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Revision TKR 2TKR not good

Your ROM (which is both flexion and extension) is very good for 6 weeks!

It really doesn’t overly matter what medication you take, the stiffness/tightness is normal and will last a while. Healing is what will lessen it the most.

Tightness is a normal occurrence after this kind of major surgery. Your surgeon did major carpentry work and disturbed every millimeter of soft tissue in this area. You aren't tight because your muscle is underused and needs to be stretched and rehabbed. You're tight because your tissue is healing...and full healing takes a full year or more.

bonesmart.org

Tight Band feeling across the front of my knee

That tight band is caused by scar tissue but not the adhesions type of scar tissue. When the surgeon opens up the knee, he has to undercut the skin and superficial structures from that centre line to each side of the knee in order to get good access all round the bones. Part of the healing...
bonesmart.org bonesmart.org
 
Appreciate the feedback
Patience is not my virtue
But learning
 
@Ref1 - As others have said, tightness is normal at your stage of recovery. Neither Tylenol nor Ibuprofen will take it away.

Stick with the Tylenol, as there are dangers in taking Ibuprofen. It can slow down healing, increase your tendency to bleeds (specially from your stomach) and help to cause heart problems.
NSAIDs Diclofenac. ibuprofen increase risk of heart problems: new study

By the way, you'll notice that I have merged your two threads together as it's best if members in recovery only have one thread.
This is because:
  • That way, you have all your information in one place. This makes it easier for others to go back and review your history before providing advice.
  • If you start new threads, you miss the posts and advice others have left for you in the old threads, and some information may be unnecessarily repeated
  • Having only one thread will act as a diary of your progress that you can look back on.

Please keep all your questions and updates on this thread. We won't miss your new question as, between us, the staff read all new posts each day.

If you need an urgent response to a question, tag a member of staff.
Tagging other members and answering tags

If you prefer a different thread title, just post what you want and we'll get it changed for you.

Here are the instructions on finding your thread, How can I find my threads and posts?

A helpful hint - Many members have found it useful to bookmark their thread so they don't lose it.

Best wishes,
Celle
 
Slept in bed first time in 8 weeke

Pain is subsiding that is great
Stiffness still prevalent
Hopefully this will subside as I continue to do PT and stretching
 
Update April 5,2021
Week 9
Doing PT, walking, riding a stationary bike,
ROM still 110%
extension 4%
assisted ROM 118%
Assisted Extension 0%
still have stiffness
Should I be worrying
Should the stiffness be subsiding
Just looking for something
I am worried
 
I am 6 weeks out. I started taking advil and tylenol a couple days ago. Big difference in joint stiffness!
I also just took an advil PM, as I am still struggling to sleep the whole night through!
I would be happy with 6 hours of sleep, right now I am still waking every 2-3 hours.
I am off pain meds.
 
Advil and Tylenol together or you switched them up?
9 weeks out and the stiffness
 
Stiffness is very common at 9 weeks post op, and can last for months. It is a normal occurrence after this kind of major surgery. Your surgeon did major carpentry work and disturbed every millimeter of soft tissue in this area. You aren't tight because your muscle is underused and needs to be stretched and rehabbed. You're tight because your tissue is healing...and full healing takes a full year or more.

Advil is an NSAID and you should be very careful if you choose to take it, as it can cause problems for some people.

I alternated Tylenol extra strength, 1000 mg every 6 hours, and ibuprofen, also every 6 hours, but I staggered them so that I was taking something every 3 hours. For example, Tylenol at 9am, ibuprofen at noon, Tylenol at 3pm, ibuprofen at 6pm, etc. Always stay within the safe 24 hour dosage of any medication you take.
 
I don’t know how much difference these medications will make, they may just take the edge off the discomfort. In spite of my taking them, my recovery was slower than most.

This is a long recovery, an average of 52 weeks, and you are 9. Try really hard to be patient, because you really can’t speed it up.
 
Again thank you for the positive comments. TKR is much tougher than my hip replacement.

Will continue to give update on my recovery road
and maybe at 3 months will be smiling and back on the golf course ️.
 
I went back to bowling at 3 months, but I was far from “back to normal” but at least I was back in the game and out with friends.
 
I took Tylenol and Ibuprofen at the same time. They are two totally different formulas. The key is to not go over the daily amounts of each. If you are taking anything else, like cold or allergy pills. etc, check the ingredients and make sure if acetaminophen or ibuprofen is in them that you add that in to your daily amounts.

