Hey everyone!
I’m sorry if there’s already a thread about this—I tried digging around for one myself, but everything I found was ancient history and probably totally dead, so I figured I’d just start my own. Also, apologies in advance for the wall of text.
So, here’s the deal: I recently had knee surgery (specifically ventralization and medialization of the patella because of chondromalacia). I’m in my twenties, and my surgeon basically promised me that surgery would fix everything without a hitch. He actually didn't even suggest physical therapy, which felt a little weird to me; he argued that in some cases, PT can actually backfire if the exercises don't align perfectly with the specific diagnosis or procedure. Instead, they just gave me a couple of basic home exercises—you know, the standard stuff like leg extensions on a chair and pressing your knee down into a cushion. Honestly, those two things feel like a joke, especially now that he told me I could bend my leg past 90 degrees. I’ve started adding in some extra mobility work I found online that’s supposed to be safe post-op, but I'm wondering... if anyone else has gone through this exact procedure, what kind of exercises did your PT actually give you? And obviously, I'm doing plenty of walking too.
But what I’m really struggling with—and what I can't seem to find any actual info on—is that weird subjective sensation inside the joint itself. It’s been about 20 days since the surgery, and while the swelling hasn't fully subsided, I keep getting this nagging feeling like my tibia is catching or jamming for a split second. It feels tight, almost like there isn't enough room inside the knee capsule and everything is just grinding against everything else. My doctor only really warned me about potential soreness around the surgical screws.
I really don't want to go back for another appointment just yet, since I was just there for a follow-up about ten days ago and he seemed perfectly happy with my progress. Back then, the leg was still so swollen that I wasn't feeling this particular sensation (at least not this intensely), so I didn't think much of it. He told me to just swing by in maybe 3 or 4 months to make sure everything healed up right and to get the screws removed. Plus, given how crazy things have been lately with everything going on in the country, the last thing I want to do is trek into a hospital unless it's absolutely necessary—not to mention my own tendency to overthink and panic over nothing, haha.
Anyway, if anyone has dealt with something similar, I’d love to hear about your experience and what that "internal" feeling was like for you!
I’m sorry if there’s already a thread about this—I tried digging around for one myself, but everything I found was ancient history and probably totally dead, so I figured I’d just start my own. Also, apologies in advance for the wall of text.
So, here’s the deal: I recently had knee surgery (specifically ventralization and medialization of the patella because of chondromalacia). I’m in my twenties, and my surgeon basically promised me that surgery would fix everything without a hitch. He actually didn't even suggest physical therapy, which felt a little weird to me; he argued that in some cases, PT can actually backfire if the exercises don't align perfectly with the specific diagnosis or procedure. Instead, they just gave me a couple of basic home exercises—you know, the standard stuff like leg extensions on a chair and pressing your knee down into a cushion. Honestly, those two things feel like a joke, especially now that he told me I could bend my leg past 90 degrees. I’ve started adding in some extra mobility work I found online that’s supposed to be safe post-op, but I'm wondering... if anyone else has gone through this exact procedure, what kind of exercises did your PT actually give you? And obviously, I'm doing plenty of walking too.
But what I’m really struggling with—and what I can't seem to find any actual info on—is that weird subjective sensation inside the joint itself. It’s been about 20 days since the surgery, and while the swelling hasn't fully subsided, I keep getting this nagging feeling like my tibia is catching or jamming for a split second. It feels tight, almost like there isn't enough room inside the knee capsule and everything is just grinding against everything else. My doctor only really warned me about potential soreness around the surgical screws.
I really don't want to go back for another appointment just yet, since I was just there for a follow-up about ten days ago and he seemed perfectly happy with my progress. Back then, the leg was still so swollen that I wasn't feeling this particular sensation (at least not this intensely), so I didn't think much of it. He told me to just swing by in maybe 3 or 4 months to make sure everything healed up right and to get the screws removed. Plus, given how crazy things have been lately with everything going on in the country, the last thing I want to do is trek into a hospital unless it's absolutely necessary—not to mention my own tendency to overthink and panic over nothing, haha.
Anyway, if anyone has dealt with something similar, I’d love to hear about your experience and what that "internal" feeling was like for you!