Suggest Treatment For Severe Pain Post Knee Injury

Posted on Thu, 7 Jul 2016

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Thu, 7 Jul 2016 Answered on

Mon, 25 Jul 2016 Last reviewed on

Question : Hi, I had a transient patellar dislocation of my right knee 19 days ago, and even with icing, rest, etc, I still have a lot if pain and limited mobility. My MRI shows that there is a fairly large loose chondral body floating around in my knee joint (12×20×3 sheared off from medial patellar joint). All ligaments are intact and undamaged.
Do I need surgery to have surgery to remove this loose body? I would like to know if there is any other non-surgical way to treat this problem and heal the knee to get back to normal?
What's the recovery time after surgery if it's required? How long would I have to be off work?

Thanks!
XXXX

Answered by Dr. Dr. Praveen Tayal (3 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Surgery is needed.

Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thanks for posting your query.

If you have a lot of pain and limited mobility then the loose chondral body needs to be removed surgically. Any non surgical way cannot remove the body. After the surgical removal usually the complete recovery takes 3-4 weeks but you can walk small distances and do your daily sitting work even after a week of surgery.

I hope this answers your query.
In case you have additional questions or doubts, you can forward them to me, and I shall be glad to help you out.

Wishing you good health.
Regards.
Dr. Praveen Tayal.
For future query, you can directly approach me through my profile URL http://bit.ly/Dr-Praveen-Tayal

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Arnab Banerjee

Follow up: Dr. Dr. Praveen Tayal (13 minutes later)

Thank you!
One thing I forgot to mention earlier is that my doctor said that because that loose cartilage tissue has fully broken off from the patella, it cannot be reattached. He said he would have to scrap the patella bone to make it bleed and encourage the growth of fibrous cartilage to take the place of what was lost.
What are the risks involved with this aspect of the surgery, is it safe? How long does it take for the new fibrous cartilage to grow?
Are there any other long terms risks associated with this type of surgery such as increased risk of arthritis, etc?
Thanks again!

Answered by Dr. Dr. Praveen Tayal (2 hours later)

Brief Answer:
It is a safe procedure.

Detailed Answer:
Hello.
Thanks for writing again.
Scraping the patella bone is a safe procedure. The fibrous cartilage tissue will regrow in 4-6 weeks.
There are no increased long term risks with this surgery. It does not aggravate the development of arthritis in old age.
Hope my answer is helpful.
Do accept my answer in case there are no further queries.
Regards.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Nagamani Ng

Follow up: Dr. Dr. Praveen Tayal (3 hours later)

Hi again, I would like some further clarification on the surgery itself.
With this type of injury and loose chondral body in the joint, do I need to have surgery immediately or is it okay to wait a few weeks before scheduling? Is there any additional risk or damage that could occur to my knee joint by delaying the surgery? If a delay for surgery is okay, what precautions should I take, such as should I wear a brace, or use crutches and not walk or bear weight on the knee in the interim?
Finally, is this procedure something that all board certified Orthopedic surgeons are qualified and experienced to do, or do I need to look for someone who is highly specialized in knees?

Thanks again for your opinion.
Best,
XXXX

Answered by Dr. Dr. Praveen Tayal (5 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Do not delay the surgery.

Detailed Answer:
I will not suggest you to wait for a few weeks as the free body moves within the joint and can damage cartilage. In case you want to delay it by 7-10 days then you can use a knee brace till then to avoid much movement around the knee joint.
It is not a complicated procedure but it is best to look for an experienced surgeon in knee joint surgeries.
Regards.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Priyanka G Raj