Recent content by bertschb

  1. bertschb

    MUA 1 year this month on TKR

    This is my ROM progression for my first TKR: 1 month - 60 degrees 2 months - 80 degrees 3 months - 85 degrees 4 months - 90 degrees 5 months - 90 degrees 6 months - 110 degrees 7 months - 120 degrees 8 months - 125 degrees 9 months - 125 degrees 10 months - 125 degrees 11 months - 130 degrees...
  2. bertschb

    TKR TKR Progress

    Yes, there is a lot of misinformation in the medical field about TKR recovery and PT. I tried PT with my first TKR and the guy said I would need an MUA because my ROM was so poor. I know this isn't the experience that everybody has but my PT actually caused more swelling which slowed my...
  3. bertschb

    TKR TKR Progress

    I've had both my knees replaced and I learned after my first TKR that nothing I did through PT would improve ROM. In fact, the more I tried to improve ROM, the worse it got because it just created more swelling. I'm an avid mountain biker and it took six months before I could make a full...
  4. bertschb

    TKR Second TKR complete! Hoping I can ride my Mt bike again soon!

    Well, it's been five months now since surgery. ROM is around 115-120. My first TKR was 90 at this point so I'm pleased with the improved ROM this time around. Stability has improved a lot. Going down stairs is no problem. My knee still aches after I stand on it for any length of time. A couple...
  5. bertschb

    TKR Second TKR complete! Hoping I can ride my Mt bike again soon!

    2 month update- ROM is around 90 degrees now. I can just barely walk down stairs "normally". Just not enough bend yet. One thing I'm noticing with this TKR that I don't recall from my first TKR five years ago is "instability". When walking, my knee will suddenly buckle forwards. It doesn't...
  6. bertschb

    TKR Second TKR complete! Hoping I can ride my Mt bike again soon!

    All I'm doing is literally laying my leg flat on the floor. I'm not pushing down on it or forcing anything. Just letting it "hang" there under it's own weight. I can slide my entire hand under my knee right now. The rest of the time my knee is up on my Lounge Doctor pillow.
  7. bertschb

    TKR Second TKR complete! Hoping I can ride my Mt bike again soon!

    One month update: I drove for the first time yesterday since my surgery. It went better than I expected but I did use my left foot for the brake. It was 95% rural highway so almost all cruise control. I wouldn't have been able to drive a car or SUV but we have a truck and it has a LOT of leg...
  8. bertschb

    TKR Second TKR complete! Hoping I can ride my Mt bike again soon!

    I have no pain at all in my first TKR from 5 years ago. BTW, I have the same buckling sensation. That's kind of what I mean by it feeling unstable. Flat surfaces aren't too bad but any irregular surfaces and it's actually a little scary - and that's really hard for me to say. I'm used to doing...
  9. bertschb

    TKR Second TKR complete! Hoping I can ride my Mt bike again soon!

    3 1/2 week update- Not much improvement in walking the last 3 days. My knee just seems really unstable. I don't remember this from my first TKR. Did anybody else have trouble walking without crutches at 3 1/2 weeks? I can walk but I have to be very deliberate with each step. I try to get up...
  10. bertschb

    TKR Second TKR complete! Hoping I can ride my Mt bike again soon!

    I'm noticing every couple of days now some slight improvement in the strength of my knee. Ever so slightly easier to walk. One weird feeling I get is a tightness under my kneecap when I try to bend my knee while walking. It's like the muscles are all attached there and are way too short. It's no...
  11. bertschb

    TKR Second TKR complete! Hoping I can ride my Mt bike again soon!

    Yeah, I'm not worried at all about what my surgeon says. I've heard it before - including what my PT said last time about the "window of opportunity". Hah! Whatever. I think last time they did an x-ray at the five week follow up just to make sure the implant looks right. I'm fine with that. But...
  12. bertschb

    TKR Second TKR complete! Hoping I can ride my Mt bike again soon!

    3 week update: Not much new to report. I can walk around a bit easier. I'm sleeping fine. But, as expected, ROM is horrible. Maybe 70-75. Such sloooooooooow progress. That's to be expected so I'll just deal with it. I'm so glad I don't have a third leg because if I did, I'm not sure if I'd have...
  13. bertschb

    TKR Second TKR complete! Hoping I can ride my Mt bike again soon!

    Thanks for this. I am noticing that every couple of days the soft tissues around my knee feel different. Slightly stronger and slightly more stable. I've really been focusing on letting my knee bend backwards a bit during my walking strides. It's not a normal stride but it seems to help stretch...
  14. bertschb

    TKR Second TKR complete! Hoping I can ride my Mt bike again soon!

    So I started walking without crutches two days ago. My knee felt a little unstable but not too bad. Today as I was doing one of my short walks my knee felt like it snapped back. It probably only went to zero or whatever but it felt like it bent way back. Not pleasant at all! I don't recall my...
  15. bertschb

    TKR Second TKR complete! Hoping I can ride my Mt bike again soon!

    Day 13 update: Swelling is still far less than TKR #1. ROM is very slightly better at this point. I think I'm maybe at 65-70 degrees? I'm using an app I found for my phone. Not sure how accurate it is. I was able to start walking without crutches today for the first time. The knee is pretty...
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