Josephine - Knee Tightness??

[Jamie]

Josephine, I know this has been answered a hundred bazillion times, but in general, how long do you think it takes for the tightness to go away in the knee following surgery? I'm 5 weeks out now and most of the time have a real tight feeling across the front of my knee where the scar is when I move to a full bend. Will it ever go away entirely so my knee feels normal like the other one? Is this still scar tissue that I need to try to break up? I know I'm impatient.....sorry. I have good range of motion now - 118 degrees at last measure and am doing some walking without my cane too. Still taking 8 Darvoset a day for pain, though - 2 every 5-6 hours. Still icing after activity and at night when I go to bed. I have had a wonderful home therapist and will now be starting outpatient PT at the end of next week. I guess I'm just needing some reassurance that I'm "normal" for where I am in the recovery process and gonna be completely normal at some time. I will be seeing my OS next week also and am very anxious to see how he thinks I'm doing. Oh, and I have started to notice some slight noise when I bend...right in the knee joint at the front. Is it ligaments moving around? The joint itself? Will that go away eventually or is it just something that happens with the artificial joint? Will appreciate your (any anyone else's) viewpoint.....Thanks so much for providing such great support! Recovery would have been MUCH more difficult without you and all the great people on this site. ....Jamie

 

[JenniferG]

For me, it is that tightness taht hurts. Weird to have the knee joint itself almost feel like it doesn't exist but everything around it does. swelling contributes to the tightness right?

 

[Josephine]

Well, there you have asked an almost unanswerable question. It is such a variable and has no specific answer. Different people do different things. Some have quick resolution and others battle in for months. For some, the pain abates after weeks or a few months, for others it takes much, much longer.

Sorry I can't be more positive but that's the truth of it.

Good news is that for the vast majority of patients the pain and swelling lasts only about 4-8 months overall.

 

[JenniferG]

That big swollen and numb spot that feels like it is full of jello when I push it, normal swelling?

 

[Josephine]

If it gets bigger and smaller according to the amount you've pushed it, could be you have an effusion which is to say, free fluid in the joint. But this should dissipate over time. Be sure to mention it to your OS when you see him next.

If it gets bigger and tighter, make an appointment to see him anyway.

 

[JenniferG]

i see him tuesday for my 3 week. When you say pushed it do you mean the spot with my finger or myself throughout the day with activity level? Is it a problem?

 

[Jamie]

Sorry I asked the impossible. Guess I'll just try harder to be patient and see what time brings.....sigh.....a learning experience and forced change to my "do it now!" personality. As long as I have hope that some day my knee won't be so tight and noisy, that is okay.

 

[Nursepair]

Jamie, I still have a lot of tightness in my knee at 12 weeks PO same place as you and all round. Still very swollen and only have an 87-90 bend. You still have a good chance it will go soon. I am probably looking at manipulation. I see my OS Tuesday to find out.

Good luck.

 

[kath]

Jamie,
I can tell you now that I have one knee at 3 months and one knee at 3 weeks, the tightness for me on the 3 month one is mostly gone. 3 week one, that is another story.
3 month one I have a numb spot, 3 week one almost no numbness around incision, so goes to show you the difference in 2 knees even on the same body.
Also my 3 month knee I could feel this click/glunk whatever most of the time I walked just a month ago and now it is gone. In fact due to my concentration of pain etc. on the 3 week knee, I barely think of the other one at this point.

 

[kath]

Nursepair,
Hope not, hope it all works out, but if not Ladyblue seemed to think it wasn't so bad after all, check with her and see how she is doing.
I don't have big numbers either, but I am happy with whatever it is on the 3 month one.
I figure when the 3 week knee catches up I will do some extensive work on them together, for now one day at a time. If I can walk with out pain, that will do it for me.
I guess I have small goals but just loosing the pain is all I care about right now, know what I mean? 90, 100, 130 whatever.
Let us know what your OS says when you go. Good luck.

 

[Nursepair]

Thanks Kath, you are right, I should be grateful about not having that old pain in the knee. Sometimes you get all caught up in the moment you forget about the past?

Good luck with both your knees, I think I will put my other one off as long as possible. So far it is holding up well with the last cortisone shot in December.

How are you doing Ladyblue, I had forgotten you had the Manipulation?

 

[Josephine]

i see him tuesday for my 3 week. When you say pushed it do you mean the spot with my finger or myself throughout the day with activity level? Is it a problem?

I meant the spot with your finger!

 

[texassissy]

My PT recommended vit E oil.. which I use 2 or 3 times per day and I dont suffer from the feeling of tightness from my scar.. maybe that would help..

Blessings.. LInda

 

[Jamie]

Kath, I'm going to focus on what you've achieved and think that it will happen for me too. I am very much looking foward to posing these questions at the OS visit next week.