 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi there, I've been having lots of trouble with my knee and even after an arthroscopy and meniscectomy my knee is still locking for days at a time. The current surgeon had a look and has seen various things in the mri, none of which explain the locking. He is suggesting that I have a Spect CT scan to see where my knee is load bearing. I don't know what this will tell him, nor what this specialised scan is. He thinks the problem is internal to the knee whereas I only ever experience the locking at the tib-fib joint, like something is flipping over it. My friend thinks it could be something to do with the biceps femoris flicking over the joint. Sorry this is so specialised- it's certainly beyond me. I appreciate any thoughts or help.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| ruthG wrote: |
| Hi there, I've been having lots of trouble with my knee and even after an arthroscopy and meniscectomy my knee is still locking for days at a time. The current surgeon had a look and has seen various things in the mri, none of which explain the locking. He is suggesting that I have a Spect CT scan to see where my knee is load bearing. I don't know what this will tell him, nor what this specialised scan is. He thinks the problem is internal to the knee whereas I only ever experience the locking at the tib-fib joint, like something is flipping over it. My friend thinks it could be something to do with the biceps femoris flicking over the joint. Sorry this is so specialised- it's certainly beyond me. I appreciate any thoughts or help. |
This can be a surprisingly tricky problem.
The key to sorting it out us to establish if the locking is inside or outside the knee.
If it is outside then spect will only really only you about the tib fib jt ( which is an extremely rare cause of locking)
A spect will only highlight an area, where internally the knee is overloaded, through chronic over load eg arthritis or fracture.
It is possible that an internal cause is due to a missed loose body as they can be wickedly difficult to locate at arthroscopy.
If the internal knee is normal at arthroscopy, I would have my money on an external cause one, if which will be biceps femoris flicking ( again very rare)
In this situation I would usually ask the best physio I know to also give their view as they are more in tune with soft tissue problems than surgeons and I value you them as part if my team
Update as you get more info
Jonathan Bell
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Hi Jonathan
Thanks really very much for clarifying and explaining, I understand much better. If there were a loose body then I am assuming it's difficult to see in the 2 MRI's I've had? I had one before and after the op when my knee locked again. Also, the locking is caused by the same movement each time, so wouldn't you expect this loose body to be in the same place and not moving around? I did ask a physio and they thought it was a sub-luxed tib fib joint. Super rare again, I know, a do they of course. This was after I fell in january (to complicate matters), and it's stopped moving now. But hasn't been in the right place.
I would prefer that the external causes were eliminated before another operation on my knee, but I understand that may not be so simple. I'll await my Spect scan and let you know.
Again, I really appreciate your help.
Ruth
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| ruthG wrote: |
Hi Jonathan
Thanks really very much for clarifying and explaining, I understand much better. If there were a loose body then I am assuming it's difficult to see in the 2 MRI's I've had? I had one before and after the op when my knee locked again. Also, the locking is caused by the same movement each time, so wouldn't you expect this loose body to be in the same place and not moving around? I did ask a physio and they thought it was a sub-luxed tib fib joint. Super rare again, I know, a do they of course. This was after I fell in january (to complicate matters), and it's stopped moving now. But hasn't been in the right place.
I would prefer that the external causes were eliminated before another operation on my knee, but I understand that may not be so simple. I'll await my Spect scan and let you know.
Again, I really appreciate your help.
Ruth |
Locking due a loose body comes out of the blue, usually prevents you fully straightening knee, is painful and then resolves in an instant within minutes or even occasionally days.
If the locking occurs consistently on the same movement and is predictable. It is probably not a loose body.
Subluxing tib fib joint is usually pretty obviously the tib joint because it is so superficial you can feel , manipulate and relocate the the joint. I've seen it a handful of times in the last fifteen years.
Let us know the scan findings.
Jonathan Bell
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