Jessica patella cartilage lesion story - De novo surgery pending

[Skater69]

Jessica,

Thanks for keeping up the posts. How is it going now? Continued improvement? Unfortunately, I joined the cartilage tear club in September. 2x2 central behind the patella. Grade 3-4. Exact shape of the patella so doc thinks its an old impact injury coming home to roost. However it happened, I'm now faced with living with it or fixing it. Denovo NT was the best option for me according to 2 doctors I respect. Unfortunately, at least one also recommends the TTO, which frankly sounds mid-evil. That scares me more than the Denovo NT and rehab protocal.

I've had the ACL reconstructed on the knee 3 years ago and all was going well until It swelled up on me in a hockey tourney and started clicking. So I'm no stranger to rehab. I know the progression is not linear.

So please keep posting. I'll probably make a decision in the next 4-8 months.

Good luck and happy new year.

Brad

[Jwin138]

Hey Guys! hope we are all hanging in there. I am just a little over 1 year post op (tto & Denovo under my knee cap) and i have to report i am 97% better.. not to pre injury athletics, but pain free during the day and night and i hit the gym 5-6x a week - No jumping or running, but spinning, elliptical, walking uphill (not that easy!) and weight training.

I need to go for my next MRI to tell the fill.. but whatever it is.. i feel good. Dont get me wrong - if i push too hard i feel it the next day! but nothing like the chronic all day and night pain i had before surgery.. hang in there guys, it was over 7 months before i was diagnosed correctly, and then another year after surgery till i noticed great improvements .. feel free to message me

[Chicagodude]

Hey Guys! hope we are all hanging in there. I am just a little over 1 year post op (tto & Denovo under my knee cap) and i have to report i am 97% better.. not to pre injury athletics, but pain free during the day and night and i hit the gym 5-6x a week - No jumping or running, but spinning, elliptical, walking uphill (not that easy!) and weight training.

I'd message you but I don't see the option. Maybe I don't have enough posts.

Does Denovo get you back to where you can jump and run after a certain amount of time? Maybe 2 or 3 years?

How is weight training ok but running isn't? Seems like weight training would be harder on the joints, but maybe it's the repetitive impact that comes from running that makes it tougher.

[15run]

Impressive improvement - great to hear you are doing so well
do you know the size of area that was filled? I am in an area with zero qualified surgeons so -at least you got the right diagnosis - i have patella damage but not sure of severity.

[Jordan1]

Jessica,

thank you so much for sharing your story! I was wondering if anything ever came from your nerve type pain before your surgery? Or if that pain subsided after your recovery? I have a similar type of pain and am looking into MACI for a bad left knee that has been in chronic pain for 3 years; but my docs concern is a nerve condition?