TKR How long till I feel better and normal after TKR?

Are you working? How long do you keep your leg down? That can add to swelling and stiffness.
 
Are you working? How long do you keep your leg down? That can add to swelling and stiffness.
I am working 2 days part time 4 hrs Tuesday and Thursday, I do PT on Mondays and fridays, my swelling seems to be doing quite well. Its just the stiffness.
 
Going into 6th week post op and my ROM is stuck at 110 bend, no matter how much stretching i do I cant get it past 110 and my extension is -2,
You would not believe how many of us would want these numbers at 6 weeks! Your numbers are great! I can't imagine how good they'll be in a year. As your swelling goes down those numbers will improve even more. Don't be discouraged you are doing quite well.
Thank you for the encouragement, patience is not one of my strong points, I just want to get back to some normalcy
 
my swelling seems to be doing quite well. It's just the stiffness.
Even though you don't see outside swelling you are still swollen on the inside. That knee capsule is a tiny area in there and just a small amount of fluid would hinder movement. That's why your knee feels stiff.
 
What are you doing in PT @Bosoxjc3? I think you are probably doing way more than your brand new knee is happy with and the swelling you can't see is what's inhibiting your ROM. My ROM has continued to improve during my second year since TKR. There is no way to rush this recovery, you've just barley begun a recovery that can easily take 12-18 months. Don't buy into the "Window of ROM", my OS said when the scar turned silver I wouldn't get any more ROM. I gained LOTS since then.
 
Going into 6th week post op and my ROM is stuck at 110 bend, no matter how much stretching i do I cant get it past 110 and my extension is -2,
You would not believe how many of us would want these numbers at 6 weeks! Your numbers are great! I can't imagine how good they'll be in a year. As your swelling goes down those numbers will improve even more. Don't be discouraged you are doing quite well.
Thank you for the encouragement, patience is not one of my strong points, I just want to get back to some normalcy
7 months post op and I'm still looking for some normalcy!!! :hairpulling: :heehee:
 
Went to PT today, got my bend to 118, with some pushing got my extension to 0, Pt says I need to do some more stretching and strengthening
 
118 is great for your stage. It's ok to do some exercises, but listen to the knee. My PT said you shouldn't be sore for more than an hour after doing your exercises. If you are, then you've done too much and should do less the next day. And remember to ice after exercising.
 
Went to PT with some pushing got my extension to 0
:yikes: You don't need to let PT force your knee @Bosoxjc3, they aren't going to get any more ROM than your knee already has, the ROM is just hiding behind swelling that forcing your knee is going to make worse.
 
Went to PT with some pushing got my extension to 0
:yikes: You don't need to let PT force your knee @Bosoxjc3, they aren't going to get any more ROM than your knee already has, the ROM is just hiding behind swelling that forcing your knee is going to make worse.
I was very uncomfortable with the pushing yesterday, why do you suppose they do that???
 
118 is great for your stage. It's ok to do some exercises, but listen to the knee. My PT said you shouldn't be sore for more than an hour after doing your exercises. If you are, then you've done too much and should do less the next day. And remember to ice after exercising.
Thank you, definitely had some swelling last night after PT, I am taking today off, going to ice and elevate
 
Can I ask, what does anyone do to get comfortable at night for sleeping?? I can lay on my side now with a pillow between my legs but I seem to quickly get sore from being in one position for to long.
 
Unfortunately that will be the case for a while. Just change positions as you need to. It should start getting better bit by bit though.
 
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I was very uncomfortable with the pushing yesterday, why do you suppose they do that???
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I hesitate to even answer that question @Bosoxjc3, because I don't think I could do it without saying something I don't want preserved electronically! But no matter what you don't have to let them do that to you. When I had (although I didn't know it yet) torn my meniscus and the piece was trapped behind my kneecap and I couldn't straighten my knee, the ER doctor grabbed my leg and tried to straighten it. I screamed and kicked him in the head with my good leg! I left immediately and waited until the next day when my primary got me right into an Ortho specialist the same day. I would treat a PT the same way if he pushed on my new knee.
 
I am having trouble getting the extension, does anyone have any recommendations for stretching and exercising that will get me to zero on the extension
 
This whole recovery takes time, and you are still in early weeks in this year long process. As you heal and your swelling reduces, your ROM, both bend and extension, will return by default.

Walking, especially concentrating on heel to toe steps, is good to encourage extension. Just don’t overdo the walking.

If you want to do exercises, these are the only ones you need:
Extension: how to estimate it and ways to improve it
Heel slides and how to do them properly
 
My extension was much slower coming in than my bend. To aid my extension I walked with a longer than normal stride, heel to toe. It took a while, but it came in just fine. Yours will, too. It just takes time and you have plenty of that!
 
My extension continued to improve through my second year @Bosoxjc3, with just daily activities of life and I'm now in negative numbers for extension. Those muscles and tendons in the back of the leg are pretty beefy and take longer to stretch out. I know in my case my gait was so bad before surgery that everything had tightened up around the joint so there was a lot of stretching to do.
 
My muscles are so wicked tight, I try and stretch but it doesn't seem to help
 

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