You've seen "WECSOG" - now meet "WECSOP&O" (now with pics)
Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 3:06 am
Wile E. Coyote School of Prosthetics and Orthotics.
I KNOW this post is pretty much worthless without pics. I will take them and post first thing in the morning. I took the "rig" off a while ago, and with the black compression-socks/black straps you couldn't really see it anyway. Tomorrow AM I'll take pics before I get dressed, and link them then. WARNING: The pics will - of necessity - not only show my mangled leg, but also show me in the one pair of "tighty-whities" I own... You have been warned!!
I mentioned elsewhere I've spent a few days building a device that allows me to walk without pain.
Since my total-knee-replacement a year ago, this knee "clunks" with every step, and each "clunk" gives me a stabbing pain that is nigh on unbearable. Every "clunk" inflames it more, so that by the end of a day spent doing nothing but basic "personal maintenance" I'm reduced to ice-packs and oxycodone.
Obviously, this isn't conducive to recovery. Docs tell me I need to build up my muscles to stop the "clunk" - which I can't do without activity. Activity causes me pain, more activity causes MORE pain, and more recovery time to be able to be active again. As a result, I'm caught in a catch-22 where I can't get better without getting active, and can't be active without getting better.
I'm able to ride my exercise bike, or an elliptical machine, for hours without pain, but step off and walk across the room and it's like someone is poking me with an ice-pick in the knee.
I've tried numerous different knee-braces, none of them helped. The problem is that when gravity can "elongate" my leg - separate the top-half of my knee from the bottom half - the "clunk" happens. To solve it, I needed to find a way to LOAD my knee joint, and KEEP it "loaded" when I pick it up off the ground.
I ran into an older Gent on another Gunboard who had years of experience working with prosthetics and orthotics. He described something in an e-mail, then called me on the phone to talk about it. He's working on a drawing, and seeking input from actual prosthetists/orthotists that are his friends. In the mean-time, I took his suggestions and made a few trips to my local HW store, where I found what I needed to build a rough approximation of what he'd described.
2" "nylon" strapping, some nickel-plated D-rings, and my sail-maker's awl (apparently commonly known as a "sewing awl") let me construct a "foot stirrup" and a harness to hook to my belt.
(BTW - I'm going to order one of those awls I linked. Mine came from Horror-freight, and is a TOTAL POS. I can't imagine how nice it would be to be able to use a fine tool like that!!)
A neoprene "knee sleeve", and some small "split-rings" (key-rings) sewn to it, provided the base for the "springs" that I'm using to keep a load on my knee.
The final piece was some "springs" to provide the load. My local HW store had bungee-cord rolls, which they sell by the foot. I'm using the thin, 5/32 stuff - 4 doubled-up pieces of it and 8 small nickel-plated "snap-hooks bridge the harness and the foot stirrup.
Add in some velcro, and a couple of other little items to keep it in place, and I've been able to walk around for several hours today - and am in less pain right this minute than I would normally be at this time of day after just walking back and forth from the couch to the bathroom.
My new "designer" friend insists that latex "surgical tubing" would be much better for the "springs" -- I am sure he's right, and the eventual "final version" will no doubt utilize it, but for now I'm pretty happy with the way it's evolving.
My biggest problem right now is the amount of stress this puts on my belt. It's really uncomfortable - the way it pulls down on my belt. If I lessen the tension, it doesn't provide enough support.
The latex bands will be better, because of the way their "load" is more constant as the band stretches - I think it will need less tension to do an equal job. Still, I'd very much like to figure out a way to distribute the "load" on my belt from the 2 points - one each left-front and left-rear - to perhaps 4 points on my belt. I think this is doable, but I'm still trying to figure out how to make it happen. It seems to me I'll have to figure out some way to "triangulate" the load - it's going to be a challenge...
I've considered adding a strap over my opposite shoulder, but my right collar-bone was also mangled and is crooked. As a result, my right shoulder is pulled a bit forward and down. Since my LEFT leg is shorter, thus dropping my left hip, my back often rebels if I'm not very careful about my posture. Somehow I don't think adding a load to my right shoulder would be a prudent move...
For these reasons, I think keeping the load on my hips/pelvis - with a belt - is the right way to go. If you guys - when I get the pics posted - could give me some suggestions I would be very grateful!
In the long run, I want to get a custom-made "collateral-ligament" brace. They have some really spectacular carbon-fiber braces - a good friend has one and swears it is so light and comfortable that he often forgets he's wearing it. Having it custom made, I SHOULD be able to have them add some attachment points for the rings I'll need for my "loading" device. If I ever get strong enough to no longer need the loading, I can just remove the rings and still have the brace.
