Revision TKR I just got my new knee.

[kneeper]

Sounds like you have Flexeril which should help with the muscles. Do you have some stretches you can do? What about trying a heating pad away from the knee?
So are you taking percocet or just the tylenol with codeine for pain? One of the things most of us find most helpful is to take our medication by a schedule.

Congratulations on being able to sleep on your side for 3 hours. A major accomplishment!

 

[Angel1978]

The flexeral I take yes hate it lol.
Take the perk I take every 4 hrs as needed. If in between the 4 hrs I am aloud to take a tylonal Codeine. Some times I trade off. Depend if I wanna sleep.Had to be give zofran cause the Meds make me nauseous.
So it's always not fun. And where I've never had to take pain Meds. Before knee replace I always took Advil alive or ibrupution. Shots Ice heat therapy no help. Had rip pain in knee up down steps hard and painful pops and I would lose balance and would fall. Ans when I squatted would fill like a shock. Yeh sleeping was good. Lol paid for it when I woke up.

I was glued. So it's start come off itchy. I go surgeon on Thursday. Today was hard had few apts. ache could not wait to be home. Laying in machine ice up. Xxx blessings.
As far as stretches yes I have them. But I have so much weakness. It's just my leg was so bad.




SonnysWife

 

[Angel1978]

I made the mistake of watching them before the sugary .


SonnysWife

 

[1ELISEA]

I was glued. So it's start come off itchy.

So was I. Yes, it is a bit itchy for a little while, but it makes for a very nice and thin scar!

 

[Angel1978]

What can you do for it? I see him thurs. Cause he is in sugury today and tommrow. And I don't wana bother them. My hub has band aids cut so they won't touch wound all up leg there is 8. Ins won't pay for me any more dressings. Ans Meds is so high. So I'm in a rock hard place lol.


SonnysWife

 

[skigirl]

If your wound is glued---as mine was, my doc told me to leave the dressing off the wound---just leave the steri strips in place. They are supposed to fall off by themselves.

Did I understand that your doctor removed your patella? Did he put a patella "button" in its place?

Since your leg was so bad, you will need to start exercising slowly---if your exercises hurt you, then scale back a little. Instead of 10 reps do 8 for instance. Take your time, this leg is going to take some time to heal and to begin to function for you.

Yes, it is lonely and long lying there for the first two weeks with your leg propped up on three pillows

Elevating your leg to control swelling and pain
Using ice

but, it is the best things for the knee itself. I watched some You Tube videos and learned how to knit while I was lying there---now I knit hats for the homeless!! Watch movies and play games, this time will pass.

I am going to give you the recovery articles from our library-- they are all short and easy to read. They will help you pass the time.

First are the BoneSmart mantras ....
- rest, elevate, ice and take your pain meds by the clock
- if it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physiotherapist - to do it to you
- if your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again
- if you won't die if it's not done, don't do it
- never stand when you can sit, never sit when you can lie down, never stay awake when you can go to sleep!

And here are some very crucial articles
The importance of managing pain after a TKR and the pain chart
Myth busting: no pain, no gain
Swollen and stiff knee: what causes it?
Activity progression for TKRs

Healing: how long does it take?
Chart representation of TKR recovery
Energy drain for TKRs
Elevation is the key
Ice to control pain and swelling

Home physio (PT) and activity progress: suggestions
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds
Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it

And wise words from members who have shared their experiences ...
Where are you in recovery?? (TKR)
Five “P’s” of knee recovery
TKR: work “smarter” and not “harder”
Recovering a knee - from one who knows!
It's never too late to get more ROM!
It's worth the wait for ROM

 

[Angel1978]

Yes he did do the patellia button. Here is imagea he show me.

There was also i diagram in office. But he said the button will be attached to the back of my knee cap so it will glide easier with no pops or pain. He said long hard recovery as opposed to the total. But suppose be shorter recovery. And he said that I will need later life total.


SonnysWife

 

[Celle]

As I understand it, the patella button goes on the back of your patella, so you probably still have a patella. The button replaces the cartilage that was on the back of your patella.

 

[Angel1978]

He said that he removed the patellia cause it was damaged.


SonnysWife

 

[referee54]

I see that you mentioned taking ibuprofen---it really does very little for the pain.

Yes, it is lonely and long lying there for the first two weeks with your leg propped up on three pillows

Yes, but when you are fully recoverd, it is certainly worth it---Kelly is right on the mark---it is lonely and it is boring---and, at times depressing, too.

The first four weeks of the TKR recovery are called, for good reason, the "Dark Days" of recovery, and you are smack-dab in the middle of them.

Hang in there, and understand that what you are going through and how you feel is all normal and will subside in time.

