2 weeks post PKR

[gayle]

Hi all,
I am so glad to find this site that is not all doom and gloom!! Does anyone on here have any advice/stories about cycling and rehab, as cycling was the only thing that kept me going for so long as I was told about a knee replacement when 18 but made it to 30 before I needed it. Had a PKR as my surgeon felt I was too young for a total and the inner side of my knee was worse, I also have OA in the other knee and a deformity so am hoping to buy another ten years at least!! Can anyone share their rehab from a road cycling/mountain biking point of view?? thanks

 

[Josephine]

There are several cyclists and hikers here so you should have some personal experiences offered pretty soon, Gayle. Welcome to BoneSmart.

 

[gayle]

thanks josephine, I am a nurse by trade of the medical variety so this is a completely new experience!!! The website is very impressive!

 

[Gretchendz]

Hi Gayle--welcome.

I'm not exactly an expert cyclist or anything, but I can tell you that my PT has encouraged LOTS of stationary biking in my recovery on both knees. It's good because it both works to improve your flexing and, of course, stamina/cardiovascular.


I do recall several old posts where some were able to successfully return to cycling.

 

[JudyS]

Gayle
I have had a hip replacement so cannot speak of the knee, yet!!!
If you have time to search on our wonderful forum, there are bike threads and some as Josephine has stated that are bikers.
From what I have read, it is an awesome rehab exercise.
I am a mountain trail runner turned into a hiker. I am considering trying a mountain bike. that is my husband's preferred sport.

Good Luck on your recovery
Judy

 

[gayle]

I gave up running about 12 years ago as my knee kept dislocating ouch!! Starting mtb ing bout four years ago and its addictive, I guess you will be very adaptable to it as you will know the best trails already

 

[JudyS]

Gayle

Does your mountain bike have a lot of suspension on it? What I worry about is my degenerating spine!!! I may try one out on a fire road this weekend.
Judy

 

[Doug]

Gayle, I'm 11 months post TKR. I started with the stationary bike the week I got home. My initial goal was to just complete one revolution of the peddles. All I could do was rock it back and forth until it finally went all the way around. Then I set a goal to get three minutes. It came.
One workout I would recommend is to stat out with the seat very high. Every three to five mins. (or choose your time), just lower it a setting and eventually go as low as you can...This really hits your ROM well.
Make sure and elevate and ice when you get home.

 

[gayle]

thats brilliant doug, I do have my seatpost very high as invested some mney in a measurement session abut a year ago, which was well worth it...
Judy - I have spinal OA too, I think full suspension is dependent on the type of riding and weather, if I ride locally it isn't to dusty and smaller so use a hardtail (not sure what yu call it in the US but withut suspension at the back) or sometimes rigid forks. If I go to the big trails like in Wales which are big and rocky with lnd descents and climbs then I use the full suspensin for my back. One tip: There is a great backpack called the wingnut which sits lower on your back than the camelback brand and significantly reduced my back pain riding https://www.wingnutgear.com/

 

[gayle]

Anyhow onto my physio yesterday very disappointed, I can only bend to 35 degrees I explained that to the physio that even during exercises there seems to be no improvement.... So I am going to 3 session of CPM to try to improve, he said I should be able to sit at the end of a couch and dangle my leg and straight leg lift which I can't!! Am starting to worry a bit now :(

 

[Linda2]

My favorite thing to help get more rom at the early stages was to do a lunge--ok, it was more like a mini-lurch at that stage. I would put my operated leg up on stool, step, the raised hearth, and lean into the bend and hold it. I would do 5-10 reps and did it many times throughout the day. It seemed to help loosen things up. I also stayed on the cpm for hours. I would go at a setting for awhile, then increase the bend by a few degrees, sometimes only one degree, and then go with that for awhile. When I would get to all I could tolerate, I would increase the pause at highest flexion ( I never had trouble with extension--started out at ). Then the next time I went on the machine, I would lower the flexion to half of the gain from the last session and start working my way up again. For example, if I started the session at 70 and ended at 80, I would try to start the next at 75. Hope this helps, and I will continue to send positive thoughts your way.

 

[gloucesterman]

Hi Gayle, I am a former road racer and my daughter is dating one of the top racers in the country right now. On to your situation, I had a PKR and it failed then had a TKR and am presently riding my Medici Pro Starda indoors on a training device. With the lack of ROM that you currently have it is going to be difficult to get anywhere with your bike. You are VERY EARLY from your surgery so try not to be disappointed. You have a long road ahead and will definitely have to increase the ROM first. The cycling will come later IMO. I have a complete set of tools and many sets of gears so I suggest once you have better ROM you will have to spin light gears, raise your saddle and adjust your bike to be comfortable to your present situation. Whatever you do be very careful regarding your PT and the area under the tibial implant. If you feel pain there be careful!!!!!
Gloucesterman

 

[gayle]

cheers thats fab gloucesterman, had the CPM today for the first time at physio did an hour at 35 they are going to increase it on Tues, wish I had one at home! But my knee is very swollen and more painful than usual this evening, had to take more oromorph which is unusual... This perhaps could be due to the fact it was icy today and I slipped coming out of the bus and luckily I fell into the arms of a work colleague at the hospital lucky huh!!

 

[SportHog]

Hi Gayle.
I believe the exercise bike was one of the most beneficial tools in my recovery. As others have said, I could only rock the pedals at a high seat height for awhile but eventually could make it around (forward and backward) and then reduced the seat height. My PT did not believe in inflicting pain and used a number of approaches including muscle stimulation, ultrasound, magnetics, Acupuncture, heat and massage. Although my RTKR was a bit slow in responding, it did improve with time and a manipulation while I was under for my LTKR. Hang in there!!
Cheers, Ross

 

[gayle]

Cheers Ross its nice to have some support out there! My weekend has not been good it feels like my leg has gone backwards to what it was when discharged and has swollen up again am icing it etc, will see what physio has to say on Tues...

 

[edk]

What I would frequently do is use the computer for pushing my ROM. I would
sit at the keyboard, put my foot on the floor and slide my chair in until my knee
bent to where I couldn't stand it anymore. Then I'd do some computer work until
I just had to straighten my leg. After a brief rest I'd do it again....

Another use for Bonesmart

 

[Josephine]

LOL! I like that!

 

[gayle]

hi all well up to 50 degrees on the CPM now, but knee very stiff and still can't lift leg, but walking a lot, just changed to MST (slow release morphine) to try to sort the pain out.. then possibly hydrotherapy in the new year, I hope everyone has lovely xmas too!!!

 

[gayle]

yahoo up to 60 today and can lift my leg up a bit now, will await the post xmas PT tomorrow

 

[Pa guy]

Great to see you are making good progress,it takes time, patients, and persistence with out over doing it,keep it up!
My PT had me push my self just to the point of pain then a just little beyond.
After reading your posts i was a bit surprised that they did not have you on the CPM the day of or day after the surgery.
My surgery was early in the AM, and by mid evening they had me on the CPM along with doing some occupational therapy to learn how to get into and out of bed, use the crutches properly, getting into and out of a chair, along with getting on and off a toilet.
The following day they had me doing the CPM 3 times a day along with PT 2X a day until i was released.
At home i used the CPM several times a day for about a month along with PT 4X a week for about 3 months, not to mention home workouts as well.
The stationary bike was the toughest to get going but most rewarding once you do, i truly feel i regained most of my strength from the bike and the resistance bands.