TKR 12 Months since my TKR.

[sistersinhim]

I'm wondering if I can aggravate the knee by using it too much too soon.

Of course you can. Your knee is still trying to knit together all those cut soft tissues. If you do too much too soon, those healing tissues are traumatized, then swell and hurt. Swelling is what causes the stiffness.

 

[Celle]

My knee is so stiff in the mornings and after sat a while, I do believe this is normal but I'm wondering if I can aggravate the knee by using it too much too soon.

You bet you can!
What's more, you can actually slow down your progress if you overdo things too often.

Listen to your family. It's too soon for the gym.
Please re-read this article, to see what level of activity you should be doing:
Activity progression for TKRs

 

[denn]

In recent days I have noticed more dull pain than at any other time since my TKR. I'm struggling to bend the knee more than 60% and struggle to keep the leg straight. I'm spending quite a lot of time sat in a chair and not with my leg elevated. I did sit on a sofa with pillows to keep the leg elevated and ice on my knee. I did this for about three hours Friday and since then I have encountered these problems.

Maybe I need to exercise more or keep bending it and straightening it.

Kind regards Denn

 

[Babushelen]

Hi @denn I find that walking and riding stationary bike for a few minutes each day helps a lot with mobility of the knee. Doing these in conjunction with your ADL, icing and elevating intermittently also helps. If I over do it, my knee will let me know (pain and swelling). In that case I ice and elevate but also keep it moving by walking around the house and using the bike. Any exercise should be gentle movements and stretching.

That has worked for me. I’m 10 weeks post op and can see improvements.

 

[Jockette]

I'm struggling to bend the knee more than 60% and struggle to keep the leg straight. I'm spending quite a lot of time sat in a chair and not with my leg elevated.

Struggling to do these things is upsetting your knee. We shouldn’t struggle but try to relax and let the knee do what it can, when it can. It will improve with time as it heals.

Sitting with your feet on the floor can be very uncomfortable for a long time. Sometimes any elevation, even just several inches, if that’s all available, can be helpful. I often would prop my foot up on my cane and that helped, if that’s all I had.

You are still very early in recovery that takes a full year to complete. Listen to your knee and let it decide what it wants to do, then go along with it.

 

[denn]

Hi all. I have another problem to mention.

These white socks which they told me to wear for 6 weeks are so tight on me, they have made the bottom of my shins sore. There are two marks that have been giving me a lot of problems, I had to remove both stockings a few nights ago because they were digging into me. Both marks have been bleeding and now scabbed over. Last night the socks were red where the marks are, again, I had to remove them. My wife has to put them on each time they are removed and even she tells me I am putting up with a lot by wearing them as they are so tight. Even the tops of my legs are aching.

I'm now having to keep them off as they have now made a mark further up my leg. I knew this part was sore but the sore is behind my calf and again has been bleeding.

The Hospital told me I had to wear them for six weeks, it's not even five weeks since my op and I can no longer tolerate them.
What do you people think about these socks?

Kind regards Denn.

 

[sistersinhim]

I never wore them and don't think I could stand them. I have read that as long as you're walking around some, that you don't need them.

 

[kneeper]

In recent days I have noticed more dull pain than at any other time since my TKR. I'm struggling to bend the knee more than 60% and struggle to keep the leg straight. I'm spending quite a lot of time sat in a chair and not with my leg elevated.

There's your answer. Sitting with your leg down will make it swell.

 

[kneeper]

If those TEDS hose are cutting into your leg like that don't wear them. If you're up and walking you may not need them any more but you could always call the OS nurse to double check--and get the correct size.

 

[Celle]

I had to remove both stockings a few nights ago because they were digging into me. Both marks have been bleeding and now scabbed over. Last night the socks were red where the marks are, again, I had to remove them. My wife has to put them on each time they are removed and even she tells me I am putting up with a lot by wearing them as they are so tight. Even the tops of my legs are aching.

It sounds as if those socks are doing much more harm than good. Anything that causes that much damage to your skin has to be a bad thing.