My stiffness lastest off and on for about 6 months. It all depended on the activities I had done. Inside that knee capsule, there is a very small area and any amount of swelling will cause stiffness. Swelling is normal, unfortunately, but icing and elevating help to reduce the amount of fluid in your knee.
 
11 weeks out ROM and extension getting there.
I have talked to several TKR folks.
They have indicated their ROM has improved after 4-8 months
That encouraged me not to be expecting to be 100 percent after 3 months
Trying to get legs a little stronger by walking a little further. Experiencing some additional swelling
Believe it’s part of recovery since I haven’t been doing this much for over 2 months
Overdoing it?
 
@Ref1
We have many members who's ROM improved a year or more after TKR.
You have plenty of time for healing, swelling to go down, and your ROM to reveal itself.
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR

Here is the progress of several of our members with slow but sure ROM gains.
Campervan’s ROM history
92 - 8 weeks post op
105 - 10 weeks
107 - 5 months
110 - 6 months
112 - 7 months
116 - 9 months
119 - 11 months
118 - 1 yr
120 - 1yr 2 months
125 - 1 yr 8 months and still this now at 1yr 10 months

Bertschb’s ROM history
1 month - 60 degrees
2 months - 80 degrees
3 months - 85 degrees
4 months - 90 degrees
5 months - 90 degrees
6 months - 110 degrees
7 months - 120 degrees
8 months - 125 degrees
9 months - 130 degrees
10 months - 135 degrees
11 months - 140 degrees
12 months - 140 degrees

TortiTabby's ROM
3.5 wks: 75
6 wks: 85
7 wks: 90
10.5 wks: 95
14 wks: 100
17 wks: 105
20 weeks: 110
26 weeks (where I am today): 120!!!
It has now been 26 weeks and all I do is ADL.
I did it! My goal of 120! No "pushing through pain", no PT after the first 3 visits, and most importantly to me: No MUA! My surgeon who said I would never get beyond 85 ROM without pushing through pain was wrong, wrong, wrong. I'm excited to see if it gets even better.
 
You'll notice that I have merged your newest post with your original recovery thread. For several reasons, we prefer that you only have one recovery thread:
  • That way, we have all your information in one place. This makes it easier to go back and review your history before providing advice.
  • If you keep starting new threads, you miss the posts and advice others have left for you in the old threads, and some information may be unnecessarily repeated
  • Having only one thread will act as a diary of your progress that you can look back on.
So please post any updates, questions or concerns about your recovery here. If you prefer a different thread title, just post what you want and we'll get it changed for you.
If you need an urgent response to a question, just tag a member of staff.

Many members bookmark their thread in their computer browser, so they can find it when they log on.
How can I find my threads and posts?
Thanks,
Chris
 
Ref1 said:
That encouraged me not to be expecting to be 100 percent after 3 months
Trying to get legs a little stronger by walking a little further. Experiencing some additional swelling
Believe it’s part of recovery since I haven’t been doing this much for over 2 months
Overdoing it?
Click to expand...
@Ref1 - G'day. My TKR was also Feb 4. I was very lucky to have close to full ROM after 4 weeks. Pain and sleep have been issues for me.

When I finished the narcotics at about 7 weeks, and after some advice here, I started with:
2 x 500mg Tylenol for the pain at 6am, noon, 6pm, maybe 9pm.
2 x 300mg Advil for the swelling at 9am, 3am, 9pm.

The additional swelling is most likely that yes, you have been overdoing it, just like I did. Slow down, relax, let the body heal itself.

Like you, I am at 3 months and I still have a small amount of swelling.
 
Ref1 said:
1st post
12 days out from TKR
Take Tylenol in the day and Norco in the night
Swellings and pain doing PT stretches
Don’t look forward to the nighttime
Sleep pattern irregular
Wake up to pain and stiffness so I get up and do some knee movements to get going use the walker to get to the bathroom and back this happens about 3 times a night
My question; is this what usually happens in TKR recovery? Will it get better week 3 and 4? This is tough
Any help or suggestions
Click to expand...
Normal for swelling after 11 weeks walking a few weks
 
Hi
You’re doing fine yes it’s normal at about 7 weeks sleeping started getting better for me but still at 9 weeks irregular but now coping and more comfortable
Hang in there everyone is different but from reading the forum we will get better
 
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