Anyone have bowed legs from their arthritis ?

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gazelle7777

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My surgeon said that he would straighten my bowed knees( straight legs!) and also I would regain the height I have lost from the bowed knees. Anyone who had the same issues that is happy with their straight legs?? This is almost what keeps me on track for June 4th for bi lateral knee replacement--- wearing pants with straight legs!! I am so ashamed of my bowed legs. Thanks to anyone who can give me an idea how knee replacement for your arthritic knees also gave you straighter legs.

UPDATE!!! March 12, 2014: I am now going on 10 months Post OP from BTKR. I have two straight pain free wonderful knees! The straight legs fixing was icing on the cake for me! What a wonderful surgery I was so blessed to receive! I wear my pants proudly now no longer ashamed of my bowed legs:dancy: Joan
 
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My left leg was like a banana, completely bowed.
I woke up in Recovery and looked down and there was my new straight leg!
It's not the easiest recovery-sore and sleepless at times, but 5 weeks on my straight leg is certainly going to be worth the effort, and so far it's been nowhere near as bad as I thoiught it might be. My leg isn't just straighter, it's completely normal looking now-just a bit swollen still and has a neat red line down the middle. My walking is already better. I will do the other in due course.
 
Hi there gazelle, i joined this forum yesterday and at that time I didn't know anyone that had had a BTKR Met one today at PT. His story was best thing he ever did. His legs were so bowed before his op that (in his words) you could shoot a canon between them and not hit a leg! :loll:
He is very straight now and is only 5 weeks post op. He also gained well over an inch in height. He said he had two weeks of misery and then slow but sure improvement. I know this doesn't answer your question but I thought you might like to hear the story.
 
Thank-you- Thank-you! This is what I wanted to hear. I have a new pair of pants hanging in my closet for AFTER surgery- normal pants - not wide legged pants style as I have been wearing for several years now. People are so cruel when you have bowed legs.... it has almost been worse than the bad pain I have from my knees. Thanks again to you for giving me hope!:)
 
My left knee was very damaged on the lateral side, so I caved in to the middle and was very knock-kneed. However, my right leg has the damage on the medial side, so I am bow-legged on the right. My hips and back didn't know where to ache! 4 weeks now and I am still amazed that my left leg is straight! I am hoping to have my right knee replaced this summer and have 2 straight legs. Good Luck.
 
I would imagine that almost all of us have had those bowed legs due to arthritis---it is the body's way of trying to alleviate the pain from arthritis.

I gained so much height that I had to buy new a pairs of pants---Due to my straightened legs, the pants that I had pre0surgery were too short and showing a great bit of sock!
 
Bow legs, knock knees, all goes with the territory in arthritic knees! This was one of our previous members who had his knees done one at a time (this photo was between knees!) but he's now sailing boats off Hawaii!

varus deformity.jpg
 
I am so ashamed of my bowed legs.
Do not be ashamed---it is certainly not your fault! You will, however, have a new "badge of honor"---your TKR scar that will tell others of your commitment to regain the life (and the straight legs!) that arthritis stole from you!
 
. Thanks to anyone who can give me an idea how knee replacement for your arthritic knees also gave you straighter legs.
How it works? It's the surgeon's job, I guess, to make it so.

I had bowed legs; standing with my heels together I could get my fist between the knees easily. Now they are straight and I am 1cm taller.
 
I had bowed legs before my surgery. Now that I have 2 nice new shiney knees, I am taller. It wasn't even me that initially noticed it...it was friends.
 
My knee is within one degree of perfectly straight now. Annnnnnd I gained about an inch. How cool is that!
 
I have had the opposite -- badly knocked-knees. Now I have one straight, one still "valgus," in med-speak. (Though not nearly as bad.) I hope to get it straight by year's end; we'll see. My husband said my lower legs were so crooked that it hurt him to look at them! At any rate, I expect I've gained a bit of height, and I sure feel liked I'm standing straighter and my clothes hang better. Wonderful!
 
My surgeon said that he would straighten my bowed knees( straight legs!)

You mentioned your surgery date is June 4th.
You had a great post about your knees HERE

How are you doing? What are you doing to prepare? :what:
 
Good Morning 1ELISEA - and all my June Sunbeams!:) ... well it is getting closer to June 4th everyday.... Last week on Thursday I went to talk to the Nurse who helps the doctor in Surgery- she answered questions I had etc. Next week is crammed with appointments... Tuesday eye doctor... Thursday my pre op physical... Friday some kind of pre op phone call at home.... I work monday tuesday and wednesday next week and then I am done- for about the three months I plan to take off. Then---I have 1 full week to get my ducks in a row. Make lists for hubby on how to take care of the pets( that scares me:scare: ... if anyone can relate!). Then, Getting my house in order... packing things I want to take with me. I purchased on line 2 high rise toliet seats for the bathrooms. I also had a new mattress installed yesterday to replace our 20 year old mattress. I really do not know how to prepare for something like this to be honest--- it is unknown territory.

I set up the appointments for my PT yesterday - lucky that the PT place is just 2 minutes down the road from my house- which will make it much more convienent. Also lucky for me Valley Medical - where I go to see my doctors and have surgery is just 5 minutes from out home- no freeways or anything. We have wonderful hospitals and doctors for just about anything here in the Seattle WA. area- we are very fortunate!

