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MUA 10 weeks out and low ROM<

Thanks all. RTKR Two weeks ago today.

It seems like the surgical leg has that bend to it that keeps me from wanting to put much weight on it. So when I walk with my walker, the surgical leg won't go straight enough for it to really take any weight. I don't know if this makes any sense or not.

I am up several times a day and eating sitting up and moving around the house, all with the walker but still not much weight on the leg unfortunately. Don't think I'll have to start therapy for another week and a half or so don't get my stitches out for another week and a half and it's up to me to set up my first therapy appointment. So I'll deal with that when it comes.

Not doing much as far as exercises doing some gentle heel slides and trying to lay with the leg completely flat to get my knee down against the bed as much as I can or until the pain starts.

Still on pain meds every 4 hrs. Thinking about trying for every 6 hours this weekend.

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rtkneeandy said:
Still on pain meds every 4 hrs. Thinking about trying for every 6 hours this weekend.
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rtkneeandy, please don't do this. At only two weeks you may have to take pain meds for a few more weeks yet. Reduce the frequency and your pain levels will go UP thus making it even more difficult to improve your ROM.

In your answers (post #11) you told me that your pain score was 6-7 and your flexion was only 55. I also suggested that your pain meds weren't suiting you but haven't seen any comment since that you've tried to do anything about this.
 
@rtkneeandy, it's unnecessary to quote a post just to make a reply or anew post. Just scoot on down to the bottom of the page and start typing! Unless there is some specific phrase you want to address, of course - like I just did! Then do it like this How to quote a post.

Thanks for understanding! :)
 
Josephine said:
@rtkneeandy, it's unnecessary to quote a post just to make a reply or anew post. Just scoot on down to the bottom of the page and start typing! Unless there is some specific phrase you want to address, of course - like I just did! Then do it like this How to quote a post.

Thanks for understanding! :)
Click to expand...
The pain is much better now and I am on hydrocodone/ acetaminophen 5 - 325 two pills every 6 hours. The pain only gets up to about a three and that's after I've been up walking a few minutes when I'm laying down I can get the pain to go down to zero. Overall things are much better getting up several times a day up to 10 to 15 minutes eating dinner at the table with my foot up. My only concern now is that I'm not putting very much weight on my operative leg using a walker and because of leg won't go very straight I'm getting a terrible gate and can't fully load my weight on it. Going back to surgeon next Monday to get staples out. Have not scheduled my other PT at home PT was over last week will talk to the doctor about scheduling PT next Monday I guess and stick to the bonesmart mantura of slow and easy. Again thank you all for your help and support. I have to read this forum several times a day to keep myself on the right track

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rtkrneedy, you actually quoted my post asking you not to quote! Did you actually read it????
 
Your gait will improve over time. Are you not putting full weight on your operated leg because you think you shouldn't? Because your new knee is strong...
 
I couldn't wait to try out my new knee. In the hospital, the same day as my surgery, PT came and got me and I asked her to hold on to me, that I was going to put all my weight on my new knee. I did it, and it held me with no problem! It felt so good emotionally. I knew it would be OK!
 
Yes I did actually read it... I'm using taptalk on my phone now and I did it incorrectly. Hopefully this post will come out correct. Not full weight on new knee because it is generally sore and unsteady.

Sistersinhim, today every time I'm up I'll go for more confidence in the new knee. Thank you.


Anyone have stories about getting staples out? Looks like it will take about an hour given how many are there. I think I'm looking forward to next Monday, kind of a milestone I guess plus's showers afterward.

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I was concerned about having staples out. I'm not sure why given what else they did to knee. It was nothing. The nurse was very gentle. I don't know what I was worrying about. I also have lots in there. It certainly felt a relief when they were out.
 
My staples were in over 3 weeks and the skin had started to go over them. I took an Oxy before hand, but 34 out of 35 hurt and many bled. But, once they were out my knee felt so much better when moving it. All that pulling from the staples was gone!
 
I had glue on the surface but was with my mom when hers came out. She had 37 and it just took a few minutes. She didn’t relax her leg and first and had some pain, but once she relaxed the remainder were okay.
 
My OS and PT both told me I couldn't hurt my new knee. I think that was true for me - but I also think I sometimes aggravated soft tissue by twisting or turning at an angle. My OS's philosophy was to get his patients up and walking with a walker the day of or the day after surgery - and we all went home that day after. He believes that natural weight bearing movement (ie: walking) is the best thing you can do - but you need to do short walks to the kitchen or the bathroom and then ice and elevate again. I hope you can manage to put your weight on that new knee - it wants you to and will reward you if you do.
 
Thanks phrog, I'll attempt more weight on that leg again today still seems like I may be holding back too much, it could be that I'm just a bigger sissy than most to.

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Try standing at your sink, try to get the leg as straight as you can, then try and put a little more weight on it??? I remember feeling like it would collapse. I also remember asking Pt if that could happen and she kinda said it could if it wasn't straight enough or strong enough - but she wasn't meaning my prosthetic. She meant, my leg as a whole. I bet your leg is stronger than you're giving it credit so you might experiment with trying to put a little more weight on it at the sink which is a steady sturdy support and not the walker. The actual prosthetic is very strong (much stronger than my old arthritic knee on my other leg!). You might want to write down some questions for the office visit on Monday. Have you picked out a place for PT? Keep doing those gentle heel slides as movement will loosen the stiffness. Keep icing and elevating too. :) It's great that you have much less pain than you did just a week ago.
 
My OS also thinks walking is the best way to rehab a TKR. I was up on my new knees within hours of surgery and was walking in the hospital hallway the second day. It was scary to get up on them --what if they didn't hold me? What if they didn't work?-- but they were up to the job. The implants are very strong.

You've gotten good ideas for how to ease into using your knee. Once you develop confidence in your knee, you will find ways to put it to work. Short walks are great. To the bathroom. To the kitchen. Around the house. Eventually you will walk outside. And go up and down stairs. Walking and doing stairs does as much as, and more than, PT to build up your leg strength and ease your muscles back into shape.
 
Jaschembra, yes I did go to some pre-op therapy visits because "I was interviewing therapists" I have not made an appointment yet as my staples will be out this Monday and I was going to talk to the doctor about when to start the therapy. Part of me doesn't even want to go, I'm afraid the doctor's office is not going to agree with that. I guess I'll know more after this coming Monday thanks so much for your input.

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Concerning PT, I was lucky.
My surgeon doesn't allow any PT at all for the first month after a knee replacement. He says your knee needs that time, to start on its journey of healing. For that month, we rest, ice and elevate our leg, and walk around the house.
After that month, we just go to PT once every 2 weeks, where we are shown a few new exercises to do at home.
His patients all do well and achieve good ROM, as I did, and he hasn't had to do a manipulation to help with ROM for the past 4 years. I think that speaks for itself.

I followed his regime the first time but for my last TKR I didn't go to PT at all. I just let my ADLs (Activities of Daily Living) be my exercise. Both my knees are strong and reliable, with good ROM.
 
That is amazing, I remember reading this several times in the posts. It will be interesting to see what my OS says regarding PT.

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I wouldn't bother! He's likely to be sceptical in the extreme! I never told my therapist or my surgeon or his nurse that I wan't doing exercises. Until he was happy with my ROM, THEN I told him and just loved the expression on his face!
 
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