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Neurology  (Expert Forum)
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Your thoughts about having knee replacements with Charcot Marie Tooth
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Your thoughts about having knee replacements with Charcot Marie Tooth

by Navy_mom_of_2, Aug 02, 2005 12:00AM
Good morning,

I am a 42 y.o., female with CMT and really bad knees. Two thinkgs please. I have a pretty twisted ankle because of the CMT. I have already had a stress fracture on the medial malleolus that cracked wide open because it when undiagnosed. The ortho guy I saw at the time said he thought the fracture happened because of my twisted in ankle and I tend to believe him. I am in need of an orthopedic person or perhaps a podietrist to straighten out the ankle. My questions about this problems are, number one, do you know how they would straighten it with surgery and number two, do you by any chance have any contacts in Austin, San Antonio somewhere in these areas who I could see about fixing this problem? I have a lot of docs but I don't I have one who could sratighten me out so to speak.

Although I'm trying to wait until I get older, I've been told I need total knee replacements. My knees are bad bad! What are your thoughts about people with CMT having total knee replacements? I have heard that I don't want to do the replacements because the CMT effects the knees as well as the lower legs. But I can't live for 40 more years with these knees.

Thank you for your help!

Kelly

by CCF-Neuro-M.D.-PW, Aug 08, 2005 12:00AM
As I am not an orthopedic expert, I cannot tell you exactly how they would straighten the ankle. Sometimes, a wedge of bone is taken out to reangulate the bone/joint called an 'osteotomy'



I do not know any orthopedic surgeons in Austin



CMT can affect the knees due to chronic denervation of the knee joints. The lack of sensory input from the know can result in repeated episodes of trauma. This can result in a "Charcot" joint, that is, deformed and non-funtional. I do not know if your knees are "Charcot joints" or whether they are just arthritic. A charcot joint would be more difficult to manage surgically. If pure osteoarthritis is present and there are indication for surgery, then surgery may be of benefit
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