A Case History
Failed Surgery, Prolotherapy,
and PRP - Knee Pain
As you know, we receive emails from all over the world. This email really hit home and addresses exactly what we have been trying to tell people with our newsletters and written materials, Journal of Prolotherapy, etc.

Dear Dr. Hauser,
I am having trouble with my left knee. I have been an athlete all my life and trained all my life both in and out of a gym. I am a professional tennis coach but have not been able to train for the past two years.

I have debilitating pain (medial) and some loss of strength in my left knee. The knee has had two arthroscopic surgeries, one in 1993 when I was 28 years of age, which removed a quarter's worth of bone from the end of my femur (probably a childhood injury).  The surgeon poked the end of my femur to try to stimulate cartilage growth.  The surgeon noted the rest of my cartilage was virgin at that time. The surgery relieved pressure under my knee cap which had always bothered me.  I had relatively few issues with the knee after this procedure.

The 2nd surgery was in 2006 at 42 years of age-a menisectomy (that I wish I would not have done). (See A Retrospective Study Shows Prolotherapy is Effective in the Treatment of MRI-Documented Meniscal Tears)  The surgeon noted considerable articular cartilage arthritis (of course from having the end of my femur knocked off.)  The surgery went well and I returned to full activity 60 days later.

The last two years both my knees have given me trouble.  MRI reveal a tear to the medial horn of my right knee but no real further damage to the left knee. Prolotherapy for 6 months on both knees, along with synvisc injections has healed up the right knee (which I chose not to have surgery on) but my left knee is not well.  I asked to have Hackett-Hemwell (Prolotherapy) done, but the doctor was not familiar with this.

I am seeing another doctor. He is familiar with Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy.  He has diagnosed that my quads and hip need strengthened and has suggested I get injections of euflexxa.

Dr. Hauser, I need to be able to run.  I have always been very quick and agile.  Not being able to run or train is ruining my quality of life.  I do not want to do another surgery on this knee.  Any thoughts, comments or suggestions.