TKR Fell on knee

Im just over 10 weeks, and my extension got a little better each week, except week 4 when I got a little more swelling.
I was worried too, but I was told I was doing fine. The last time I was officially measured at week 7 I was at 2-that was my last PT, but my extension is flat now, so I would guess 0.
You had problems falling on your knee, I had problems with a DVT, but I think our numbers sound fine!!
 
She kept telling me all the schooling she has and that she can bring me absolute facts that have been proven about extension
She might have schooling but we have personal experience...years and years of experience! Through this experience we learned that working through the pain is counterproductive. That pain is an indication that the knee is more inflamed. Inflammation causes swelling and pain. Swelling restricts ROM. The best way to get the ROM back is to do just gentle movements. Listen to your knee. If you do something and later on that night or the next day the pain and swelling is worse, then your knee isn't ready for that activity. Stop it for a few weeks then try it later. If you don't get a bad reaction, then your knee's ok with it. This recovery is always trial and error and a learning experience.
 
I was somewhat sore after pt yesterday and today after doing the two exercises I’m very sore and knee feels swollen. I think I’ll just ice and elevate today because I have pt again tomorrow.
 
She kept telling me all the schooling she has and that she can bring me absolute facts that have been proven about extension.
She may know what the "average" is or "most people"; but many of our people on the forum have not been "average." Try not to let her scare you. Just keep working at it slowly but surely.
I don't know why they think they have to scare us. Like we'll just sit around eating bon bons all day if they don't put the fear of god into us. :nah: Though you really do need to do some lying around icing and elevating--and come to thing of it a few bon bons may be therapeutic...:snork:

My issue wasn't extension but I think my experience is kind of similar even so. I remember getting the scare talk re: my bend from my PT on the first knee at about week 4. I might need an MUA, frowns, etc. By week 6 as the swelling went down quite a bit I hit 90 and the PT still wasn't totally happy. I saw my OS that same week (might have even been the same day) and he was pleased (didn't measure) and said just keep doing more as the knee allows. And I continued to gain bend.

A good PT (like my 2nd one) can help evaluate body mechanics and explain how everything is connected to everything else. I found some exercises helpful in that regard. So sure, the butt exercises might be useful depending on your situation.
Most people find "slow and steady wins the race." Take what seems useful but don't take the scare talk too seriously.
 
@sistersinhim It’s not my ROM she’s worried about it’s extension. Says that’s a lot harder to get and if you don’t get it early on
PT didn’t really hurt. I think I overdid by coming home and doing more than doing the two exercises today.
No more! I’m icing and elevating for the next few days. Knee has not hurt at all until today.
 
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Oh yes, I realize it's extension you are concerned about. ROM is bend and extension. Swelling also affects the extension. Mine was slower to come in than the bend, too. I just walked with longer strides, heal to toe and it did come back like it was before surgery after about 4 months or so. The only problem I have with it now is I have a Baker's Cyst but that has nothing to do with the surgery. I'm just prone to getting cysts.
 
I have been pretty much pain-free up until this point. I was four weeks out yesterday. Since PT my knee is hurting me and Stiff all the time. I told Pt I wouldn’t be back for two weeks.
She’s having me flex my foot on my bed and tighten my quad as tight as I can and push knee down into the bed using my thigh muscle.
hoping to straighten out my knee.
I’m also riding the bike slowly for 10 min. She also had me use a sheet around the feet of the knee and pull the knee as close as I could to my butt.
I got to 115 from 105 in the office but it’s all causing me pain. Should I just stop everything for a week, and ice and elevate?????
 
Should I just stop everything for a week, and ice and elevate?????
As we have already advised several times on your thread I think you should stop all this forcing your knee - not for just a week - stop all of it.

Let that knee settle and once it has work on your own to gently achieve ROM. All this forcing is only increasing the swelling and pain.
 
As we have already advised several times on your thread I think you should stop all this forcing your knee - not for just a week - stop all of it.
I agree.
 
Yes, there's no need to do things on an arbitrary basis. If 10 minutes on the bike aggravates the knee do 5 minutes and/or take a day off. Remember that all your ADLs as well as exercises count as exercises.
 
What I want to know is how I’m the heck are we suppose to walk without a limp when we still have swelling???
 
My knee still swells but I don't limp. Is your knee incredibly huge? Are you favoring it because you are afraid to put weight on it? Or are you favoring it because of pain? For both of my knees I was encouraged to work on walking correctly (heel, toe, etc.) right from the beginning with the walker. As time went by and the knee could take more weight any limp went away. This was something we would on in PT was walking correctly and having the knee work in a normal fashion. Has anyone been working on this with you?
 
The limp will ease up as you heal and your swelling goes down. Don’t stress over it. No one worked on gait with me, it came along naturally and is fine now.
 
As you heal, you will naturally become more secure walking on your new knee. That will get rid of that limb. Try not to worry about it, it will disappear when your knee is ready for it to!
 
Saw my doc for 5 wk PO check. He’s alittle concerned that my leg isn’t completely straight. I’m probably off 1-3 degrees. My other knee took awhile to get straight so I’m not worried. Doing exercises everyday. I started walking 1/2 mile twice last week and swam yesterday. Not limping much anymore. Heel toe heel toe. But I do have a pain on the outer side of my knee that sometimes at nite feels like someone is sticking a knife in it. Any ideas? This has been happening from the beginning.
 
Sound like you're close to straight and at only 5 weeks you will still be improving.

When you get the pain is it with walking or certain motions or just randomly? Sometimes we get those weird pains and they go away as you heal.
 
I’m probably off 1-3 degrees.
That's close enough to straight to not even worry about! As you heal your ROM will continue to improve. For just 5 weeks out you are doing fantastic! Many of us never came close to 1/2 mile at our 5 week healings. Enjoy your successes.
 
Does anyone know what the clicking is that I hear and feel behind my knee when walking?
Also having pain right below the knee to the left of the shin bone only at nite?
 
2 mos out this wed. I’m still having problem going downstairs and the pain is in the same spot I mentioned above. Below the knee to the left. I tried going down 3 stairs yesterday and the pain almost took me down. Had to ice and elevate. Anyone else?
 

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