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From: hollombe@ttidcc.UUCP (The Polymath)
Newsgroups: net.med
Subject: Re: ``Congenital dysplasia of the limbs'' -- huh?
Message-ID: <187@ttidcc.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 25-Feb-86 19:33:26 EST
Article-I.D.: ttidcc.187
Posted: Tue Feb 25 19:33:26 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 1-Mar-86 03:37:45 EST
References: <105@Shasta.ARPA>
Reply-To: hollombe@ttidcc.UUCP (The Polymath)
Organization: The Cat Factory
Lines: 39

In article <105@Shasta.ARPA> morris@Shasta.ARPA (Kathy Morris) writes:
>Does anyone out there know what this is?

I think I have the same problem in my knees.  There's a lot of side play in
the  joint  (demonstrated  to me by an orthopedic surgeon).  It seems to be
the reason I can't jog/run more than .75 miles and had to give  up  fencing
and aerobic classes.

>The question is:  how common is this, and what, if anything, can I do
>about it?

Don't know how common it is, but there's not much you can do  about  it.  I
was  seeing  a  physical  therapist  for  it 2 - 3 times a week for about 3
months.  Therapy consisted of electrosound and weight  lifting,  apparently
designed to strengthen the upper leg muscles.  It helped a little, I guess,
but I still can't run, fence, or aerobicise.

The only "cure" I know of is total replacement of the  knee  joints.  (They
can actually do that these days.  Ain't science wonderful? (-: )

>[It looks like I haven't done any serious damage to my knee, at least.
>I was afraid of ligament damage (I've dislocated the patella twice before),
>but the specialist seems to think it's not too serious.  I've been
>commuting by bicycle 15 minutes each way, which had helped to build up
>my quadraceps.  So, now it's a matter of ice and elevation, and rest.
>Sigh.]

Bicycling is how I get my aerobics in these days.  Doesn't seem  to  bother
the  knees  a lot, though I get a twinge now and then.  I suspect it builds
up some of the same muscles  as  the  weight  lifting  I  did  in  physical
therapy.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
The Polymath (aka: Jerry Hollombe)
Citicorp(+)TTI
3100 Ocean Park Blvd.     Geniuses are people so lazy they
Santa Monica, CA  90405   do everything right the first time.
(213) 450-9111, ext. 2483
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