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TKR Just curious

Photogoddess said:
possible to over do it at 10 months post? I think I might have. I am out of town and did a lot of walking and did aqua pt at the hotel. Knee is pretty stiff and warm
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Definitely. My guess is that it is the aqua PT that has done it. I could walk for miles from fairly early on but the few times I have tried aquarobics I have been stiff and sore afterwards. The last time I tried it was a hotel class at about 18 months post my surgery. I was not aware of any discomfort during the class and it didn't feel particularly tough but I definitely did something to my knee which it didn't like.
I accept now that I just can't judge my body properly in water. I was always a bit hypermobile and I suspect I may twist more than is safe when suspended in a pool.
 
Hi all...just curious if anyone is experiencing not getting your knee extended to 0? I am almost 11 months post op and I still cannot get my knee to extend to 0. I attached a pic to show the difference of my knees. Is this normal to take so long to get the knee fully to 0? I know that my knee still has internal swelling cause I feel it when doing rom exercises and etc. I have been doing pt for the past 10.5 months pretty much every day along with daily life things. Just feeling a little frustrated and cannot remember how long it took my right knee. I know I am older and I am healing a lot slower, so probably just a matter of patience. Thanks for listening, just needed to vent a little. Take care.
 

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Yes, we have seen folks who take more than a year to fully recover. The fact that you are feeling swelling is likely the cause of not reaching full extension and eventually that should resolve. You can’t compare it to your other knee. Each surgery is unique. It looks like you’ll just need to continue with what you’re doing and try to be patient. Just be sure that you’re not overdoing things with your exercises and activities of daily living. You could cut back on one or the other for a couple of weeks and see if that helped. Extension is always the last thing to come.
 
Thank you @Jamie I appreciate your advice and will work on being more patient. Have a good weekend! :)
 
Hi….I wanted to give an update since Sept. 17th will be one year post op for my LTKR. Below I will put it in a outline kind of form. I have my year post-op appt. tomorrow!!

  • For the most part I can do every day things. Cleaning, work, hobbies, etc. which I am happy with.
  • As for work, I do sit for most of the 10hrs I work daily, but, find that I still have to get up every hour or so to stretch the knee because it still bothers me to keep it bent for long periods of time.
  • As mentioned just above, keeping the knee bent for long periods is still uncomfortable, but, when getting up it still takes me a skinny minute to get it to straighten out and loosen up. I also still have that medial pain on and off since the surgery that rears its ugly head when straightening the knee from sitting position and after doing leg machine at the gym.
  • I haven’t measured my ROM since the end of June after my last PT appointment (I continue to do my own PT at the gym), but I would say it is probably around 107-110. I still have internal swelling that is really affecting this and the knee still gets warm after gym days and some daily activities.
  • My extension is still a work in progress. I still cannot get it to “0” yet, but it has slowly been getting straighter. The internal swelling is also affecting this. I can see it when I do leg extensions.
  • Stairs are still a challenge for me. Going up the stairs is ok, but coming down is challenging. Some days are easier than others, but, still a challenge.
  • Sitting in low profile seating I still have to use something to help me up. It isn’t terrible, but I am more aware of where I sit if I have a choice if that makes sense.
  • As for pain, I don’t have any pain, just uncomfortable feeling after certain activities. The only real pain I have is what I mentioned above, the medial part of the knee, the inside part.
  • I don’t really do any of the exercises that PT gave me in the early days, I have incorporated more gym time. Heel slides flare up my back too much so I have come up with different ways to do flexion exercises, like aquatics, hot tub etc.

So all in all these are the things that I currently still work through. For the most part, the knee is doing well. I don’t want this list to come across as negative, It is just a list of progression and how this is a marathon and not a race. I know that all these things will eventually get better over time and patience is the key word. I still get frustrated, mentally drained, and down that I am not 100% yet, but I know that I will get there. I know that I have certain medical issues that cause me to heal slowly, and I have to keep that in mind, very hard sometimes, but need to. I am open to any suggestions to anything you guys think I could be doing or things I shouldn’t be doing. Bonesmart has been so amazing and all of the folks who run this site have been absolutely wonderful. Hats off to you all. Thank you for continuing to support me through this long journey. I hope everyone who is just beginning, in the middle, or year + out like me, keep hanging in there. Things will get better!

Take care and happy healing!
Polly
:friends::flwrysmile:
 
This is an honest update and I appreciate it. We don’t all have total recoveries within the first year. My first year was very difficult but I did have a lot of improvement in my second year. I think you will see the same.

Best Wishes as you continue on!
 
