Hi and thanks for the query,

The knee joint is one of the most complex joints of the human body, and often requires timeliness, skill and lots of expertise as far as lesions to its constituents are concerned. Anterior Cruciate Ligament (acl) lesions are often very delicate as far as the management is concerned. Success or prognosis is very much dependent on the timeliness of the intervention, which is of course most of the time surgical, in case rapid recovery has to be guaranteed.

I suggest its actually be so long that this ligament was not repaired. With degeneration to this stage as you describe, I am afraid failing to intervene, and radically could continue to perpetuate further complications. First, bone on bone shall continue causing traumatizing and degenerative lesions, characterized by long term pain and instability.

At this stage, added to the fact that it is really so long without the appropriate intervention that it deserved at the start, surgery, we might no other effective choice to the total knee replacement surgery.

Your medical history being on Coumadin deserves that appropriate examination be done with respect to your coagulation profile first. A thorough consultation with an anesthesiologist shall be very compelling.

Total knee replacement surgery these days is easy to be carried out in a very shorter period of time. With adequate and appropriate physiotherapy, regaining normal walking function takes far less time than before. I am afraid this might be the only effective option that could be actually valid for now.

I advise you consider it and get a proper consultation with your Knee orthopedic surgery specialist.

In case you have any further concerns, do not hesitate, will be honored contributing to your wellbeing.

Thanks and best regards,
Dr Luchuo, MD.

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