Knee Infection* Bi lateral TKR August 2020

Rosy G

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Hi All,
My first post. Had a set back at week three when starting new exercise and R leg paralysed for few hours1 Lots of swelling afterwards for 2-3 weeks but since then I have been building up muscles in that leg- which had started to turn out a little after menesctomies some years ago. It's almost as if those muscles need lengthening. My balance is not 100 percent and sleeping is hard. My GP has insisted I re start codeine phosphate at night and that does let me sleep but hope to stop that asap. Walking outside with one stick and none inside but balance is not so good yet.Still get quite stiff after walk and exercise but feel small progress each day Hope to hear from others with tips please!
 
:welome: to BoneSmart.


My balance is not 100 percent
Yes, but it gets better. You might try balance exercises, if you like. It won't affect balance elsewhere, on a bike for instance.
Still get quite stiff after walk and exercise but feel small progress each day
:thumb: Little steps, that's what you want.
Hope to hear from others with tips please!
Please read the guidelines...


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
ice
take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)​

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

5. At week 4 and after you should follow this

6. Access these pages on the website

The Recovery articles:

There are also some cautionary articles here


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.
 
Hi and Welcome!

Please tell us the date of your surgery and we’ll make a signature for you.

I had balance issues, also, that mostly resolved as I continued to heal.

Sleep is an issue for most of us, for quite a while. There’s an article about it in the Recovery Guidelines.
 
Hi, I had both knees replaced on 17th August Thank you for all information
 
:welome:
Glad you are here!
I don't know where I'd be without BoneSmart. There is so much information here. And so many good people who really understand.
I had my BTKR just a couple weeks after you, August 31.
 
Mrs. Ciz, I read your posts and so many points seemed to cover what I am experiencing. My main issue is one knee feeling unstable so I am not walking well without sticks but I do think it’s to do with muscles before the op.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Well done on the stairs @Mrs. Ciz It's interesting to hear re hamstring muscles and mirrors my experience of one knee being had back by muscles I'm also stretching them every dy and feel a little improvement from day to day I will be relieved when the giving way sensation goes- it's much less frequent now but still unpleasant feeling
 
Welcome @Rosy G ! With a bilateral, especially after the setback you mentioned, it is not surprising to have some balance issues. While my "bilateral" was 7 weeks apart (I was scheduled for a bilateral, but apparently my blood oxygen levels had a different plan! :shrug:), there were definitely some balance issues. I too, had a setback at about 3 weeks - going down the stairs one day, 2nd knee decided to slide down, while 1st knee had my heel kissing my butt! Very scary, but all turned out well. Remember that as the knees degenerated, they did so independently, which means as they got worse it impacted different parts of your body differently. But everything is aligned perfectly now and with attention and taking your PT slow, your body will adjust. I had a big issue with needing to get my IT bands stretched - a LOT.
Also, do work on stretching those hamstrings - my PT said they are the first to start to atrophy after the relative inaction post-surgery. I can even feel the difference in them with my self-induced Covid-inaction! Be well - you're going to get there!
 
thankyou @NightQuilter What are IT bands please- is this a term for calf muscles? I have been working on hamstrings and it is definitely helping It's encouraging to know balance improves I hope you are keeping well
 
The IT band - iliotibial band - is a band of tissue extending from the pelvis along the outside the the leg and attaching to the shinbone just below the knee - a totally unmedical description!! As I understand it, it helps stabilize the knee. As my knees deteriorated, I developed a valgus condition - I looked very knock-kneed with my feet much further out than my knees. As PT explained it, after so many years like that, my IT bands effectively shortened (less distance between the hip and shin), so when the OS straightened my legs with the TKR, the IT bands had to stretch out quite a bit. Not comfortable, but we made it and I love my straight legs even 8 years later!

The calf muscles are different and you'll want to keep stretching those as well as the hammies.
 
The IT band - iliotibial band - is a band of tissue extending from the pelvis along the outside the the leg and attaching to the shinbone just below the knee - a totally unmedical description!! As I understand it, it helps stabilize the knee. As my knees deteriorated, I developed a valgus condition - I looked very knock-kneed with my feet much further out than my knees. As PT explained it, after so many years like that, my IT bands effectively shortened (less distance between the hip and shin), so when the OS straightened my legs with the TKR, the IT bands had to stretch out quite a bit. Not comfortable, but we made it and I love my straight legs even 8 years later!

The calf muscles are different and you'll want to keep stretching those as well as the hammies.
Thank you @NightQuilter Can you let me know which exercises you did for the IT band as that is how one leg was before surgery and it would be good to do that stretch. I drove a short distance today with no problem so feeling a bit more positive!
 
One I came up with was to stand at a 45 degree angle with one side 2-3 feet from wall, with the side needing stretching closer to the wall. Then (try to picture the contortion!) cross the "good" foot in front and closer to the wall and lean into the wall, using the good foot for stability and stretching the outside of the "bad" leg. Try to sink into your hip on the "bad" side a bit for as long as you can, staying at the 45 degree angle to the wall. Standing near a counter works too.
 
The IT band - iliotibial band - is a band of tissue extending from the pelvis along the outside the the leg and attaching to the shinbone just below the knee - a totally unmedical description!! As I understand it, it helps stabilize the knee. As my knees deteriorated, I developed a valgus condition - I looked very knock-kneed with my feet much further out than my knees. As PT explained it, after so many years like that, my IT bands effectively shortened (less distance between the hip and shin), so when the OS straightened my legs with the TKR, the IT bands had to stretch out quite a bit. Not comfortable, but we made it and I love my straight legs even 8 years later!

The calf muscles are different and you'll want to keep stretching those as well as the hammies.
You just gave me hope
 
Hi All,
Bone scan shows likely infection so am to have a biopsy and aspiration and then surgery- any information on how they decide single or two stage revision and other info - recovery time- success rates etc
very welcome
 
It's good that if you have an infection that it's caught earlier rather than later. I pray that you and your doctor make the correct decisions for your healing.

You will notice that I moved your post from the Knee Pre-Op forum to your thread in Recovery. Since you have already had your surgery it belongs here.
 
Bone scan has shown infection and i see revision surgeon on friday Think it has been a low grade infection - did you all have aspiration and bone biopsy before surgery
 
So sorry you are facing this challenge! :prayer: for a good outcome. I have never faced this aspect so can’t answer your questions.
 
I'm sorry to read that you have an infection, but it's good to learn it has been discovered early. Which knee is affected?

Best wishes for your visit to the revision surgeon. Do let us know how you get on, what he/she says, and if you are given a surgery date.
We'll be thinking of you.
 
Sorry about the infection. I had aspirations but not the bone biopsy.
 

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