Your experience is very normal. We (and most surgeons) tell people that full recovery will be a full year. But in reality, it can take even more than that for everything to completely resolve. After all, your body is trying to come back from adjustments it made for years to compensate for your knee as it declined.

I don’t think it’s necessary to do the exercises given to you early in recovery. It sounds like your gym workouts and activities of daily living are just fine. I’d say continue doing what you’re doing. As long as you’re not experiencing any significant pain, you should be fine. Just do be careful with the leg exercises for a while longer. That may be what’s causing some of your swelling. It would probably be good to back off on resistance and reps as long as this is occurring.
 
I think you are doing well for only a year out. I was one of those who had improvement in my 2nd and 3 years. The ROM was continuing to improve, and now it's 0 and 130. Time is the best healer!
 
Thanks for the update and great news on the progress you've made, Photogoddess.
Best wishes for your one year post op visit today. Happy One Year Anniversary too! May it only get better! :thumb:
@Photogoddess
 
Thank you everyone for your amazing encouragement and wishes. The doctors appt went very well and he is really happy with my progress. He said, as you all here have said, time is the key. And he said that it is usually 2 years before you will feel 100%. He told me to keep doing what I am doing and don't kill myself over doing things. All in due time. I don't have to go back to him now for 2 years! Thank you all for your encouragement, and lending an ear to listen when times get tough! Keep up the great work Bonesmart, you truly are making a difference in the help you all provide. Happy continued healing to everyone navigating through this marathon!

Polly
 
Thanks for the kind words, @Photogoddess. Please don't be a stranger. Hope you drop by every now and then to let us know how you are doing.

:flwrysmile:
 
Hello Polly,
We appreciate your kind words. Thank you!
Great news that your appointment went well and your OS is pleased with your progress. :thumb: That's what we all hope to hear. We also hope to hear from you again. Even after you Insider subscription ends, you're still welcome to post updates on your thread, so please keep that in mind and pop in when you feel like it.
Wishing you continued progress and steady improvements as move into your second year post op. :)
@Photogoddess
 
What a wonderful, sweet post! You have made my day. Your comments are so encouraging, and helpful to those who don't realize that it is truly a time thing, that you can't force knees to heal and recover any quicker than they are going to.
 
Hi All and Happy New Year! Hope everyone had a great holiday! I just wanted to reach out and give a small update. I have been doing well for the most part. I am 16 months post-op and still have stiffness and my ROM is still a work in progress. I just keep thinking to myself, I hope one day these tendons will just relax so the knee isn't so tight. I measured my knee circumference today and my left knee ( the sept. 2024 tkr knee) is still an inch bigger than my right knee. L 18" R 17", swelling? fluid?. I had to miss a month at the gym due to some other medical issues, but still did some stretching, bending, and every day activities, (work, house stuff, grocery shopping. etc.). I will be going back to the gym starting next week to get back on the bike and aqua therapy. Going down the stairs is getting better, some days are a little more tougher than others and I always need to hold onto the rails.

But, as I mentioned, for the most part I am doing well, and can do just about everything I need to do. I haven't measured my ROM for a long time and don't feel I really need to stress about the numbers. I figured as long as I can do what I need to do then my range must be ok. Extension is still not 0, but it feels close. I think this ongoing swelling or fluid or whatever is making my knee still not normal size, is hindering the 0 extension.

Hope everyone is doing well in their healing and for those struggling, keep going and allow yourself some grace.
As many have said, this is a marathon and not a sprint. :)

Take care and thank you to the BS crew for all that you do in helping folks through all of this!!
Polly
 
Good to hear from you. I had a tough first year but I saw a lot of improvement in my second year, all around, and even an increase in ROM in my third year! All I did was daily activities.
 
So good to hear from you and know you’re doing okay. The good news is that you are still seeing some gradual improvements and frankly this can go on for several years after your joint replacement. Our bodies heal on their own schedule. When you think how long it took for your body to get in the shape it was before surgery, it’s easier to give yourself some grace if it takes longer than you’d like for things to completely realign. But I think you’re doing just great and I’m proud of your sunny attitude! Here’s to a great 2026!!
 
We so appreciate when you check back in and let us know how your doing. Sounds like your going along great. Good for you. The slow and steady motto is right.
 
Photogoddess said:
for the most part I am doing well, and can do just about everything I need to do. I haven't measured my ROM for a long time and don't feel I really need to stress about the numbers
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Atta Girl! That's the right attitude. You seem to be doing very well and it's going to get even better!
It's your sixteen month anniversary to date...Happy Sixteen Month Anniversary and a great 2026 to you!
Thanks for stopping by to share an update. :)
 
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