heckuva good kind person. really listen to what she tells you. she will not steer you wrong.
hang in there and let me know if you need a shoulder. i have 2 of them i love to share.
trainwreck

[TIBBAR]

Thanks Allison......Good post........WE all can take something from that.......... Not just for a MUA but for life......We truly will adapt to what ever is put in our path.......It is a short part of of our lives.... and we can't let it rule us....... Thanks for the reminder!!!!!!!!
CAROL

[Sunshyne]

For those who have had a MUA, are you able to walk ok afterwards? I live alone, and must get up three steps to get into my house. I always worry about re-injuring in such a way that I cannot get up those steps. I understand the MUA could be quite painful afterwards, but other than the pain, does it set you back as to your ability to move around?

[TIBBAR]

First of all I love your screen name
I was full weight bearing without aides before my MUA so yes you can walk on your knee right after. If you are going to have a MUA I URGE you to read JACI's post above. She is our resident expert. I actually could have driven myself home but the hospital would not let me. I too live alone and drove myself to PT the next day. I went from the hospital directly to PT that day and had PT every day for 2 weeks. If you stay overnight you will probably be on a CPM machine some. My MUA wasn't at all bad because before I woke up my OS put a "cocktail" of meds into my knees and they didn't wear off for 4 days. Not all OS's do this so yes some MUA's are pretty painful for about 7 or 8 days. Other than the pain you are able to get around ok. Maybe even better because you have the extra bend. Again see Jaci's post she really knows her thing. Also trainwreck has good motivational post tooo. CAROL