TKR 12 days in

[Garynewson65]

Hi. I'm now 12 days post op on a tkr of my left knee. I have a ROM of 80% which I didn't think was great considering when I left hospital 8 days ago it was 75%. Having said that I walk, albeit slowly, with 2 sticks, pretty good and can weight bare. Still feels very tight and still swollen. Ice is my new best friend but God it throbs between icing. Still waiting for PT sessions although I do my leg slides and leg raises 4 times a day. I do stop when it hurts. I know people recover at different rates but am I your average patient.

 

[Jockette]

Hi and Welcome!

Be very gentle with your leg slides and leg raises. Just do a few at a time.


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

​

the BoneSmart view on exercise​

BoneSmart philosophy for sensible post op therapy​

5. At week 4 and after you should follow this

Activity progression for TKRs​

6. Access to these pages on the website

​

Oral And Intravenous Pain Medications​

Wound Closure​

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.

 

[Roy Gardiner]

I do stop when it hurts

Good man, that's the way to do it.

 

[Celle]

Hello @Garynewson65 - and

Please will you tell us the full date of your knee replacement, so we can make a signature for you? Knowing the exact date will help us to advise you appropriately in the future.
Thank you.

 

[Garynewson65]

6th March 2020 was my op date and thanks

 

[Celle]

Thank you for your surgery date.
I've made a signature for you and added your name to the March Musketeers monthly surgery thread.

 

[Joy1]

You can look online and do some PT on your own instead of waiting for them to come. Don't overdo it but the more you move the better it will be for your new knee. I had my left done 2/25 and have been at 105 and not improved but keep trying everyday. My last knee was not even close to 105 at 3 weeks so do not be discourged. Do what you can and there is not reason ice cannot be your new best friend.

 

[eliza61nyc]

Every body heals so differently, heck my right knee is going totally different from my left, go figure.
You're doing fine. Don't worry about numbers. Work on pain management and reducing swelling

 

[Garynewson65]

Hi I am now into my 5th week after left tkr. After week 3 I was able to get 90 degrees whilst sat on a chair and raise my leg off the floor whilst lying down. I complete my exercises 3 times a day and only do what I can. If it hurts I stop however the other day i went for a 20 min walk on one stick and pushed myself a little more on the bending of the knee. The last 2 days I cannot get to 90 degrees and have really bad pain on the top of the knee when trying to do leg raises. I feel I have gone back a couple of weeks. Is this normal or have I done to much although sleep is much better and the leg just aches a little when not exercising. Tks

 

[Tykey]

Hi Gary.
Yes, you've done too much. Try to exchange your enthusiasm for patience.
Many, many, many of us make the same mistake. Just rest and do a few GENTLE exercises whilst it recovers. Then just try again, but doing much less, then if your knee copes, try a bit more.
Everything sounds normal, so relax and enjoy the beautiful weather we are having today in the UK. But maybe the sun is only shining on Yorkshire

 

[Garynewson65]

Tks and yes I am impatient. I was always active and just feel like I'm not getting anywhere although I know I am just slowly. I'm in Aberdeen although from Middlesbrough and the sun only comes out up here on a Thursday, every other month.

 

[sistersinhim]

You'll notice that I have merged your two threads together as we prefer that members in recovery only have one thread.

This is for three reasons:
1. if you keep starting new threads, you miss the posts others have left you in the old threads
2. it often ends up that information is unnecessarily repeated
3. it's best if we can keep all your recovery story in one place so it's easily accessed if we need to advise you.

Please keep all your questions and updates on this thread. If you would like a new thread title just post what you would like it to be and we'll change it for you

 

[sistersinhim]

Everyone of us had to fight with that patience thing. It's a really hard part of this recovery.

 

[steverup]

Hey Gary, I was two days before you (3-4) same knee.. I’ve got ROM 130-0 and I did virtually no PT because Washington closed down before most. I do think you might be over doing it.. if it’s ‘tight‘ after exercising that’s swelling. Back off and let yourself heal at your rate. I had a video conference yesterday with my doc (who is very pro PT) and he was shocked how much ROM I have without it. After 2-3 months I’ll start strength training but still won’t be pushing it. Hang in there buddy!

 

[Garynewson65]

After 6 weeks I felt I had come on a lot. Sticks have gone and although I have a bad limp I am steady on my feet. No pain in the front of the knee and swelling has gone down a bit. Sleep is also better.......... however last 5 days I seem to of hit a brick wall. Stuck at 90 degree ROM, can't straighten the leg and now have pain in the back of the knee when I walk also because of the way I am walking I get pain in the ankle and foot. Anybody else gone through this. Due to COVID 19 I have had no PT. Just a few stretches and exercises daily.

 

[sistersinhim]

90 degrees is normally what OSs expect at 6 weeks, so you are doing just fine. Sleeping better is really good, too.

Try icing the back of your knee along with the front of it. I had to do that for a few weeks and it did help. Are you trying to work your knee too much? Those back leg tendons and muscles are really large and will take time to stretch out. Don't push it cause it won't help and will probably cause more pain.

 

[Garynewson65]

Tks. I take a 20 min walk each day and a few exercises. Not much, few leg raises and ankle slids. Rest of the day I'm sat on settle with leg elevated as working from home. Think most of my problems are the fact I cant straighten the leg. I can get a fist under my knee when sat straight legged on the floor.

 

[Jockette]

Your leg will straighten as you heal. You are still in the early part of this year long recovery. Try not to worry, it will come along fine.

 

[Garynewson65]

Hi. Originally had LTKR in March 2020. Unfortunately lockdown hit and no physio however always felt something wasn't right. 2 1/2 years later with ROM of only 90, plenty of clunking and the knee constantly swollen I went private through work and the Xray/ MRI scan proved I was right. Had a revision TKR 27th Oct and now 6 1/2 weeks in. Knee feels good, even stronger than before I went in and already have 90 ROM although straightening is not to good however because the knee feels good I think I maybe over doing it as if I take a 20 min walk the knee swells and I ache everywhere like I'm coming down with flu. Still on Dihydrocodine at night only as its the only thing that helps me sleep.

 

[benne68]

Hi @Garynewson65 and welcome back!

It's good to hear that your revision surgery went well and that your knee is feeling good. Just remember that, at 6 1/2 weeks, you are still early days into this year-long recovery. It your knee is swelling after a 20-minute walk, it is telling you that it's not ready for that much exercise. You should still be icing and elevating regularly.

Although you've been down this road before, I will share our BoneSmart Recovery Guideline with you as a reminder. Each article is short but very informative. Following these guidelines will help you have a less painful recovery.

Just keep in mind we are all different, as are the approaches to this recovery and rehab. The key is, “Find what works for you.“ Your doctors, PTs and BoneSmart are available to help, but you are the final judge as to the recovery approach you choose.

KNEE RECOVERY 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.

If you want to use something to assist with healing and scar management, BoneSmart recommends hypochlorous solution. Members in the US can purchase ACTIVE Antimicrobial Hydrogel through BoneSmart at a discount. Similar products should be available in the UK and other countries.

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
the BoneSmart view on exercise
BoneSmart philosophy for sensible post op therapy
5. At week 4 and after you should follow this
Activity progression for TKRs
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 a 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 history before providing advice.