PKR on 2/27/12

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Restep55

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I had my PKR on 2/27/12 and recovery started out amazing, after the second day. I was able to go back to work after just two weeks but now I am having terrible pain and stiffness. The pain is in the back of my knee, is this common? Along with the pain my entire leg is swellling and aches. Any suggestions?

PKR 2/27/12
 
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Hi, Restep....welcome to BoneSmart! I'm glad you joined us but sorry to hear you are having pain.

I believe your problem is that you are pushing your knee a bit too hard. People often mistakenly think that because they have "only" had a partial TKR, they should have a very short recovery. It doesn't usually work that way. In fact, most PKRs take about the same amount of time as a full knee replacement. During the procedure you still have bones cut and hammered, tissues moved all around....generally a LOT of trauma to your knee.

The best thing to do would be to take some time off from work and get the swelling under control with lots of rest, icing and elevation. You also should be taking something for your pain.

If you absolutely cannot take off work, then cut back on everything else and set aside as much time as you can to rest and get that knee up with ice. You are NOT healed at this point!!!

Here are some threads from our BoneSmart Library to provide more information for you. Even though some of them are written for TKR patients, they apply to a PKR as well.

The importance of managing pain after a TKR and the pain chart
How Long Does Healing Take ......
Chart representation of TKR recovery
Energy drain for TKRs
Elevating your leg to control swelling and pain
Using ice

Knee Replacement - Where Am I in Recovery?
So What Is It Going to Take? The Five “P’s” of Knee Recovery
Work “Smarter” and not “Harder”
About recovering a knee - from one who knows!
Some suggestions for home physio (PT) and activity progress
Myth busting: The "window of opportunity"
 
Re: I'm New

Yes.
First, welcome to our group!

Slow it down!
You are doing too much, too fast.

This is a big major surgery. Whether it is a PKR or a TKR, your body sees it the same.

Your knee is telling you to cease and desist. Pain in the back of your knee is normal. So is stiffness. But you can slow your recovery if you don't give yourself time to heal.

You need to take care of your new knee and let your body adjust to the smackdown that was your surgery.

I had my revision on the 29th and am spending most of my day at rest!!
I'm impressed you made it to work, bt it will catch up with you.

Please refer to the Library for information on healing times and advice on how to help yourself recover.
Again,welcome to our family, and cut your knee a break!
 
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OK Jamie, you got here first!!!
 
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:th_heehee: Speedy Gonzales.....that's me......
 
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Unfortunately I cannot take any addition time from work at this point. I will follow the advice given and slow down. That is tough for me to do but right now I'm even having trouble sleeping.
 
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welcome to the site and sorry to hear things have gone a bit off track - but like everyone else is saying Elevate - Ice - Rest - Pain Meds - hope you get it under control again soon and then you can get back to making progress :thumb:
 
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Hi, I was back working at 2 weeks - 45 minutes a day in my home office. And I was stuffed after that! Not even managing 7 hours after 3 months! So its a long recovery road and you need to look after yourself. Broken record, I know all the others have said so. Can you take time during your working day to ice? Take care.
 
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What ever possessed you to return to work after only two weeks? What kind of work do you do and how many hours?
 
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I have a desk job so I am sitting for the majority of the day. I only had two weeks of time to be paid so I had to go back after two weeks. Icing during he day is a good idea and I will try that tomorrow. I work about nine hours a day so a break in the middle would be nice.
 
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Hi Restep!

Are you able to elevate the knee with your desk job? Get another chair and put the leg on it and the ice and if you have a pillow it will make it even better! Elevate is part of the equation. When the leg hangs down, it tends to get stiff and tight. Good luck!
 
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I am having a lot of swelling in the calf. My knee is actually doing great. I'm able to walk without any cane or crutches and I have very little swelling in the knee in the surgery area, however, the back of the knee and the calf are swelling like crazy!
 
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Hi there, Welcome to Bonesmart. I think Sonja has given great advice about getting your leg elevated on a chair with your ice machine handy. Whenever my knee plays up and feels stiff/ uncomfortable as soon as I elevate, it eases off. Sitting at a desk is as bad as standing in the same position for too long at your early stage. Try to take a break from your desk on a regular basis and take a quick walk and stretch ..... just a thought. Good luck with your continued recovery.
 
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Hi Restep, welcome.

I went back to work at 3 weeks after TKR, at a desk job. It was the worst decision I have ever made. Sitting with your knee bent at 90 degrees is going to potentially inhibit your extension. Just try to get up and move every 15 minutes or so, stretch and do ankle pumps, be squirmy. It will help to alleviate the swelling. Make sure you ice and elevate when you can, again it will help. The sleep deprivation is hard when you have to work, so try to cat nap at lunch if possible. You may also notice that your focus is off. These are normal things and will pass with time.

Keep the faith, it will get better. Just try to manage expectations about what you can and can't do, and that includes your boss and co-workers. You had major surgery, it takes a toll on you, and every once of energy is devoted to healing the knee. Be patient and keep us posted. I totally feel your pain!

Be well,

Dawn
 
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Thanks everyone for your input! This is more difficult than I thought it was going to be. And believe me I anticipated a great deal of hardships. Patience is a word I must learn. Have a great day everyone!


Left Partial Knee 2/27/12
Micro-fracture left knee 9/21/11
Miniscus Tear 4/8/08
 
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