United StatesHi Folks
I saw the OS on Thursday (10 weeks post operative). He was happy that the wound healed where it crossed the old scars but he wished there was more ROM. On the right it is at 104 (with the PT pushing it a bit) and -7 and on the left it is 110 and -2, before surgery the right was about 93 and -10 and the left was 96 and 0. The right one is still swollen. He said he could do a MUA as in surgery he did get them both closer to 120 (the max. ROM of the prosthesis is 127). The problem could be that with the force needed to do that there is the possibility of breaking the tibia (it had cracked when the TKA went in). We are going to wait 3 months. He told me to get more aggressive with PT.
I am more than willing to get aggressive but not sure what else to do. I have a set of about 10 exercises that I do twice a day, combination of strength, flexion and the old hang off the bed for extension and another extension one of standing against a wall and hold on to a chair and use the left one to push back the right one. I am also using a pedaler 3 or 4 times a day for about 10 minutes. I know people say a bike is great but at PT I need to put the seat way up to get my feet around so that would be a little way off.
I am also not sure if the problem is low level pain making it harder. I stopped the heavy duty pain pill at 4 weeks and the 4 mg Dilaudad (hydromorphone) which I took a couple of times a day by 6 weeks. I take 2 to 4 mg of Dialudad before PT. My knees really don't hurt, the only pain I have is on the outside at the joint line which the OS and PT think is the stretching of the ilotibial band. When my knees feel a little achy I took Tylenol till I was sure the warfarin had cleared and than went back to aspirin which I have always used. After 30 years it does take alot before I feel it. I do get achy if I stand alot. This weekend I was going to have company so I was really cleaning the house and cooking and on my feet for several hours and that did cause some swelling and not real pain just ache. I did use ice. As an experiment I took a pain pill yesterday and this morning I woke up and was not as stiff. I did get stiff after my exercise.
Anyway, any suggestions on exercise would be helpful. I do have a raised heart and will try the lunges that Linda2 suggested.
He said the toe out and the lower leg rotation the podiatrist (who is taking care of the nonunion foot fracture) sees is because it is a rotating platform prosthesis and he was not concerned with them at the moment.
He also said that at 104 the only problems would be going down stair and maybe getting out of the car which he said was not all that bad.
He said he understands the frustrations as he has a right TKA so he does know both sides of the issue.
Thanks for the suggestions.
Simon
I saw the OS on Thursday (10 weeks post operative). He was happy that the wound healed where it crossed the old scars but he wished there was more ROM. On the right it is at 104 (with the PT pushing it a bit) and -7 and on the left it is 110 and -2, before surgery the right was about 93 and -10 and the left was 96 and 0. The right one is still swollen. He said he could do a MUA as in surgery he did get them both closer to 120 (the max. ROM of the prosthesis is 127). The problem could be that with the force needed to do that there is the possibility of breaking the tibia (it had cracked when the TKA went in). We are going to wait 3 months. He told me to get more aggressive with PT.
I am more than willing to get aggressive but not sure what else to do. I have a set of about 10 exercises that I do twice a day, combination of strength, flexion and the old hang off the bed for extension and another extension one of standing against a wall and hold on to a chair and use the left one to push back the right one. I am also using a pedaler 3 or 4 times a day for about 10 minutes. I know people say a bike is great but at PT I need to put the seat way up to get my feet around so that would be a little way off.
I am also not sure if the problem is low level pain making it harder. I stopped the heavy duty pain pill at 4 weeks and the 4 mg Dilaudad (hydromorphone) which I took a couple of times a day by 6 weeks. I take 2 to 4 mg of Dialudad before PT. My knees really don't hurt, the only pain I have is on the outside at the joint line which the OS and PT think is the stretching of the ilotibial band. When my knees feel a little achy I took Tylenol till I was sure the warfarin had cleared and than went back to aspirin which I have always used. After 30 years it does take alot before I feel it. I do get achy if I stand alot. This weekend I was going to have company so I was really cleaning the house and cooking and on my feet for several hours and that did cause some swelling and not real pain just ache. I did use ice. As an experiment I took a pain pill yesterday and this morning I woke up and was not as stiff. I did get stiff after my exercise.
Anyway, any suggestions on exercise would be helpful. I do have a raised heart and will try the lunges that Linda2 suggested.
He said the toe out and the lower leg rotation the podiatrist (who is taking care of the nonunion foot fracture) sees is because it is a rotating platform prosthesis and he was not concerned with them at the moment.
He also said that at 104 the only problems would be going down stair and maybe getting out of the car which he said was not all that bad.
He said he understands the frustrations as he has a right TKA so he does know both sides of the issue.
Thanks for the suggestions.
Simon
