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Revision TKR Instability Question

I just thought I'd check back in with you folks and share some good news for once. I guess I'm about 7 weeks out now and the new right. knee is doing great! It's really quite amazing really!! It actually feels kind of natural. I'm guessing this is how it feels when things go right. The left one is still a problem (after 5 years!) but the right.... amazing!
Thanks for all your help - I've done pretty much no PT BTW lol!

Rich
 
It is pretty mind-blowing, isn’t it? Glad to hear the second knee is a keeper!
 
rah2435 said:
It actually feels kind of natural.
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That's great! I am four months out and mine still feels like a clunky, clicky robot knee. I can walk pretty well most of the time but it doesn't feel natural yet.
 
That’s awesome that your new knee feels so good!

My partial is 14 months old and doesn’t feel the least bit natural.
 
SusieShoes said:
pretty mind-blowing, isn’t it?
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It really is - BUT (there's always a but) It makes me even more aware of how screwed up my left leg is. I came into the city tonight - left my wife off to see a play her student is starring in - came to the big city Barnes and Noble and just walking around a little when the old knee/leg - nerve damage I guess - started active up. It feels like the I have so unstable and I hate the burning sensation down the outside of my thigh. There has got to be an answer for this. If both knees felt like the new one.....I'd be as happy as a pig in clover.
Someone told me once "shake the tree" - see what's out there. Maybe someone has an answer of how I can really walk again. As much as the new knee is amazing - the old one is crippling. ugh!

But - I'm trying to be positive. If I keep searching some answer will come.

thanks everyone!

Rich
 
katchmo said:
most of the time but it doesn't feel natural yet
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It might never feel completely natural but - if you can walk w/o pain..... WOW! that's worth so much. So many people take a simple thing like walking for granted. Second nature.
It isn't.
It's wonderful.
 
Jockette said:
My partial is 14 months old and doesn’t feel the least bit natural.
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My left one is five years old and feels so many ways - none of them very positive and none of them even close to natural.
Did you have a minimally invasive procedure. I don't think it matters but - my first TKR was minimally invasive - second one was not. Again - so many people have success both ways I don't really think it matters.
Also - see my reply to @katchmo above.
:-)
 
I’m into my 5th year and my TKR is finally beginning to feel like my own knee. Everyone is different and every knee is different, but I’m glad the other seems to be a better version for you.
 
KarriB said:
5th year and my TKR
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Me too - on my left. That would great but, apparently I got femoral nerve damage following my first leg. It never felt right - it buckles a lot and it feels like there's a lot of pressure in the joint when I stand and walk. Why did your's take so long and what made it feel better?
 
Well I had an infection a month after the knee went in, so a second surgery a month after the first, then in an immbolizer for another month with massive amounts of antibiotics. So when I still had pain when walking or standing a year later, then 2 years later, then 3 years I put it down to the infection and my weight. Last March I began walking just 5-10 minutes 2x a day, adding 5 minutes every week. It took about a month or so, but soon walking wasn’t a problem and I now walk 2-2.5 miles (not super fast, about 40-45 minutes) intentionally a day. In fact, my knee feels better when I do walk.

I did develop Plantar Fascitis in my TKR foot and still have numbness on the right side which doesn’t bother me too much.
 
Wow @KarriB - you've been through a lot also. I should try walking more. You're inspiring!
 
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We’ve all been through the mill at some point, I’m sure you’ve fought through trials during your recoveries. Nerve damage is something I don’t know about. I only know what worked for me and walking seemed to build the muscle around me knee in ways that strength training didn’t. It just made sense to walk since that’s what I want me knees/legs to do. But it’s important to not push the new knee too hard or too fast. Follow the Activity progression for TKRs for walking advice early on.
 
@KarriB THX for this. I'm just about at a year with my second knee. Still is not right BUT... this week I got some new walking sticks and this is my third day of" exerstriding" 30 to 40 minutes. I worked up to this with other activities but the technique is new.I swear my knee is feeling better. We'll see.
I have also raised my daily curcumin to 1500-2000 mgs. for inflammation. It doesnt look swollen but must be inside because I have stiffness.
I'm hopeful. Also going to try some new daily quad exercises.
www.walkingpoles.com
@rah2435 . What a story about the difference between your replacements! Mine are different also but not to that degree. They were done by same surgeon. How do you know you have femoral nerve damage?
I wish I had something to offer for your struggle. Just know you will get support and advice from everyone here. It has helped keep me sane.
I hope you find a solution for your knee that isn't working well
 
Hopetohike said:
new walking sticks and this is my third day of" exerstriding" 30 to 40 minutes. I worked up to this with other activities but the technique is new.I swear my knee is feeli
Click to expand...
This looks like a great exercise. I wonder if the less expensive norditrack sticks are just as good as the exerstrider ones?
 
I think the important thing with the sticks is that they have something solid on the tips. My husband tried it yesterday with pointy tips and it didn't really work. I bought mine from the exerstrider folks because they have some that slide into place using a button rather than the twisting movement. My hands have lost some strength from arthritis.

It takes a bit to get the technique but wow .... You really do get an upper body workout also. There are good YouTube videos from the guy who started it. It is very different from the Nordic method where you use a strap.
Just look up exerstriding walking technique on you tube..

What's cool is that you can do it slowly if you want. In fact to begin, you want to go slow to get the technique down..

As you can tell I' m pretty taken with it!
Good luck if you try.
Hope you get some resolution:fingersx::) :-) (:
 
Saw my surgeon yesterday - 3 month check up. The new right knee is doing fine. I still get some pains and stiffness but... nothing to really complain about. My Leg length discrepancy (LLD) is now .9 cm ( it was 2cm. ) This is not perfect but better. I can now get away with a 1 cm lift inside my shoe.
I am having left hip pain ( I don't have arthritis in my hips ) and lower back pain. The lower back pain scares me. Dr. told me my body is adjusting to the new LLD and new knee... etc.

The left knee is still a good bit unstable. He gave me a brace for it. He told me again that the spacer swap was "in-between" sizes. If he gave me the next size up I'd have trouble bending it. So he went with one that would give me more stability and I could still move. I don't know. The right knee does not have this issue. I hate the brace. It's heavy on my leg and uncomfortable. My thinking is that if I can build up strength in that leg that it will help me with instability. MY physical therapist is fantastic. He seems very knowledgable and is really trying to help me! He talks a lot about the neurobiology of pain and how - my 5 year old knee is healed but the brain/body connection is still out of wack. It's an interesting concept - does anyone know about this? The neurology of pain and the mind body connection?

PT has me doing strong exercises for hip and quad strength. I think this is good now that I am three months out, although most of the focus is on the left knee - not the new knee. Also doing exercises to help with balance.

thanks all!
:-)
 
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