TKR Cue Barry Manilow......

[Ogbournestandrew]

Wow, 90 is great! Is the cyro cuff like a continuous motion machine? I'm glad pain is manageable. What are you taking for pain?

Claire cryo cuff is a compression fitting that you fill and empty with iced water from a connected water barrel. It is a superb way of applying ice all around the knee. My swelling is less today because of it. £100 on Amazon. Meds a a cocktail of codeine, paracetamol, ibruprofen and nefopam. Never letting the pain get above 3-4 on a scale of 1 to 10 is working for me.

 

[Ogbournestandrew]

1 week post op and I have had a bad few days. Nighttime blues, zero appetite and awful meds side effects. I have eliminated the bad meds now I think but the 4am sleepless part is not a nice place to be. Undoubtedly feeling sorry for myself a bit too much and have had to give myself a few talking tos yesterday. The reading on here really helps because you realise how not alone your experience is. Thank you.
I have a technical question today too....as my leg was bowed prior to my RTKR the muscles and presumably tendons on the inside of the knee were shorter and 'slacker' than they are now. The op straightened the leg which has put these muscles under strain. The tension and tightness all down the inside of the knee is incredible now and I am wondering how this tension gets released? Do the muscles lengthen naturally to relieve the tension? Do I have to keep bending the knee further back to get this to happen? What mechanical process goes on here as the swelling reduces and the tension remains my restrictive element? Is ice the only answer?

 

[Jaycey]

Have you been offered physio? Yes the muscles will lengthen but strengthening exercises may help the process. For now it's early days though. I'll tag @Josephine for input on the process and bending that knee.

 

[Josephine]

Things are a lot more simple than you suppose

Night-time blues, zero appetite and awful meds side effects.
Undoubtedly feeling sorry for myself a bit too much

This is a natural part of the post-op process. Having a depressed appetite is one and the blues is also Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it.

the 4am sleepless part is not a nice place to be.

Another normal aspect of the post-op phase Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

my leg was bowed prior to my RTKR the muscles and presumably tendons on the inside of the knee were shorter and 'slacker' than they are now

some are contracted rather than shorter, and the other side will therefore not be under tension and therefore less tight.

The tension and tightness all down the inside of the knee is incredible now

I'd say this is more likely post-op pain which is extraordinarily bad in the first 6 weeks. It's undoubtedly due to this.....

I have eliminated the bad meds

So what do you mean by 'bad meds' and what are you taking instead?

 

[RunA42K]

My Physical Therapist has always told me that building strength builds more muscle. As you build muscle with stretching and ROM exercises the muscles will in turn stretch and lengthen to be where you want them to be. Don't forget that stretching is a big part especially after working out those quads, hamstrings and calves.

 

[Ogbournestandrew]

Thank you for your replies. It seems to have been nefopram that was causing the nausea. I have stuck to paracetamol and brufen for 36 hours and feel better. Starting to look forward to Christmas! Have a great time.

 

[bottomshollow]

Hope you and yours have had a wonderful Christmas holiday with lots of family fellowship and sharing of gifts and lots of good food to eat.


I’ll be looking for you at the BoneSmart annual New Year’s Party. It’s been a very eventful year for most of us---and will be a very eventful year coming up for others of us looking forward to surgery in the new year.


Remember to bring food and drink to share---and pictures are always appreciated and loads of fun to share.


SEE YOU AT THE PARTY!!!!!

bottomshollow

 

[Ogbournestandrew]

Update and quick question....
Now four weeks post op and it seems healing is going well. I am off the crutches and walk around pretty well unaided. My knee swells when I get to a certain level of activity so I listen to it ice it whenever required still. Nigh times are a lot better with two unbroken nights last week.
I am getting a bit of a clunk and a click in the joint sometimes when fully extending the knee. It feels uncomfortable but not painful. Is this just another phase of recovery, a common feature of a TKR or is it something to worry about?

 

[Jamie]

@Ogbournestandrew .... I'm so sorry that no one has addressed your question!!! Please forgive us!

The clunking noise you're hearing is a very normal thing after a knee replacement. Your body is just getting used to those new parts inside and it should lessen in the coming months as your soft tissue adjusts to the new knee. Here is an article for you to read from our BoneSmart Library on knee clunk.

Please let us know how you're doing now!!!

 

[Ogbournestandrew]

It's been a while since I posted on here but things have been pretty good. First post op hospital visit included an X-ray and all looked good. Back to driving about 2 weeks ago and.........the last week has felt like a real backward step.
The lower part of my knee joint feels like it wants to burst out of the skin. This is after sitting for a while at my desk or after sitting at the dining table. From other articles on here it sounds like it is scar tissue causing the discomfort but is it possible that the joint has shifted in some way? I am back to imagining the worst rather than seeing a positive outcome here.

 

[kneeper]

It could be bursitis. @Josephine will probably be along soon with her nifty illustrations and ask you to id where the pain is on it.

 

[Josephine]

it sounds like it is scar tissue causing the discomfort but
is it possible that the joint has shifted in some way?

Highly unlikely on both counts. Adhesions don't usually cause pain and implants don't 'shift'!

Can you tell me the exact site of your pain using this chart?

 

[Josephine]

Also here are some questions:

1. what are your pain levels right now? (remember the 1-10 scale: 1 = no pain and 10 = the worst you can imagine. And don't compare this with the bone-on-bone pain you had before surgery!

)

2. what pain medications have you been prescribed, how much are you taking (in mg please) and how often?

3. how often are you icing your knee and for how long?

4. are you elevating your leg, how often and for how long?

5. what is your activity level? What do you do in the way of housework, cooking, cleaning, shopping, etc., and

6. what kind of PT/exercises are you doing? How much and how often? (and detailed details would be appreciated, please! Reps, sets and session and all that)

 

[Ogbournestandrew]

Josephine ..I am so sorry that I have completely failed to respond to your post. I thought that I sent the reply to the diagram but I did not see the other questions below. Please accept my apologies.

The area of pain is located at DRF2 to ERF1. At the end of last week this was diagnosed as patellar tendon inflammation. It seems that I have pushed things too quickly. I have full extension and 115 brand and my surgeon says that I am way ahead of recovery.

Now it is more rest, more ice, anti inflammatory gel, no cycling but a bit more walking.

I have posted the detail in case anybody else has or gets a similar problem but I a. Sorry again that I appeared to ignoring your kind and helpful post.