TKR Fell on knee

I agree with sistersinhim, you are barely out of surgery, it is way too early to “work on” ROM (bend and straightening) or to even consider worrying about it.

Sometimes I think surgeons are so surgically minded that they lose sight of the healing aspect.

I understand the stress you are under from your medical professionals. I felt it from mine, also, and I allowed them to worry me my entire first year of recovery.

If I knew then what I know now, I would have not worried. My body healed. At it’s own rate. Not mine, not my surgeon’s, not my PT’s.

Try to relax and settle into this long recovery. It will happen. You will improve.

The absolute worst part of this recovery is the pressure everyone puts on us to recover their way. Our knee does not care about their way, only it’s own. The best thing you can do is allow your knee the privilege of sorting itself out, in its own way. (one of my favorite quotes from Josephine)

I’ll ask @Celle to come and tell you her surgeon’s recovery approach. It will surprise you. And she had an excellent outcome, as did Josephine, who never even did a heel slide!
 
My surgeon doesn't allow any formal PT at all for the first month after a knee replacement. He says your knee needs that time, to start on its journey of healing. For that month, we rest, ice and elevate our leg, and walk around the house. The walking is our exercise and we increase it a little each week.

After that month, we just go to PT once every 2 weeks, where we are shown a few new exercises to do at home each day.

His patients all do well and achieve good ROM, as I did, and he hasn't had to do a manipulation to help with ROM for the past 4 years. I think that speaks for itself.
 
Has anyone see leakage at the staples. I think mine started when I fell on knee.
It’s only a red dribble at 2 spots. One where there’s a big gap between staples and another at a actual staple. Doc was alittle concerned about infection when I went in to see him on Monday after being in the Er on Sunday and put in a stabilizer, I guess ill put the stabilizer bk On because it keeps my leg straight and staples don’t leak. @Josephine
 
@Dancersoon I've tagged Josephine in your post so she can comment on your concerns.
 
Took off stabilizer so I could shower and wash my hair. Knee looks great!
Swelling has gone down a lot ( no more melon) and redness is almost gone!
Home healthcare nurse came out “.
he took out 3/4 of the staples left about four at the end that are still red and leaking a little bit. He believes the leakage is from all the fluid in my knee from when I fell on it.
Of course he didn’t hesitate to tell me that I need to get into PT next week because I’m gonna be behind.
I didn’t say anything. I just looked at himLOL.
My surgeon wants to see me sometime the end of this week or next to check on incision and I’m sure he’s going to push PT too.
I’m just gonna tell him “nope I’m not going right now I want my knee to really heal. it’s been through too much trauma!”
Thanx ladies for all your help!
 
home Healthcare nurse came out today. He Removed the stabilizer from my leg. Swelling in my knee has gone down tremendously and the redness is almost gone. He removed all but four staples. Because those were still a little red and leaking a little bit. But he wasn’t worried about that. I had a pt appointment for Friday but I canceled. I want my knee to not be hurting or swollen and the incision to be healed.Even then I’m only going to go in to get exercises that I can do at home at my own pace.
 
Can anyone suggest some gentle exercises To help with extension?
Is 2 wks PO to soon to try the bike?
 
I was told to stay off of the bike until week 4, regardless of how good one does post-op and regardless of your range of motion. It's just too easy to cause a setback so early in recovery.
 
If you do go on the bike it would just be to rock a bit; not to worry about getting a rotation yet.

I didn't have a problem with straightening (just slightly off completely straight) so I just made sure to walk a bit and to sometimes lie or sit with my leg straight for a couple of minutes (or less depending on what I could handle.)
 
Well I over did it yesterday!
Knowing I was seeing pt for first time tomorrow and my extension is not great I pushed hard.
Well I paid for it hard last nite and today. Had to take a pain pill and Tylenol. I’ve been off meds for over a week. So today just icing and elevating.
Me and pt are going to have a serious conversation before she touches me!
 
I agree-don't let your PT touch you again. If you decide to keep going, you make the rules and set the limits for what you will or will not do, and for what she is allowed to do. Keep up the icing and elevating in order to recover from PT.
 
Knowing I was seeing pt for first time tomorrow and my extension is not great I pushed hard.
Please stop doing this! It is totally counter productive. You have now seen the results - another setback. Ice, elevate and rest. Walking is your PT.
 
From the experienced ladies on here, how long does the stiffness and swelling last?
Im almost 4 wks out. This is my 2nd replacement but I don’t remember much of the first one. (Kinda like having a baby! Lol)
I’m icing and elevating during the day, with alittle walking, some gentle heel slides, and one of the exercises for extension. I do know I had a problem with getting it to 0 with the first one. Doc has made a few comments.
I know rom will come once swelling goes down but what about extension?
 
how long does the stiffness and swelling last?
Recovery from TKR can take up to one year or longer. At only 4 weeks out you have a way to go.

Go back and read the articles Jockette left for you in post #2 of this thread. All will continue to improve if you don't push and you continue to ice and elevate.
 
I would swell and get stiff as long as 6-8 months out. This recovery is something you can not speed it but you can slow it down by doing too much. Slow, easy and steady wins this recovery race!
 
Went to first pt appt. I was very up front with the young girl.
She told me ROM will come once swelling goes down but that you have to get your extension by the 5th or 6th week we probably won’t get it.
What do all of you think???
She gave me some exercises, including exercises to strengthen my butt.
She said if I don’t strengthen my butt muscles my knee will take take all the weight.
What is all of your opinions on this????
 
Extension often takes longer than flexion and swelling affects extension as much as flexion. And there’s no window of opportunity. So, she has been misinformed.

She may be misinformed in other areas, too, so be careful.
 
She kept telling me all the schooling she has and that she can bring me absolute facts that have been proven about extension.
 
Well I did not get my extension back in 5-6 weeks, because of my swelling, and my extension is fine now.

Let her have her facts. You won’t convince her otherwise. But if she’s right, why do so many of us on this forum eventually get our extension back weeks/months later?

Absolutely do not let her push down on your leg to “help” straighten it, and don’t put any weights on it.

She has an agenda that is probably not going to be in your best interest. This recovery is tough enough even with people encouraging us. We don’t need medical people discouraging us with what they believe when many members here can prove it’s not true.

This is part of the reason I won’t go to PT next time. I’ll do my own rehab at home next time and be better for it. My PT did very little to help me and lots to hurt me, literally and figuratively. I’ve learned a lot since then and I won’t allow that again.

Oh, and I did a few butt exercises before my surgery, and never did them after, in fact they weren’t even mentioned after surgery.

I think you should consider looking for a new PT, if you feel it’s important to have one.
 

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