Since your leg was so bad, you will need to start exercising slowly---if your exercises hurt you, then scale back a little. Instead of 10 reps do 8 for instance. Take your time, this leg is going to take some time to heal and to begin to function for you.

Again, Kelly is correct---recovery from a TKR can take longer than we would like it to or expect it to---and, since your leg was rather troubled, the exercises and the stretches and such will be done very slowly---and the progress may be frustrating at times, but you will get there.

But he said the button will be attached to my back side.

I am betting that you still have the patella---and the button is attached to the back side of it.

 

[Angel1978]

I don't know will ask.


SonnysWife

 

[Angel1978]

Patello-Femoral Replacement is a more conservative type of partial knee replacement that is designed to replace just the area under your kneecap – the patello-femoral compartment – while sparing the rest of the knee. Your doctor may determine that patello-femoral replacement is right for you if your patello-femoral compartment is significantly arthritic and your other two knee compartments are health


This is what my aunt show me and she is nurse. She said with mine the knee cap is all metal. Femeral componiant.


SonnysWife

 

[Celle]

Patello-Femoral Replacement is a more conservative type of partial knee replacement that is designed to replace just the area under your kneecap – the patello-femoral compartment – while sparing the rest of the knee. Your doctor may determine that patello-femoral replacement is right for you if your patello-femoral compartment is significantly arthritic and your other two knee compartments are health

This is what my aunt show me and she is nurse. She said with mine the knee cap is all metal. Femeral componiant.

I think it might be helpful if @Josephine would explain what is done in this procedure.
There are large tendons that attach to the kneecap and I am wondering what happens to them, if the kneecap is removed or replaced.
I am not familiar with this procedure.

 

[Jamie]

Mary....your new "femoral component" is all metal, but that's not your kneecap. This would be the replacement part at the end of your femur (thigh) bone. The kneecap gets a plastic button as described and shown below. This can all be a bit confusing if you're not used to dealing with orthopedic surgery and I hope the information below will help clarify things for you.

Your knee has three compartments. There are two - one on the lateral (outer) side and one on the medial (inner) side of your knee joint. The third compartment is the patellar compartment (kneecap). It is extremely rare to completely remove a kneecap (patella). That usually only happens when there is severe knee trauma (like from a car accident where your knees crash into the dashboard) and the patella is damaged beyond repair. The fact that you had a "patellarfemoral" procedure but not a full TKR indicates you had work done in two of the three compartments.

In a patellofemoral resurfacing, there is metal placed on the femur (thigh bone) and a plastic button on the patella. These two images show that type of procedure. You can see from the second photo that the patellar button is plastic but there is also a part that is metal that attaches to the kneecap itself.

The patella is not removed, but is smoothed and then reinforced with this plastic button. However, this is not the procedure you have indicated.

If you had a patellofemoral partial knee replacement, then you had one femoral condyle (the bumpy
part of the thigh bone end) cut and resurfaced - either the lateral or the medial. This is shown in the illustration below. Plus your patella was smoothed and resurfaced with a plastic button (not shown in the illustration below - refer to the xray above).

 

[Djbrund]

Hi! Welcome!! I hope your pain is becoming better controlled. I had trouble doing straight leg lifts. Maybe have your husband or one of the kids help you lift it by placing their hand under your heel and lifting it up gently. Back and forth. You may surprise yourself and be able to join in and move it some yourself. This is what my OT did with me. But when/if you are able to lift it on your own, please only do 2 or 3. That and a few heel slides a couple times a day is plenty, unless it hurts , then back off! I hope that your husband and your kids are doing all the housework and cooking. Including laundry. You should only be seated with leg up folding towels and matching socks. Please give yourself at least 3 weeks before taking any chores back. Keep us informed on your progress. Take Care -- Joni

 

[Celle]

Thank you for the explanation, Jamie!

 

[vinny]

Hi Mary ...sorry to hear you are in such pain but know that it will get better...sleeping is difficult for many people after the operation ...probably why people are posting at 3am....a pillow between my knees helped me to sleep on my side as I found it impossible to sleep on my back......hang in there better days are coming

 

[referee54]

Yes, thanks so much for the explanation, Jamie!

 

[Josephine]

She said with mine the knee cap is all metal.

Well, she's wrong - it's not 'all' and it's not metal. We don't remove the entire knee cap, we just put a plastic 'button' on the back as Jamie showed you. But the effect is the same as your aunt was indicating. She wasn't wrong on that.

 

[Angel1978]

@Mary Davis - I'm sorry you're in pain, but please post updates about yourself on your own thread, not here. You're derailing Yorkimom's thread.

Your thread is here:
https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/i-just-got-my-new-knee.27192/page-3

So sorry I see everybody else doing it...




SonnysWife