I hope everyone can share ideas- plans- anything that may help others here to prepare for surgery day. I still need to rent a walker... and find out if my insurance will pay for rental of a CPM machine( continuous Passive Motion machine). I think with bilateral surgery this might be good for the first while getting home.

Hope to hear from you other Sunbeams!
 
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gazelle7777, you certainly sound organized and well prepared for up coming surgery. However, I would not waste my money or the insurance company's money on a CPM machine. There is no evidence that they really do anything for your knees---those of us who never even saw one have had excellent results. Your muscles do not get any workout at all with this machine---so what's the point? The machine is doing all the work. Better that you do gentle, easy bends and stretches just to the point of discomfort and really work the muscles for free---well just your TIME & PATIENCE are needed. But, of course, this is your call.


The main thing to keep in mind is that the real secret to recovery is TIME & PATIENCE. You have to have (or find) the PATIENCE to give your knees the TIME they need to heal and rehab with slow, steady exercises that take you only to discomfort----NO PAIN ALLOWED. Even after three months when you will be feeling much better and thinking that you're glad you had the surgery, there is still a long way to go. It will be about 6 months before you really begin to feel "normal". They tell us that full recovery takes at least 12 months---and they do mean 12 months and for some it takes longer. When you consider how long it took us to get to the point of surgery, a recovery period of 12 to 18 months is really a bargain.

Relax---the pets will manage---and you won't be gone for that long and hubby may just surprise you.

I have found an avatar that I thought you might like to use. It is already sized to fit perfectly as I have tested it. Just right click on the attached picture and "save image as" in your picture files. Then hover your mouse of your user name at the top of the page and from the drop down menu select "Avatar". The click the browse button and find the picture in your files and double click it. Then click "Okay"and you are done.

gazelle 6.jpg

Take care and keep us posted. We care. hugs 44.jpg
 
Bottomshollo--- you see your directions for this total no computer brain person were very good! I love the avatar! Thanks so so much:thankyou: Also thanks so much for your imput on the CPM machine. I think I will just skip it... Do you think I will be back to work my retail job in three months after bilateral TKR? I only work three days a week now as I am looking towards retirement soon.... I have worked there for 23 years. I was thinking I might not go back but have not told them that yet... best to wait and see how I am doing after my surgery.
 
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Gazelle, if there are not unforeseen problems and your recovery proceeds in a "normal" fashion, there is no reason you won't be able to return to work after 12 weeks. If you stand a lot, there will probably be some swelling by the end of the day. The energy drain will still be in effect--so you will probably be wiped out by the time you get home. So that means elevating and icing and early to bed. And you will not need to be doing out patient PT----work is PT enough. But this will improve each week. With only 3 days a week, you should be able to manage quite well.

I was retired when I had my knees done---so going back to work was not a problem I had to deal with personally. But I have a semi-invalid hubby who is pretty labor intensive---I found that caring for him was great PT.

Hubby has had both his knees replaced---he was very knock-kneed and hyper-extended---he now has beautiful straight legs with no hyper-extension. See pics below---TKRs can do wonders for those with deformities.
Front View.jpg New Front.jpg Side View.jpg No Hyper-extension.jpg These are thumbnails, click on them for larger view.

So you can look forward to no more bowed legs! So glad you like the avatar. Everyone should have one---makes the forum more colorful and fun.

Take care and keep us posted. We care. hug, big 11.jpg
 
Anyone who had the same issues that is happy with their straight legs??
I do believe that a vast majority of us had bowed legs---and dealt with the success of straightening them out!

Do you think I will be back to work my retail job in three months after bilateral TKR?
I returned to t he classroom at eight weeks post BTKR---that was not fun, at all. Twelve weeks should be doable for you---just take it easy and ice/elevate/rest as much as you can!
 
I knew my legs were not as straight as they should be or used to be.
I had my right knee partial nine days ago - I had xrays taken last Tuesday and the OS then showed me how much straighter that leg is now compared to the old xrays! It's amazing.
I can feel and see that my left leg is shorter - that will spur me on to having my left op in a few months time.
 
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gazelle7777, Don't let other people's remarks frighten you into seriously thinking of canceling your surgery. They are not the one's who will have to live with your painful knees---you are!

And telling you that you're brave to have bilateral TKR---it's really a terrific compliment to you, and you should take it that way. Please go to recovery and locate all the threads that have "Bilateral TKR" in front of the thread title and read them. They will help you feel much, much better.

Those of us who go through recovery with two operated knees do just as well as those who only have one done. And when you really need two done, it's better to have it one and done in terms of surgery, rehab, and recovery. It is NOT more difficult to recover from two than one. The first two or three weeks are the toughest. But with good pain management and following the BoneSmart mantra to the letter, it soon gets better and better. It's a long recovery period. So when you get to the end of recovery road----you're done and have two pain free knees to take you on the rest of your life journey----and now you'll be able to enjoy it and make the most of your life.

Print this out, color it, paste on some cardboard, and wear it with pride.

brave 1.jpg
Because you are, and YOU CAN DO THIS!!


Take care and keep us posted. We care. hugs 6.jpg
 
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