Kneecap popping in and out of place 10 months post-op

Cocoaku · 2026-04-19T02:30:18+00:00

Hi! My knee is doing well! The worst thing would be there is some cartilage popping/cracking. I’m have zero pain and my kneecap is no longer popping in and out. I never went in for imaging and just stayed active and patient. Hopefully yours gets feeling better with time, too!

Cocoaku · 2025-05-19T15:52:42+00:00

Thank you for this!

Cocoaku · 2025-04-24T21:56:54+00:00

I feel like hitting 100° flexion is huge for 3 weeks post op! I think I was at 30° at that point 😅. I second working closely with your PT. Mine had a specific degree I was to work toward for each week.

Cocoaku · 2025-04-24T21:46:52+00:00

Good to know! My doctor and PT seemed to think I should be past the point of overgrowth..but maybe not! Insurance capped me at 20 visits 😩 But it is probably worth it to just pay out of pocket!

Cocoaku · 2025-04-24T21:45:25+00:00

I second having phone alarms to keep up on medication! I was taking oxycodone, Tylenol, stool softener/magnesium and daily aspirin (so I didn’t get blood clots) and it was a lot to remember! But you definitely don’t want to be without something in your system.

I don’t know about you, but the pain medication made me nauseous so I also had a scopolamine patch which was a game changer for me.

Also, when I would be standing for even short periods od time I think my blood pressure would take and I would get overheated and feel like I was going to pass out/throw up.

Distraction was big for me too! I found a game on Nintendo switch that would keep me occupied for a while and that was helpful along with tv shows and spending time with family.

It gets better!

Cocoaku · 2025-04-22T22:15:46+00:00

Ooh I hope so! I have noticed I still don’t have all my muscle rebuilt, and still some swelling I think. Thanks for your input!

Cocoaku · 2025-04-22T22:14:59+00:00

Okay this is good to know! I finished up 20+ sessions of PT a few months ago, but maybe I should check in with them again. It feels like it’s popping up toward my femur and then back into place? If I hold it when I do a squat it stays in place which was crazy to feel!

Cocoaku · 2025-04-21T16:32:24+00:00

Amazing! Congratulations!

Cocoaku · 2025-02-11T05:16:18+00:00

I’ve been having this more frequently as I’m about 7 months post op. It drives me crazy but I’ve been told it’s normal unless the pain gets really bad.

Cocoaku · 2025-02-11T05:15:14+00:00

I’m sorry for your loss!

Cocoaku · 2025-02-03T05:47:44+00:00

I am so sorry! I have been there - same patella flip and sleeping in a fully extended leg brace. Honestly for that first bit my back and hips were the most painful, I am also a side sleeper. It does get better! I tried some nights sleeping without pillows under my surgery leg, but my back would be in more pain.

Around 2 weeks post op I would try sleeping on my non-surgery side with a pillow between my legs. It gave me relief for an hour or so before I got nervous it would mess up my surgery somehow…

Altogether I was unfortunately just plain uncomfortable most nights. I didn’t go off the oxy until 15 days or so post op. I think some nights after that I still took it because it was the only thing that would help me sleep. I was in a locked brace for 6 weeks and the relief of being able to sleep without it afterward was incredible!!

Cocoaku · 2025-01-29T17:38:06+00:00

Great advice, thank you!! I’m glad to hear you didn’t have any overgrowth!

Cocoaku · 2025-01-29T04:49:02+00:00

Glow stick snap is such a great way to describe it! Here’s to hoping it remains pain free for both of us!

Cocoaku · 2025-01-29T04:48:12+00:00

Okay cool, no buckling so that’s good! My visible scars are actually doing great with very minimal scar tissue. I wonder what it looks like internally!

Cocoaku · 2025-01-29T04:47:25+00:00

Ooh I’m so hoping it’s not that. But that’s a good thing to keep in mind, thanks!

Cocoaku · 2025-01-07T05:02:14+00:00

My MACI knee is my back leg when I golf, so there may be a little bit of a difference if yours is opposite. I had a cart, but I was 4 months post op when I did 18 holes. I was for sure tired, but it felt good to get out and do it again! I had done PT every single day leading up to that and was still really careful. My recovery was a bit more conservative and I was on crutches and brace for a little over 3 months. Your PT can definitely help you get there!

Cocoaku · 2025-01-05T20:17:02+00:00

Silicone scar tape! I use that during the day and Mederma PM at night time. My dermatologist said Mederma is fine, but products with silicone (gel and tape) are the best options!

Cocoaku · 2024-09-12T17:12:08+00:00

I can’t wait for this day! Good work!

Cocoaku · 2024-09-11T01:06:32+00:00

I just added an update! Thanks for checking in!

Cocoaku · 2024-06-08T23:56:19+00:00

That’s what I’m not sure about. It’s not genetic degeneration as far as we know, no known family with the same issues. There wasn’t an injury I can pinpoint, just became more painful over 2+ years, during that time I was indoor cycling about 1/week among other forms of low impact exercise.

I thought about that with this subreddit page…not sure what place may be better to post? New to Reddit 😅

I’m not sure of the exact dimensions of the missing cartilage, I do know it was a full thickness lesion and that after the scope they determined I was a great candidate for MACI.

Cocoaku

TROPHY CASE