Any input you guys might have would be deeply appreciated!
DD
I KNOW this post is pretty much worthless without pics. I will take them and post first thing in the morning. I took the "rig" off a while ago, and with the black compression-socks/black straps you couldn't really see it anyway. Tomorrow AM I'll take pics before I get dressed, and link them then. WARNING: The pics will - of necessity - not only show my mangled leg, but also show me in the one pair of "tighty-whities" I own... You have been warned!!
I mentioned elsewhere I've spent a few days building a device that allows me to walk without pain.
Since my total-knee-replacement a year ago, this knee "clunks" with every step, and each "clunk" gives me a stabbing pain that is nigh on unbearable. Every "clunk" inflames it more, so that by the end of a day spent doing nothing but basic "personal maintenance" I'm reduced to ice-packs and oxycodone.
Obviously, this isn't conducive to recovery. Docs tell me I need to build up my muscles to stop the "clunk" - which I can't do without activity. Activity causes me pain, more activity causes MORE pain, and more recovery time to be able to be active again. As a result, I'm caught in a catch-22 where I can't get better without getting active, and can't be active without getting better.
I'm able to ride my exercise bike, or an elliptical machine, for hours without pain, but step off and walk across the room and it's like someone is poking me with an ice-pick in the knee.
I've tried numerous different knee-braces, none of them helped. The problem is that when gravity can "elongate" my leg - separate the top-half of my knee from the bottom half - the "clunk" happens. To solve it, I needed to find a way to LOAD my knee joint, and KEEP it "loaded" when I pick it up off the ground.
I ran into an older Gent on another Gunboard who had years of experience working with prosthetics and orthotics. He described something in an e-mail, then called me on the phone to talk about it. He's working on a drawing, and seeking input from actual prosthetists/orthotists that are his friends. In the mean-time, I took his suggestions and made a few trips to my local HW store, where I found what I needed to build a rough approximation of what he'd described.
2" "nylon" strapping, some nickel-plated D-rings, and my sail-maker's awl (apparently commonly known as a "sewing awl") let me construct a "foot stirrup" and a harness to hook to my belt.
(BTW - I'm going to order one of those awls I linked. Mine came from Horror-freight, and is a TOTAL POS. I can't imagine how nice it would be to be able to use a fine tool like that!!)
A neoprene "knee sleeve", and some small "split-rings" (key-rings) sewn to it, provided the base for the "springs" that I'm using to keep a load on my knee.
The final piece was some "springs" to provide the load. My local HW store had bungee-cord rolls, which they sell by the foot. I'm using the thin, 5/32 stuff - 4 doubled-up pieces of it and 8 small nickel-plated "snap-hooks bridge the harness and the foot stirrup.
Add in some velcro, and a couple of other little items to keep it in place, and I've been able to walk around for several hours today - and am in less pain right this minute than I would normally be at this time of day after just walking back and forth from the couch to the bathroom.
My new "designer" friend insists that latex "surgical tubing" would be much better for the "springs" -- I am sure he's right, and the eventual "final version" will no doubt utilize it, but for now I'm pretty happy with the way it's evolving.
My biggest problem right now is the amount of stress this puts on my belt. It's really uncomfortable - the way it pulls down on my belt. If I lessen the tension, it doesn't provide enough support.
The latex bands will be better, because of the way their "load" is more constant as the band stretches - I think it will need less tension to do an equal job. Still, I'd very much like to figure out a way to distribute the "load" on my belt from the 2 points - one each left-front and left-rear - to perhaps 4 points on my belt. I think this is doable, but I'm still trying to figure out how to make it happen. It seems to me I'll have to figure out some way to "triangulate" the load - it's going to be a challenge...
I've considered adding a strap over my opposite shoulder, but my right collar-bone was also mangled and is crooked. As a result, my right shoulder is pulled a bit forward and down. Since my LEFT leg is shorter, thus dropping my left hip, my back often rebels if I'm not very careful about my posture. Somehow I don't think adding a load to my right shoulder would be a prudent move...
For these reasons, I think keeping the load on my hips/pelvis - with a belt - is the right way to go. If you guys - when I get the pics posted - could give me some suggestions I would be very grateful!
In the long run, I want to get a custom-made "collateral-ligament" brace. They have some really spectacular carbon-fiber braces - a good friend has one and swears it is so light and comfortable that he often forgets he's wearing it. Having it custom made, I SHOULD be able to have them add some attachment points for the rings I'll need for my "loading" device. If I ever get strong enough to no longer need the loading, I can just remove the rings and still have the brace.
Any input you guys might have would be deeply appreciated!
DD
