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Post by mrjcdenton2001 on Sept 15, 2022 1:56:44 GMT -7
Hi everybody. To make a long story short, I am a childhood cancer survivor who received an above the knee (ATK) amputation back in August 2017 due to some complications I was having working with a prosthesis (basically a metal rod in my femur) before that, as I had previously received limb salvage surgery in 2010 or so and was dealing with lots of surgeries since. I've been doing awesome for myself ever since I got out of the hospital as the amputation gave me more overall mobility than I had beforehand, and I'm happy to say that I've been issue-free for the past 5 years.
Anyways, about a month ago I was with my girlfriend's place when I noticed that there's a small... Well, I call it a "bone nib" but it's basically this almost arrow-shaped boney piece thing poking just a little bit under my skin at the top edge of my residual limb. This little "bone nib" was always there, but I noticed it sticks out just a tiny bit more than the rest of my curve-shaped stub. It's a little hard to describe, so I went ahead and made a quick little picture in MS paint to help you visualize what it looks like.
No, it is not painful nor am I having skin issues or anything of the sort in the region. It's just kind of... There, I guess. I should also clarify that before discovering it, I wasn't really wearing my shrinker too much since I'd been having some fitting issues with my prosthetic leg and a bunch of drama with my insurance has kept that stuff in limbo. I've begun wearing it again regularly for a few weeks now, though. I should also note that I also did have a bad habit of sleeping on my stomach for awhile before this bizarre development, but I am trying my best to no longer do this. (I roll around in my sleep.)
So all in all, my questions are: Have you ever had this happen to you before? Is this normal? Should I be worried? Planning on seeing somebody about it whenever my insurance drama ends, which should hopefully be by the end of the year.
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Post by stonecutter on Sept 15, 2022 9:25:24 GMT -7
Welcome to the forum!
Yikes! I wonder if that is a bone spur actively growing or the result of the soft tissue atrophying?
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Post by mrjcdenton2001 on Sept 15, 2022 23:47:59 GMT -7
Hi stonecutter, thank you very much for the introduction!
I've been talking to my girlfriend about it since I've known her for the past 5 years, she strongly believes it is possible the soft tissue may be atrophying because she thinks the whole thing looks the same length as it always has. Don't know for sure yet though, but again, I plan on seeing a specialist about it when my situation is resolved and hopefully they can give me some clarity.
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Post by fommof on Sept 18, 2022 23:52:05 GMT -7
Hi, I agree with stonecutter on that... Actually, I've been through that and in my case it is/was a combination of both. So it was exostosis which was there probably since a few months after the amputation. Due to the surgery, long hospitalization, lack of activity etc. for several months it was hiding (meaning, it wasn't bothering me) because I had put a lot of weight. When I lost that wait the exostosis became a problem when I was wearing any socket and for several years I was also using a cane. I get rid of the first problematic exostosis back in 2019. Then another one got exposed and made my life difficult when I was wearing a socket so a year ago and I had yet another surgery to get rid of this too. Unfortunately, I still haven't fully recovered but the bottom line is, those were a combination of extra bones growing (logically right after the amputation and for the next few months) and tissue atrophying. If it didin't cause me any pain, discomfort etc. with or without a prosthetic limp, I wouldn't bother doing anything about it. At least now I am paying the price of the second operation I had just for that (not that I had a choice, the bone was tearing the skin so).
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Post by mrjcdenton2001 on Sept 20, 2022 0:21:07 GMT -7
Hello, fommof,
Yikes, that sounds like quite a lot of hurdles you've been through!
Mine's not really bugging me at the moment, and I don't have any weight issues right now (If anything, I'm possibly on the verge of being underweight if anything) so I'm hoping it'll stay that way at least until I can solve my little drama and go see somebody about it asap.
If you don't mind me asking, how were your surgeries like? What did they have to do to resolve the issue? Were they as invasive as your original amputation or were they a bit more simple?
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Post by fommof on Sept 20, 2022 5:41:09 GMT -7
Hello, fommof, Yikes, that sounds like quite a lot of hurdles you've been through! Mine's not really bugging me at the moment, and I don't have any weight issues right now (If anything, I'm possibly on the verge of being underweight if anything) so I'm hoping it'll stay that way at least until I can solve my little drama and go see somebody about it asap. If you don't mind me asking, how were your surgeries like? What did they have to do to resolve the issue? Were they as invasive as your original amputation or were they a bit more simple?
If it doesn't bother you then let it be. I hope it stays this way over time.
They just got rid off the excess bone. Both were very small operations, in both cases I didn't even stayed the night in the hospital. Remember, we are not talking about amputation, we are talking about getting rid of very small (and sharp in my case) little extra bones...and again we are talking about less than 1cm long excess bone, tops. So, no, there is no way in heck they would be as invasive as any amputation.
And once again, If it doesn't bother you, let it be. Both the operations I had changed the shape of my stump quite a bit which means, new sockets which means a bucket of money, lost time and energy. If you are not in pain, it doesn't affect your life in any way, then just leave it alone. If it becomes a problem, take care of it then and there.
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ernie
New Member
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Post by ernie on Nov 12, 2022 0:26:39 GMT -7
I had this happen after my amputation. I ended up having what they called a “revision”. In my experience I was a child when my leg was amputated and they didn’t remove enough of the growth plate. Because you are an adult it’s likely just a bone spur and won’t continue to grow into your scar line. I would think you’d only need to do anything about it if you notice it getting larger or if it impedes you from wearing your prosthetic if that’s what you’d like to do. Hopefully it’ll just be a little part of you that you’ll never have to get removed.
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rg8
New Member
Posts: 32
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Post by rg8 on Jan 28, 2023 14:12:29 GMT -7
Even in adulthood, bone will continue to grow. Actually, the growth occurs at the level of the periosteum ( this is a highly vascular membrane around all the bones of the body). A good friend who has been an amputee since childhood had something similar and had to have a revision to address that. That would not be a big surgical procedure, but I would definitely consult with an orthopedic surgeon, and if need be get a second opinion from another surgeon. I'm an amputee myself (BKA), secondary to an accident late in life. Hope this is helpful.
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