TKR Just wondering on my progress?

[referee54]

When I go from the gas pedal to break I have a clicking in my knee.

All perfectly normal. your new knee is made of metal and plastic, not human flesh, as such. It twill thunk for a while.

My students could hear my knees thunk in stereo in the early days of recovery as I walked around my classroom.

Once you build muscle mass, the thunking will disappear---either that,or you will get used to it and not notice it anymore.

 

[Josephine]

My students could hear my knees thunk in stereo

 

[kneeper]

It sounds like you're doing great--if anything you are probably overdoing a bit. You've got to let your tissues heal before you do intense conditioning. 40 minutes on the bike at your stage seems like a bit much.

Remember you don't need to start new threads for new questions--we'll find you on yours just fine.

 

[sjm1027]

Hello Everyone,

It's been 4 months and 2 weeks (18 Weeks) since my TKR and I am still having problems walking. Wondering if any of you are experiencing the following:

• Some time when I walk I feel lil I am wobbling back and fourth.
• My knee still thumps when I walk, I went for an X-ray with surgeon and he says it looks good.
• The knee area is still very warm to touch
• I don't have a lot of pain when sitting but have discomfort when walking
• I still take Advil 2 2 pills 2 times per day and seem to need it
• When I use it a lot I have a bad day the next day, little swelling, more thumping/clicking

I am worried this will not go away at some point but I do hear this will take a year. I am still doing my PT daily but more focusing on the bile and elliptical. I take time for stretching and bending to keep my range at about 125 flexion. I that an acceptable range 0 to 125?

Thanks,
Steve

 

[maryo52]

None of this is abnormal for the stage you're in.

You know, re PT, the bike is good. Even better would be straight leg raises with a small weight (start low, go slow). Sounds like your quad may need some beefing up. Don't expect or aim for fast results. The best gains are the slowest to happen!!

Worst is wondering -- is this normal? Is there a problem with my new knee? Will I ever feel normal again?

These too are normal worries.

 

[sjm1027]

Thanks for your time, your right nothing worse than worrying. This TKR played games with me in my head. I am happy to hear none of this is abnormal. Seems I am constantly com pairing my progress from day to day. This has consumed me. On the bright side my new knee feels stronger than the other and at times better. So for that I know I am getting there.
Thanks Steve.

 

[referee54]

It's been 4 months and 2 weeks (18 Weeks) since my TKR and I am still having problems walking.

It took me about five months to lose a pesky little limp. I kept wondering when the day would come and the limp would disappear---and it did.

Some time when I walk I feel lil I am wobbling back and fourth.

"Mechanics is muscle memory"---you are still learning how to walk correctly, and I would imagine that your muscles are still not quite strong enough yet---but that will all come in due time.

My knee still thumps when I walk, I went for an X-ray with surgeon and he says it looks good.

Again---plastic on metal---the clunking, thunking sounds will disappear when you build muscle mass.

am still doing my PT daily but more focusing on the bile and elliptical.

I worked on the exercise bike---my PT cautioned me to stay away from the elliptical for some time after my BTKR---if I may make a suggestion, I would concentrate now on the exercise bike.

Seems I am constantly com pairing my progress from day to day.

You really should not do this---take everyday as they come, but understand that recovery occurs in "chunks"---in rather large time periods---and if you look at the day-by-day progress, you will drive yourself silly.

 

[sjm1027]

Thanks for your input. I have met many very nice people here. It's very helpful to be able to ask questions to others that have been through the same surgery. I would have had a very difficult time without this site and the members here. I will have to have the other knee done but my daughters wedding is in June 2015. I am doing pretty good right now and will hold off if I can until after that.
Thanks
Steve

 

[sjm1027]

I have a 6 Month in to recovery question:
I receive a monthly newsletter since day 1 of surgery. Today was my 6 month newsletter and last one. It said the following:

You are now mostly, or fully, healed from your surgery, though you may continue healing gradually for another 6 months or more. We hope you are beginning to enjoy life free from the pain and limitations your joint disease caused. If your hip or knee isn’t where you’d like it to be, don’t be discouraged; everyone recovers at his or her own rate and to different degrees. Your flexion may continue to improve—for years. [TBODY] [/TBODY] [TBODY] [/TBODY] [TBODY] [/TBODY]

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

I am wondering how some of you are feeling at 6 months?

I feel the following:
I think about my knee each time I walk. It doesn't hurt all the time but it is very numb, at times I walk like I have had a little to many to drink, I meander a little. I have strength in my leg and can do the elliptical, ride a bike and do just about anything but I feel my knee all the time except when I sit or lay down. Standing still bothers me after 5 minutes or so but I can walk over a mile. My knee is still warm to the touch and not swollen but a little puffy in one very small area. I am 59 years old, and pretty active working out 1.5 to 2 hours a day, low impact.

