TKR knee stiffness two years post-op

For me, The flexion I want to attain at first is that which allows me to do ADL.....i.e.: my goal is normal stair climbing/descent.

My OS said 110 is his goal for me and all numbers higher than that are “cake with frosting.” My PT says 105 is needed for down stairs. I like cake with frosting.....but would settle for the 110 before returning to work. As I understand it from reading on this site, flexion can improve as long as two years post TKR.

You are about 5 days ahead of me.
 
103 and perfect extension at 4 weeks is awesome! Just take things slow so your leg can heal and you’ll come along fine.

I agree that ROM can continue to improve 2 years, and more, and I am proof. I can’t believe how much better my whole leg feels at 2+ years post op then it was even a year ago. It has relaxed inside and the bend has improved. Other members report the same thing.
 
Hey “almost twin”! So glad to see you doing so well! Thought I’d share my stats with you since I am only one day behind you. I went to PT today...flexion was 105 and extension was 1. I am still using my cane, elevating and icing a LOT. It is very hot and humid here, so outdoor walking is pretty impossible. Any time spent outside leads to quick swelling of the knee, so I am hiding inside in my air conditioned house.

Pain levels are okay, although sleep eludes me. I get a good solid three hours, and then I sleep quite fitfully until finally giving up around 5am. I take extra strength tylenol 1000mg x4 daily...before bed, I take 2mg of hydromorphone to help me get that three hours.

Days are spent toggling between really bad tv shows and scrolling around the internet on my iPad. It gets boring pretty quick, lol. I ventured out to the grocery store with hubby today, simply to get some sort of walking in. No more than 20 minutes...and I got to buy the potato chips I love, lol.

It seems to me that we’re pretty close in our recovery! Anyway, as you know, it’s most definitely not a race. But it’s good to know we’re in the ballpark, right? :flwrysmile:
 
If you're over 100 you're on the right track! Just keep going slowly but surely and listen to your knee.
 
One question I have based on PT's recommendation is about ice/time. She said 20 minutes on, 20 off because ice constricts the blood vessels and it can reduce the blood flow to the injured area and slow the healing process. Does anyone agree with this recommendation? I tend to keep it iced for an hour or so
 
Bonesmart recommends icing for 45-60 minutes, just be sure to have a cloth between your skin and the ice, and in the early days more than 4 times a day. It will reduce swelling and is a good pain reliever.

As your swelling lessens you can adjust the times to suit you.

Here are more details
https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/ice-to-control-pain-and-swelling.5493/
 
Hey “almost twin”! So glad to see you doing so well! Thought I’d share my stats with you since I am only one day behind you. I went to PT today...flexion was 105 and extension was 1. I am still using my cane, elevating and icing a LOT. It is very hot and humid here, so outdoor walking is pretty impossible. Any time spent outside leads to quick swelling of the knee, so I am hiding inside in my air conditioned house.

Pain levels are okay, although sleep eludes me. I get a good solid three hours, and then I sleep quite fitfully until finally giving up around 5am. I take extra strength tylenol 1000mg x4 daily...before bed, I take 2mg of hydromorphone to help me get that three hours.

Days are spent toggling between really bad tv shows and scrolling around the internet on my iPad. It gets boring pretty quick, lol. I ventured out to the grocery store with hubby today, simply to get some sort of walking in. No more than 20 minutes...and I got to buy the potato chips I love, lol.

It seems to me that we’re pretty close in our recovery! Anyway, as you know, it’s most definitely not a race. But it’s good to know we’re in the ballpark, right? :flwrysmile:
It is good to know we are in teh same ball park! Pain for me varies, what seems to trigger for me is swelling and inflamation which I know is a sign of over doing. PT yesterday did not seem to be taxing, but this morning my knee is disagreeing so I am icing and elevating. I am not able to tolerate the hydrocodone so I am taking es tylenol with advil at the same time, which is what my surgeon recommended. I worry about my poor liver and kidneys but I am taking as directed. It is hot here too, heat warnings for the next three days. I have found relief in my pool if I just walk and not try to do any exercises but I am afraid it will be too hot to even be out there today. Oh my treat yesterday, had to stop at CVS with my husband after PT yesterday and I actually walked in with my cane but how nice to be out in a store. I could have passed on the Reese's peanut butter cups by I figured I deserved a treat after PT. Take care, your rom sounds good. Sleeping is sporadic for me too. I watch TV and internet scroll all day as well. A couple of days ago I watched a doc on the ecological impact of the tourist trade in Thailand so I think I am running low on entertainment options,.
 
I didn't really time my icing but I know it was at least 30 minutes at a time. I mostly went by feel--once it felt too cold (with the machine) I'd take it off for a bit. I would say I took breaks of about 20 minutes or so. With gel packs it's a very natural cycle, I found, as the pack warms up...
 
103 and perfect extension at 4 weeks is awesome! Just take things slow so your leg can heal and you’ll come along fine.

I agree that ROM can continue to improve 2 years, and more, and I am proof. I can’t believe how much better my whole leg feels at 2+ years post op then it was even a year ago. It has relaxed inside and the bend has improved. Other members report the same thing.

So agree. My ROM got so much better after I stopped PT. I think it is still improving five years out!
 
thank you for the encouragement, I have come to believe that PT does more harm then good. The exception would be PT's advice with my gait. After years of favoring my right side (LTKR) and now having a sore leg, I still favor the right. Something to work on!
 
I agree, the one thing I agree PT was excellent at, was helping me with my gate as well, I didn’t realize how bad it was.
 
@winemama i read your whole thread this morning, so much muscle pain the beginning. Must have been really bad, glad you're over it.
 
Something else to be worried about now! A well-meaning neighbor told my husband that he decided against a TKR because it would cause cancer (leukemia) from the metal leaching into blood. I thought ridiculous but google brought up a study or two as well as a number or articles stating this is a real risk. Too late now, I suppose and given my quality of life before my TKR, not sure I would re-evaluate my decision (although being 4 weeks out I am sore, swollen and sick of this) I know there are those with much more knowledge than I have from a quick google search who could address this.
 
A well-meaning neighbor told my husband that he decided against a TKR because it would cause cancer (leukemia) from the metal leaching into blood. I thought ridiculous but google brought up a study or two as well as a number or articles stating this is a real risk.
I know there are those with much more knowledge than I have from a quick google search who could address this.
Let’s ask @Josephine
 
I googled it too and frankly not worried. I'm sure there are far more serious cancer causing foods, chemicals and behaviors out there, greater cancer risks than the metal in our implants. I can imagine the onslaught of class action lawsuits if there were enough people affected by this particular urban legend. I'm sure by the time it's discussed and dissected (and hopefully disproved) I'll be long gone from something else that's probably preventable or recalled.
 
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I think you're right, everything causes cancer. All I know is that my quality of life was miserable before this TKR (ok, it is still miserable but I am only 4 weeks out) I couldn't even dance at my daugher's wedding and wore sneakers under my gown!
 
I know had I even been aware of this wouldn't have changed anything.

Four weeks out is so early, it'll start getting better by leaps and bounds before you know it. Best wishes for an uneventful recovery, I'll be watching out for your updates.
 
More than once I’ve seen Josephine say, just because something is a risk doesn’t mean it is an eventuality.
 
and was just thinking as I made the salad, if there was any merit wouldn't we have signed disclaimers/disclosures pre surgery. Please don't tell me I did :bawl:
 

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