TKR Can’t bend or straighten^

Barbierob

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Hi all
Today is day 12 post op and although I can walk a bit with 2 or 1 cane I cannot straighten my leg, bend my knee very much or lift my leg unaided. So worried I’m not making enough progress, plus I’m really tired all the time. Getting staples out on Friday and am really nervous about going out!
 
Hi and Welcome to Bonesmart.

Everything you describe is very normal for 12 days out. This surgery caused a lot of trauma to your leg. It takes time and patience for the knee to heal.

I will leave you our Recovery Guidelines. Each article is short but very informative. Following these guidelines will help you have a less painful recovery.

Knee Recovery: The Guidelines
1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now, they are almost certainly temporary
2. Control discomfort:
rest
elevate
ice
take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)
don't overwork.
3. Do what you want to do BUT
a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you
b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.​
4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of these
5. At week 4 and after you should follow this
6. Access to these pages on the website

The Recovery articles:
The importance of managing pain after a TKR and the pain chart
Swollen and stiff knee: what causes it?

Energy drain for TKRs

Elevation is the key

Ice to control pain and swelling

Heel slides and how to do them properly

Chart representation of TKR recovery

Healing: how long does it take?

Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

There are also some cautionary articles here
Myth busting: no pain, no gain
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds

We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery.

While members may create as many threads as they like in the majority of BoneSmart’s forums, we ask that each member have only One Recovery Thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review the member’s history before providing advice, so please post any updates or questions you have right here in this thread.
 
Guess what, I had the same symptoms as you at 12 days. I'm in my 8th week and my flex and extension are at 100+/0. Your body/knee just went through a traumatic experience and using all its energy to heal so when you are feeling exhausted and tired it's your body saying I need some sleep. Don't fight it rest when you can eventually as time goes by you will feel less tired. As far as strengthening and bending your knees that will come in time, too. Just make sure your icing and elevating several times a day.

I remember being stuck in the house for two weeks and it was driving me crazy and I couldn't wait for my next OS appointment just to get out of the house. It felt so good to be around other people. Like you, I was nervous about getting this huge adhesive bandage removed on my incision (my incision was glued together) I also thought it was going to hurt but It came off like a breeze.

Good luck on Friday keep us updated.
 
Hello @Barbierob - and :welome:

Please will you tell us the full date of your knee replacement, whether you had a partial or a total knee replacement, and which knee it is, so we can make a signature for you? Thank you.:flwrysmile:

Being tired all the time is normal. You've had a major surgery and almost all your energy is being directed towards healing your knee. There's an article about the Energy Drain in the recovery reading that Jockette left for you.
 
Thank you to TimeBuster and Celle.
I had TKR on the right knee on 10th May.
 
@Barbierob
At 12 days you sound perfectly normal to me. I didn't exactly enjoy having the staples out but my knee did feel better for having them removed.
I am now nearly 12 weeks post op and neither my flexion or extension are where I want them to be but they are improving all the time. You will certainly read on the forum of others who recover more quickly than I am but my OS warned me that this would be a tough recovery and it's certainly tougher than the 2 hip ops I had last year.
So, I will bide my time and recover at my own pace.
I hope you have a relatively pain free recovery.
 
I understand your worries. It's hard to imagine what will occur that will improve these seemingly overwhelming limitations. It's really a matter of time, and it's OK to baby yourself! Your surgeon left your knee in mechanically sound working order. Recovery is really all about the soft tissues mending and that takes time. Hang in there!
 
Hi - I had mine done May 6. Was 90 at the hospital and started PT right away. Only regressed until I found Bonesmart. Last Thursday flex was 75 and straight 7-8. Today flex has improved to 90 and straight is still the same so you sound right in line to me!! I'm still on a walker but really able to use only one side. I also feel your frustration about tiredness!! That got much better for me around day 14. Also big improvement this week in being able to lift the leg on it's on in to bed, slowly getting to on it's own to elevation. I don't hesitate to help it if it needs it and am doing light PT but never push myself to pain. Definitely recommend the Bonesmart protocol! Life saver and great place to ease the mind!! Best wishes fellow May Marvel!
 
Thank you everyone. I am so glad I found this site.:flwrysmile::flwrysmile:
 
@Barbierob I'd really like to offer you some structured advice but in order to do that, I also need to ask you some questions. Are you willing for me to do that?
 
I cannot straighten my leg, bend my knee very much or lift my leg unaided
Absolutely normal at this stage.
So worried I’m not making enough progress, plus I’m really tired all the time
Do not panic! Far to early to measure progress, and being tired is GOOD. The body is taking those resources to heal you, embrace tiredness. Sleep. Watch Telly. Do nothing. It's all fine!
 
Here y'go then!

It would be very helpful if you would answer each one individually - numbered as I have done - in as much detail as you can then I'll come back as see where you are ....

1. what are your pain levels right now? (remember the 1-10 scale: 1 = no pain and 10 = the worst you can imagine. And don't forget to factor in other forms of pain such as soreness, burning, stabbing, throbbing, aching, swelling and stiffness).

2. what pain medications have you been prescribed, how much are you taking (in mg please) and how often?

3. how swollen is your leg compared to these?
ai63.tinypic.com_eta39s.jpg


4. what is your ROM - that's flexion (bend) and extension (straightness)

5. are you icing your knee at all? If so, how often and for how long?

6. are you elevating your leg. If so how often and for how long?

7. what is your activity level? What do you do in the way of housework, cooking, cleaning, shopping, etc., and

8. are you doing any exercises at home? If so what and how often?
This is the most crucial question so please help me by using the format I have left as an example
(which means please make a list and not an essay!)

Exercises done at home
- how many sessions you do each day
- enter exercise by name then number of repetitions of each
etc., etc.

Anything done at PT
- how many times a week
- enter exercise by name then number of repetitions of each
etc., etc.
 

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