Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group Question about Joint Damage

Lately my knee won't fully extend due to swelling and stiffness. I am afraid it is going to become like my elbow, I haven't been able to extend my elbow for months. Will a cortisone shot help? If it won't fully extend and it's been like that for over a month will it return to normal or heal ? thank you.

can't say for sure, but i'm always amazed at how well things "return" to normal, things that i would have bet never would. i'm mostly talking about torn tendons and ligaments here and the only one that 4.5 years later is still not 100% is a torn ligament in my left ulnar wrist, but even that, for which i couldn't even type with the left hand for 2+ years, even that is pretty good until i try to ask it to do a bit more (like my band exercises for my back). but also talking about my SI joint, thinking its so cranky, even a bit with the flector patch, that it'll never been 100% again, but a cortisone shot there really does wonders.

can't say about the cortisone either but for me it works great on tendonitis and sacroiliitis.

Thanks Sue,
My rheumy told me my elbow was damaged and now that my knee seems to be follwing a similar pattern I'm afraid it's going to be permantly stuck in a bent postion. I look dumb when I'm walking and it is sort of stuck in the same bent postion, I see myself in the reflection of the store windows as I walk by and I think "I look really dumb like this", it hurts too much to straighten it out. Thanks again Sue.

Valsmom, I would try to have an Ortho doc look at both the elbow and the knee. I would never settle for living with a bent knee. You might ask about having a knee replacement. If you knee is bent, you will have to use crutches to walk. Or be stuck in a wheelchair. You want to try to have the best quality of life possible. It's really important to get that knee moving. Have you tried PT? It seems that you are giving up too soon. Please, never give up.

Donna

Thanks Donna. The thing is I don't want permanent damage and my knee bends but when I go to flex it and straighten it out perfectly it just won't fully extend, it's like it's almost there but won't lock into place.
I've never tried physcal therapy, but it sounds like a good option, I just saw a PT place open up just minutes from my home. On my good days my elbow is almost perfectly straight but you're right it's really not good enough to have it stay like this. I fasted one time and it was the best thing as far as reducing swelling for me. I think I'll have to muster up
the strength to try it again. I did not enjoy last time at all,, but I did enjoy the benfits, until of course I ate
something offensive and then the swelling came back.
I'm taking prednisone but hate the stuff and I rarely let myself go over 15mg. I'm trying to wean off of it and I'm around 7.5-10mg. I'm trying 6 months to 1 year of minocycline too.Thanks for your help, I appreciate it.

Can you swim or at least dangle around in the deep end of a local pool? My extension & mobility has improved like crazy since I started noodling around in the water. I couldn't even bend my legs at the hip, sit up, or drive, when I started getting in the pool, and now I can sit up for several hours during the day and drive for short periods.
I LOVE SWIMMING!

I'd go for finding a good PT. I really thought I was going to have to suffer with a shoulder that just was permanently locked up but had an excellent PT who managed to do some really gentle but effective mobilisation. Once it got to full movement again I have kept it up by making sure I do my stretches regularly - it hurts stretched to full extent now, but I haven't lost the range of mobility again. This was all after another PT had said I couldn't do anything with it and would just have to suffer!

A 'good' physio therapist, yes. But, would also get it checked ouot with an orthopod, as 'could' be an osteophyte getting in the way of articulation - happened to my elbow and knee, both. After 5 months the knee resolved of its own accord, as the osteophyte clunked off and migrated around behind the knee where it is lodged, but not getting in the way. The elbow 'was' attended to, but the ortho didn't 'quite' do a good enough job! So, very large osteophyte gone, but elbow still bent... But at least the swelling has gone.

Need to be careful of osteophytes getting in the way of articulation of joints - v. painful!

You'll need X-Rays to establish osteophytes.

I would rule out osteophytes afore going for physio.

I agree about PT.. I have been having great results.. I think it is important for us.. We need to keep moving and moving in a safe and correct way to avoid damage.. It makes sense to me.. I know I have been compensating for years due to pain and range of motion (or should I say lack of) Muscles, tendons and ligaments become short and tight where they should not be...
PT yes I believe in it now..

EricaK, I love swimming I was on the swim team in High School and I have a neighborhood pool, I should try it.

Cemc- I called a PT place by my house and I asked them a bunch of questions, I've never been to PT. I'm sure it would help, better than what I am doing now, which is nothing.


Molly- I've never heard of an osteophyte, sounds creepy...clunked off, yikes. I do have a orth/sports medicine dr that drains my knees from time to time. I have to decide on some course of action soon.

Tamara- Thanks for sharing your experience with PT. It's refreshing to see someone succed with the same issues as mine.
take care!!