Psoriatic Arthritis Is Complicating My Fall Recovery

Which is it? Both?

Is my knee pain, discomfort, and dislocation my psoriatic arthritis or is it from a fall? That is the big question on my mind today. My rheumatologist thinks that it is a cause of both. In February, I was at work as a chef and passed out carrying an empty pan from a buffet table. My left knee took the brunt of the fall with complications of pain, discomfort, and dislocation.

Why am I experiencing such high pain?

My pain has been about an 8 lately of a scale to ten. Today I am seeing an orthopedic surgeon. Dr. Sun let this doctor know that when he did x-rays, my knee was dislocated. This is the first time I have heard any of this. This explains the pain and discomfort.

What is happening to my knee?

The surgeon has stated that the knee cap is tilted downward and that it is sliding in and out of place to the outside. First, the fall is what caused the downward slope of the knee cap. Second, the complications from psoriatic arthritis cause the knee to slid out of the natural groove of the knee joint.

The combination of the two is a cause for a knee brace.

Is the knee brace helping to support it?

Being fitted for the knee brace is a challenge. Being a larger person, I require a 2x brace or 3x brace. One of the symptoms I have been having is the feeling of my knee wanting to buckle. Now that I have the brace it feels like there is some support. Some of the pain is better from the side supports. A piece called a buttress is supporting the knee from sliding out of position.

Will the brace work or will I need surgery?

My surgeon talked with my rheumatologist and they decided that I should try this brace for a month and return. Both doctors are hoping that the brace will help. However, if it does not, I might need surgery to correct the anchoring of the knee and stop the tilting. Between the brace and a new set of x-rays we will see if the brace does the job.

How has my psoriatic arthritis changed?

Sometimes, it seems to me, that psoriatic arthritis finds a way to surprise me after 26 years. Complications from my disease seem to creep as I age. My healing time is slower, deteriorating joints, and pain make things more difficult to recover from. Pain, dislocation, and discomfort seem to be more common they were at the start of my psoriatic arthritis journey.