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TKR Highlander's New Knee

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I hope so too! It's really different- I think I was varus- bowlegged. Because my old knee really bowed out in an ugly fashion.
 
My OS actually told me my new leg is almost 3/4" longer due to varus correction and no longer bone on bone. He gave me copy before/ after X-rays showing alignment differential.

His PA said after my RTKR in March a lot of my back pain could very well be corrected also.



01/24/17 LTKR, then RTKR
 
Highlander, I was PKR January 5 as outpatient and was sent to PT facility of my own choosing Day 2. I was given a booklet of exercises grom my OS and told to do them beginning Day 2. The routine was similar to your minus the weights. I am now positive the PT slowed my progress. I was told to do aggressive exercises 3 times per day, but I could never do more than twice and I am a runner and climber. Listen to your body and if you hurt take it easy. I am doing better since I started taking it easy. Good luck.
 
mg5457 said:
My OS actually told me my new leg is almost 3/4" longer due to varus correction and no longer bone on bone. He gave me copy before/ after X-rays showing alignment differential.

His PA said after my RTKR in March a lot of my back pain could very well be corrected also.



01/24/17 LTKR, then RTKR
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My good problem, is theres nothing wrong with my right leg- so I may just have to get used to longer new left knee now....
 
Your other leg isn't bowed?
 
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My right leg is just slightly naturally bowed. nothing very noticeable. My left surgical leg was a mess and very varus (bowed) before my TKR. Now my new knee appears maybe just a tad straighter than my right, and of course feels longer.
 
If your good leg isn't bowed then your TKR should be the same length. It just feels like it's different from the other because it's now straight.
 
@karrieB Thanks, yes Im sure my body will adjust to the new alignment over time. Its been 35 years with that old bowed one :)
 
I was very surprised to see that my OS himself had really bandy legs! He really wasn't a good advert for orthopaedic surgery. Maybe he was too scared to submit to surgery? He was very slim though so maybe not in pain.
 
Tomorrow will mark 3 weeks on the other side. Doing my PT and gently stretching during the ROM exercises, and I got out and walked in the driveway today with the weather being so warm here, it was great to just walk the 100 feet back and forth in the sunshine. Still struggling a little with flexion- at about 80, extension is 0. Really stiff but I am seeing progress every day. I had 3 other surgeries on this knee over the past 3 decades, and Im feeling like the tendons and quad were in pretty bad shape from all that. So hopefully they will loosen up before my 6 week OS appt.- 3 weeks from now.
 
Hi highlander. I'm enjoying this Virginia weather, too. I had a really hard time getting my extension to come in, and I've read that, that is harder than the bend to come in, so you've got that beat! You ROM will come in. Your knee is still an infant. Give yourself time. That terrible word is needed here...patience!
 
Im not known for the "P" word, just ask my wife :) Very frustrating to sit around all day and think about ROM. I know its not logical and Im trying to do other stuff. I underestimated the mental discipline this was going to require!
 
Try not to think of resting as "lying around, doing nothing." Instead, think of it as working hard, to give your knee the best possible chance of healing well.

Can you find a sedentary hobby to occupy your mind?
 
maybe doing some paperwork for our farm- yuck :)

I am reading and planning quite a bit too.
 
Reading and planning could be really useful preparation for when you're more mobile again. Its all good!
 
3 weeks out yesterday. I had a good day with some really nice walking outside. I was able to walk probably 1000 steps + on a level walking path our little town built recently. Just concentrated on slow, proper gait, and really felt the stretch a ton in my quads. Knee joint area was painless. I did notice a lot of upper thigh soreness and stiffness last night from this walking. Then this morning went to outpatient PT. I thought with my thigh stiffness that it would not be a good ROM day- but much to our surprise- I pretty handily got to about 80-85 flexion during our exercises. So very excited about that. It seems the slow, easy, "proper" walking is helping to loosen things up. Back to RICE this afternoon!
 
highlander said:
Still struggling a little with flexion- at about 80, extension is 0. Really stiff but I am seeing progress every day.
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An extension of 80 at 3 weeks is OK. Don't worry about it and don't be persuaded into working hard at exercises. Your ROM will increase gradually, as your swelling goes down. There's no need to rush.
It's not exercising that gets you your ROM, it's time. Time to recover, time for swelling and pain to settle and time to heal. Your ROM is there right from the start, just waiting for all that to happen so it can show itself.
 
@Celle I agree that overworking is not good, and that there is more time than some PTs would suggest. However my issue is not really the knee joint itself. It's more about my quads and the tendons connecting into the area. These need to be gently worked everyday to keep them increasing in suppleness and length. Laying around all the time would only make them shorten up and stiffen more. I've had 4 other extensive surgeries on the same knee- so the tissue and connections take on different properties than most of your BS users. Im happy with 85 degrees flexion and 0 degrees extension for just 3 weeks out. I only had 95 and 5 before surgery. So Im on track- but for me -the more I move it- the better it responds.
 
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