#derotational osteonomy

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All About My Surgery

So I have been referencing my surgery quite often and felt like I should explain everything there is to say about it (human osteology which is forensic which is academic!). 

Starting this from the beginning: All my life I have felt pain in my knees whenever I did any physical activity. I noticed that I was pigeon toed (my feet pointed inward not straight) which eventually provoked bullying but thats not relevant here. This started to prevent me from everything and gym class was tough. I couldn't run or kick a ball and always failed my mile run tests. Then I became aware of the fact I was standing “like a mermaid”. Most people stand toes to north and heel to south. Well for me, I stood feet crossed toes pointing west and east with heels touching. At the doctors, we always expressed concerns but they never did anything about it. Fast forward to last year. I went to a doctor about foot pains and that started this huge chain reaction. He told me I am flat footed but the pain is from my knee. So he sent me to a knee doctor who said my knees were problematic but the root of the issue is my hip. So then I went to a hip doctor who was shocked at how intense the issue was. I was told a normal hip/leg rotation was 45 degrees....in my more severe leg, I had about 80-90 degree rotation. This is caused when the femur bone grows in a twisted position off-setting it within the hip. He suggested, and I quote, “massive surgery” which is called a Femoral Derotational Osteonomy. The surgery consists the following: cutting the femur in half, untwisting the bone, repositioning the two halves, using a plate and 3 screws to hold the two pieces together, drilling a hole in the hip bone to put a two pronged “?” shaped plate through the hole (one prong in one out and the ‘tail’ runs down the femur being the plate stated above), then stitching it up and calling it a day. The recovery was estimated 4-6 weeks as well as “limping”/”babying the leg for around 6 months after the surgery. While in the hospital following my surgery, I was given an epidural to decrease the pain. Side note on that: right before my surgery the previous patient 8y boy who had just finished the same surgery came out screaming and crying “JUST TAKE IT OFF” “I WANT TO GO TO SLEEP PLEASEEE” my surgeon came out right after and saw the horrified look on my face (20 years old) and goes “that wont happen to you...his epidural wont work and he woke up too soon so we couldnt properly manage the pain immediately. i hate when they cry i dont want to hurt anyone” so yea that happened but the kid finally relaxed long enough for the nurses to be able to give him the pain meds and he was perfectly fine after. I spent 3 days in the hospital and went home wheel chair bound because i physically could not put any weight on my leg. Now I had my surgery before Christmas so the fact of having to always be moving was horrifying but I was able to manage. At 1 week post op, I was using a walker instead of the wheel chair to move. At 2-3 weeks post op, I was able to get upstairs and stand long enough to cook for myself as well as ditching the walker for crutches. At 4 weeks post op, I was on one crutch and back on campus for move in and made 3 trips to my car then to my dorm then put my car cross campus in the parking garage and hobbling all the way back. Today at 7 weeks and 2 days (2/8/2018), I am walking with no crutch minimal limping (my sister told me ‘Doesnt even look like you had surgery anymore you are fine’) discussed when to stop the physical therapy and minimal pain in that leg. I still have a decent amount of pain because I over work myself but thats why I am where I am. Personal note: I lost everyone close to me during this surgery which hurt the healing factor. I ended a toxic relationship mid recovery because he couldnt understand why I wanted no part in being sexual and that recovery took priority. My best friend has become a stranger to me over the fact that I am in a bad place mentally right now. My roommates have always been distant. My hedgehog developed WHS and is slowly dying at home while I am on campus asking about him daily. I can post more if anyone has more interest on this operation.