I'm from the UK so have very limited access to anyone at all specialising in af. I had tkr in August 2024 and from day 1 had very poor rom. I kept up with weekly pt & exercises 3 times daily, but the af continued to build up. I had an mua in November 2024 and another February 2025, each time the af and my rom got worse. I'm now at 22° extension & 70 flexion. As a result I've lost my job in the police, I use crutches or a wheelchair. I'm 50, rarely go out and can no longer do any of the things I did before, having a tkr was the worst decision ever. My other knee now needs a tkr but I won't have that done. I've seen 3 different surgeons who say if I have anything else done things may get worse. So is this it for me now? Am I stuck like this with a permanently bent knee with 70 degree flexion for the rest of my life?
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Thank you so much Kayley for your reply, I really appreciate it. The last surgeon I saw said he cannot do an mri because of the metal implant which I thought was a bit strange as I thought it would be possible as the implant would be titanium, however we take the words of an experienced surgeon as true, although I'm starting to learn a lot more than the surgeon has ever told me through this forum.
I'm seeing another surgeon on 3rd July so I will be armed with a bit more info this time.
Hi Lou,
I'm so sorry that you're in this situation, I understand how devastating arthrofibrosis can be. It's unfortunate that MUAs are still being performed, we hear from far too many people whose symptoms became worse afterwards.
You may have read on the IAA about the standard approach where treatable causes are systematically ruled out. This involves a needle aspiration of synovial fluid to test for infection, and X-rays plus MRI (with metal artefact suppression) to rule out problems like fractures and issues with the prosthesis itself, such as loosening. There is also a recent blog about testing for metal allergies that could be helpful. It may also be worthwhile consulting a rheumatologist for testing for autoimmune conditions.
I suggest that if you're exercising the affected leg, and this creates more pain, that you back off doing that, and anything else that creates pain. Gentle, regular stretching is useful for many people, there is more info in the section on continuous passive motion.
You may wish to have a telehealth appointment with Sebastiano Nutarelli, his email contact is info@eukafcenter.ch He will want to see a recent MRI to understand what is happening. I'm not a clinician, so I can't give medical advice, but Sebastian is very experienced with arthrofibrosis, and can guide you with physiotherapy and options.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
All the best,
Kayley