Keep them off and don't let your wife put them back on.

It's not proven anyway that they actually prevent you from getting a deep vein thrombosis
TEDs Negative Research: Lancet 27th May 2009
Now you're up and about a lot more, the chances of developing a DVT have decreased anyway.

My TEDS were also too tight and I felt they were contributing to increasing the swelling in my knee.
I took them off after only a week. Even though the hospital said to wear them for 6 weeks, my surgeon didn't care.

The Hospital told me I had to wear them for six weeks, it's not even five weeks since my op and I can no longer tolerate them.
What do you people think about these socks?

I hated them and I'm not convinced they did any good anyway.

If the hospital wanted you to wear them for 6 weeks, then they should have made sure you were given the correct size and not ones that are too small and cause all that damage to your skin. Take photos of the damage the TEDs have caused, and show your surgeon next time you see him/her.

Keep all those breaks in your skin clean and dry until they heal over.

 

[SusieShoes]

I would talk to the surgeon or your regular doctor and tell them what the socks are doing. They're not supposed to cause damage to your skin or leg. It sounds like they're too tight. You would be better off not wearing them. Now that you are up on your feet and walking more, they probably are not necessary.

 

[denn]

Thank you for all your kind relies.
I contacted the Hospital who put me through to the ward where I explained my dilemma regarding the socks. The senior nurse told me as long as I'd wore them for the month she was happy for me to take them off. She told me I should have contacted them regarding the situation, I never thought.

I have also noticed my big toe on my other foot has got a mark near the end, it's like a purple bruise but as precaution I have made an appointment with my local GP.

 

[sistersinhim]

It's always better to be safe than sorry. I'm so glad you're out of those TEDS!

 

[SherrieT]

@denn That was horrible about those darn socks. I never could find any that I could put on so I said to heck with them. I was taking my anti-coagulates and a lot of walking, up and down stairs and such and finally gave up on them.
Sitting in a regular chair, with my feet on the floor, for any longer than a few minutes ends up hurting so much. We had some company the other day and I sat on the couch for a long time and boy!! I had the hardest time getting legs back to normal.
Take it easy !!

 

[denn]

Visited my practitioners after phoning for an appointment. There are four GPs in the practice and I ended up seeing the one I cannot stomach. He's the one I mentioned in my previous thread "Stubborn GP". He was totally against my TKR and did his best to put me off.

I went in my shorts and trainer shoes so he can easily look at the wounds at the base of my shins and to diagnose the now purple looking big toe. He gave me a stern telling off for not wearing socks and warmer clothing.
He asked me about the TKR, I answered "It seems to have gone well" he then told me I wasn't out of the woodwork yet.

He then diagnosed my toe as "Chilblains". He did an ultra scan and mentioned I had a weak pulse in my foot on my operated leg. I also have poor circulation on my other foot.
I now have to wear two pairs of socks and keep footwear on all the time until bed time where I will have to keep the socks on. If the chilblains don't go any better I must return next week. My feet have been cold for quite a while now.

Kind regards Denn.

 

[Celle]

Well, it does make sense to wear socks if your feet feel cold.
Once you removed the TEDS, you could have used ordinary socks.

I'm of an age when I need to wear bed socks, except during a heat wave!

 

[mlwreader]

If I go to bed in socks I always take them off at some point during the night.

 

[denn]

I have been experiencing this cold foot and toes syndrome for a while. When I get into bed my wife always complains that my feet are cold, in fact I'm cold most the time. Since the op I seem to have got colder.

I shall have to wear a pair of warm socks tonight.

Denn

 

[SusieShoes]

I too have cold feet except in hottest summer, and I wear socks to bed. My favorite pairs come from New Zealand and are loose and warm. You’ll learn much about socks and will develop your own favorites. Check out diabetic socks: they’re not tight and very comfy.

 

[Beckadeez]

What is “Chilblains”? I have never heard of that.

I wear socks all day and all night. I’m more comfortable that way.

I hope you can get things sorted out and start feeling better.