TKR Cindy's new knee

[Ellejay]

Not for a while yet I'm afraid, you are still really early on in your recovery period. I found weeks 3& 4 to be my worst weeks. I'm now 7 weeks (today), and I actually think I've got my own brain back at last and a LITTLE more energy, but I do think this lack of energy is our bodies way of stopping us doing too much. Do listen to your body, make the most of this 'pause' in our busy lives, it doesn't happen often.

 

[Texan]

I had my first outpatient p/t today. Was so afraid the therapist was going to hurt me. He was great! Kept asking if the exercises were hurting me. There was only one that hurt and he had me stop right away and moved on to something different. Such a relief!!! Tomorrow will be 5 weeks since surgery. Seems like it has been a lot longer than that. Weighed today and I have lost 10 lbs. I get hungry, but not much sounds good to me. My chocolate addiction hasn't kicked back in yet!

 

[kneeper]

Great. Yeah, finding something appealing can be tricky early in your recovery. Amazing even chocolate isn't doing it. Are you trying to eat a pretty balanced diet?

 

[Texan]

@kneeper, yes, I am eating a balanced diet. Just not a lot of it! I know it will get better, just not on my timetable. Our neighbors took us to dinner and I hadn't seen them since I had surgery. They thought I had lost more than 10 lbs. Nice compliment. I rode in the backseat of their car and didn't have much room to move my legs. Quite uncomfortable by the time we got home. Icing and elevating now. Might have to take a pain pill at bedtime and I haven't taken one of those in 5 days and haven't needed one.

 

[Texan]

Today is 6 weeks since my TKR. If you had asked me 2 weeks ago if I would have the other knee done, my answer would have been, not this year. I have had 3 p/t sessions in outpatient therapy and I feel so much better. My ROM has gone from 99 to 112 and extension from 10 to 4. Walking has improved and yesterday I actually felt like I was walking normally. I take 2 extra strength Tylenol at bedtime only. Today I scheduled surgery on my right knee for October. I know I will have setbacks still but for today I am happy with my progress.

 

[Texan]

It has been 2 months since my LTKR. Something happened to my right knee (also arthritic) over the weekend and had a really hard time straightening my knee. I haven't been able to straighten it completely for around 5 years but it got really bad over the weekend. I asked the p/t today to measure my knee for extension. Shocked to hear it was 17 degrees. He told me I need to work on that before the next surgery in October. Now I am thinking I should move my surgery date up.

 

[Texan]

Can someone help me? When I work on flexion, I have pain on the outside of the back of my knee near the ligament that sticks out on the back of the leg. The best way I can explain the pain is a pinching feeling. Everything feels o.k. across the top of the knee but I get to 115 degrees and that terrible pinch comes and I can't get any further. Has anyone else had this pain, what is it and what can I do to fix it?

 

[Texan]

@Josephine, I posted this last week but didn't get a response. Can you help?

Can someone help me? When I work on flexion, I have pain on the outside of the back of my knee near the ligament that sticks out on the back of the leg. The best way I can explain the pain is a pinching feeling. Everything feels o.k. across the top of the knee but I get to 115 degrees and that terrible pinch comes and I can't get any further. Has anyone else had this pain, what is it and what can I do to fix it?

 

[kneeper]

Hmm, I don't know about this. Hopefully @Josephine or @kneesrus @Jamie or other long time bonesmartie experts will be able to help.

 

[Josephine]

When I work on flexion, I have pain on the outside of the back of my knee near the ligament that sticks out on the back of the leg.

Can you tell me the exact site of your pain using this chart?
Please note the advice in the smaller image
Also that the left had legs are the front view and the right hand ones are the back view!

 

[Texan]

@Josephine, The pinch is in DLB4. My o/s told me there is nothing that would cause a pinch so I should just push through the pain. As I was walking out of his office, he looked at my xray and said I have an accessory bone in that spot and maybe that was causing the pain. When my leg is dangling off of the p//t table, I am able to get my leg to go back further (121 degrees) without the pinch. If I am laying on the table and try to pull my leg back, the pinch comes at about 100 degrees. Thank you.

 

[kneesrus]

I have a few patients that complain of somewhat similar discomfort. It very well could be a muscle tendon being compromised. Behind your knee, on the outside margin, you have a hamstring tendon. You also have the origin of the gastroc muscle that above the knee joint, on the back side.
I personally use KT tape over the painful area, placing the tape on the gastroc (calf) and give a 50% pull on the tape across the back of the knee up 4 inches behind the thigh. We leave the tape in place for 2 days.
Make sure you are striking your heal first when walking, so you can obtain full extension.
Best of luck
David

 

[Texan]

@kneesrus, Thank you for the reply. I will copy this and take it to my p/t so he can show me exactly where to put the tape. By the way, I graduated from Lamar University MANY years ago and did an internship for the newspaper in Port Arthur where my husband was a police officer.