So again, I am wondering how some of you are feeling at 6 months, Just making sure I am in the ballpark or do I need to see the doctor. I did have my surgery on March 6th and an X-ray in July and all looked good.

Thanks for listening

 

[referee54]

At six months I felt pretty good but still had a ways to go---I could also feel it as my legs were not strong enough and I lacked stamina.

It was not until I hit the eight-month mark that I began to feel pretty close to normal. I still had progress, though for about two more months---ten months after my BTKR, I felt like I was "there."---finally!

Please remember---recovery from a TKR or a BTKR can take upwards to a year---and longer. Patience is a must! I would not worry about where you are and how you are doing
.

I am 59 years old, and pretty active working out 1.5 to 2 hours a day, low impact.

This is a little too much, too soon in this point in time in your recovery. I would back off on this and let your knee rest and recover---later on, this will not be a problem, but even at six months, ---which seems like a long enough time, you are probably taxing your knee.

 

[Phil75070]

I just had my 6 month follow up though I am not quite at that point. Most of the time I feel "tightness" (not sure how else to describe it) and it certainly doesn't feel "normal" but I don't experience any pain. I can do whatever I want to do, long walks with the dog, up and down stairs, play golf, walk up and down steep slopes, get in and out of deep sand traps - all without pain. In regard to the knee feeling "normal", my OS stated that people who have hip replacements are more likely to get to a point where they feel the hip is back to "normal" than people who have knees replaced. Also, new studies indicate that ROM can actually improve for up to 2 years. That would seem to imply to me that 100% healing can take that long for some people.

 

[referee54]

n regard to the knee feeling "normal", my OS stated that people who have hip replacements are more likely to get to a point where they feel the hip is back to "normal" than people who have knees replaced.

That is interesting---I can go for days without thinking about the fact that i am approaching 60 and my knees are closing in on 7.

In the early days of my recovery, I knew that my knees were new. Now, the knees feel like they have been a part of me since day one.

 

[sjm1027]

Funny how different we all are feeling in different stages of our recovery. Thanks for chiming in and helping me to see how I am doing. I have noticed that I do forget but not to often. I have clicking or thumping in my knee that at times can be loud enough to hear it myself, at times it is embarrasing at times. I am told the clicking will go away and it is better but still there. I have a one year appointment in March and really looking forward to seeing what he says. I will add my replaced knee is stronger than the original. To think I have one more to do after this.

 

[Phil75070]

@referee54 He didn't say all knee patients never get to that point, just that hip replacement patients are more likely to express that feeling.

 

[sjm1027]

Your killing me Phil

 

[speccybecky]

My surgeon told me that people with new hips could forget they had them but I would always be aware I had a new knee. Yes, I know some tkr's disagree with this.

 

[daughter stalker]

I think about my knee each time I walk. It doesn't hurt all the time but it is very numb, at times I walk like I have had a little to many to drink, I meander a little. I have strength in my leg and can do the elliptical, ride a bike and do just about anything but I feel my knee all the time except when I sit or lay down. Standing still bothers me after 5 minutes or so but I can walk over a mile. My knee is still warm to the touch and not swollen but a little puffy in one very small area. I am 59 years old, and pretty active working out 1.5 to 2 hours a day, low impact.

What you say is quite interesting. I am at one year two plus months. This is what I feel, but my knee is numb in a a couple of areas not the whole knee minus the little too many drinks feeling when you walk. I wish it would just go away. I hope yours goes away soon.

 

[Jamie]

One of the things you might try is some balance training. The muscles that are worked with the elliptical machine or with walking are not the ones that stabilize your leg. I found this out myself when I started back with my trainer. Oh my, was my balance poor!!! She has been having me do exercises where I do various things while standing on one leg. And she has me doing increasingly higher step-ups on one leg. I'm getting better, but I have a long ways to go.

Let me tag @alexthecat and see if she has some guidance for you.

 

[sjm1027]

Thanks, I would be very interested in finding out. My balance is a little off and I have to walk my daughter down the Isle in June. Still have the thumping or clicking. Sometimes I can make it go away simply by walking on the inside of my foot, shifting my weight a little to the inside.
Thanks for the help. Hope we hear something from @alexthecat

 

[Jamie]

If your insurance will support some physical therapy, ask your doctor to write an order for it. A few sessions and some take-home exercises can do wonders.