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TKR KMLknee's Second TKR Recovery

Hi KMLknee, so glad to hear your recovery is going well! I’ve really had to work on the heel to toe stride. I think after the last 5 to 6 years of limping, my posture was just so out of whack that it didn’t come natural anymore. But I’ve noticed now that when I concentrate earlier on it earlier in the day, I tend to follow it more throughout the rest of the day. The improved stride not only makes my knee feel better, but also really helps my back!
 
@newlybionic , @Muldoh , I am not having trouble really walking heel to toe. The problem is with standing. I'm able to walk normally I've just noticed that my stride is shorter than before the surgeries. I'm ok with that I guess, just more steps to get where I'm going, lol. I figure that will get better with time. But when I am standing still I feel like the leaning tower of pisa. If I try to force my weight into my heels when standing I feel like I'm going to fall backward. I tend to lock my knees to keep my balance and then my quads are constantly engaged which hurts after a while. I just wondered if anyone else experienced that? I'm still using the cane when out and about but therapy says I don't need it. It gives me a sense of security I guess.
 
Good morning everyone. I just wanted to report in. I saw my OS for my 6 week post op visit yesterday. He said I "got an A" on my progress report. He is very pleased with where I am at this point. I however am not pleased. I have lost 2° of extension in my left knee and am at about a 4° at rest with a 2° active extension. Flexion is at 116° which is not horrible.
My right knee post manipulation is 2° at rest and 0° with active extension and 122° flexion. I am focusing on my static stretches to get that last 2-4° back but am scared I will end up stuck again like the first time. Does anyone have any suggestions?
 
It is nothing unusual for your ROM to fluctuate during this recovery journey. It all depends on the amount of swelling you have. Rest for a week or two and your ROM will improve because your swelling will diminish. Don't panic your ROM will continue to improve for a year or more.
 
On top of the fact that swelling - or just being a little stiff can affect you Rom, goniometers are not particularly precise instruments. Some on here said the measures have a 5° margin of error. 6 weeks is not very long. I know you are concerned since you struggled so with the first one and I have no qualifications besides my own experience but I think you ARE DOING well.
 
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Happy Monday. I'm 6.5 weeks post op and have been in really bad pain for over a week now. I saw my surgeon Thursday and mentioned it, he asked if I was still taking prescription pain meds and I wasn't. He prescribed a low dose to take at night or prior to PT. Well.... it hasn't helped at all. I was up 3 times last night in tears. Ice doesn't help, heat doesn't help and I've apparently built up a tolerance to the narcotics. I don't remember having this much pain at 6 weeks with the first one. (I should have kept a diary) I'm really struggling because there wasn't much pain at all the first 4-5 weeks and it is somehow worse now. I haven't increased my activity or exercise routine in the last week so I can't attribute it to that. Has anyone else has this experience? I'm not sure if I should schedule another appointment with my doctor or just pray and ride it out.
 
KMLknee said:
I haven't increased my activity or exercise routine in the last week so
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What exercising are you doing? I would back off everything and focus on icing (45-60 minutes per session) and elevating.

Have you started any new activities in the last week or 2?
 
@Jaycey I'm just doing heel slides, quad sets, static stretches, and straight leg raises at home. I've been doing those from the beginning so nothing new. I'm only doing PT twice a week and not letting them physically touch me this time. I can't figure it out. It's truly a balancing act isn't it? I'm so tired. I have been basically in some kind of pain since the first one on May 27th. I'm glad I did them close together though. When it's over I will be fine. Better than healing and then having to start all over again 6 months later.
 
Are you doing all that exercise AND PT twice a week? Please stop and see if this settles. Your knee is telling you it is not happy. Continuing to push through is not working.
 
@Jaycey Yes I have but only once a day. I'll take your advice and stop for a few days and see what happens. Thank you for your help. I'm just over it all.
 
KMLknee said:
I'll take your advice and stop for a few days and see what happens.
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I few days is not near enough time to give your knee time to recover for all those exercises. You need to stop for at least a few weeks to see any improvement. Just think of all of us who never did any exercise and have ended up with a good, pain-free knee. It does not need all those exercises you are doing. You are causing extra inflammation resulting in pain and swelling and setbacks.
 
Hey KMLknee. You don't think you've done anything different but I remember you spending a day driving your Mom around. Was that near the beginning of this week of pain? I'm hoping that some rest causes things to calm down. If you are like me it is so easy to get scared when my recovery takes a 2 steps back direction. Hoping by the time you read this you are headed forward again.
 
Hi everyone, I have an appointment with the surgeon in the morning. I haven't been to PT in almost 2 weeks, I haven't done anything beyond daily activities. The last 6 or 7 days have been awful. I have constant pain in my left knee mostly under my patella. It is almost always a 7-8 on the pain scale. The best it has gotten is a 4. Pain medicine doesn't help anymore. I guess because I've gotten used to it. It doesn't do any more than Tylenol. I don't think there is anything serious going on but I'm 9 weeks out and this is the most pain once had since week 3. I can't sleep or do much of anything. I've doesn't even really help now. I'm so over it.
As a side note, my ROM is great.
Lt 127-0 Rt 130-0
Can any of you that have had both done kneel or get down in the floor and back up? Just wondering if those days are over.
 
How did your appointment with the OS go? Did you get some ideas about what is causing your increased pain?
 
I'm sorry I didn't get back with an update. I saw my surgeon Friday. I have fluid under my patella that is keeping it raised and it is interfering with the tracking. But he says it's not enough to aspirate. He told me to rest and reduce intensity of PT since my ROM is good. I told him I haven't really been doing much at all. He also started me on cymbalta which is an antidepressant but us also used for chronic pain. I've tested and iced all weekend with not much improvement. I'm so frustrated but I'm sure it is only temporary. Thank you all for your concern and being there to listen to me.
 
We had our surgery on the same day. I‘m so sorry to hear that you are in so much pain and I hope the cymbalta helps. Take care and keep us posted.
 
@ihavetwins thank you. Since we are at the same place in our journey, are you doing well? I keep thinking I should feel better by now. I didn't have this much pain at this point with the first one.
 
Hi @KMLknee

This has been a very interesting experience and I don’t know if I would have the wherewithal to do my right knee, which isn’t as bad but not in optimal condition.

I feel as though I’m doing very well thanks to the BoneSmart forum. Otherwise I’d be grinding away trying trying to increase my ROM daily and wondering why my knee was swollen. As it is I am getting around fairly well with minimal pain but I do not look forward to any more surgeries. Everyone said it was going to be easy—-ha!

I really hope you start to feel better. I can imagine how discouraging it must be.
 
Hello knee warriors. I saw my surgeon today for my 6mo Rt knee/ 3mo Lt knee follow up. He's overall happy with my progress. My flexion is 127° in each. I want to get to 130°-135° but he says 127 is great. My extension is lacking in both knees by 1-2°
He says I'm at 97% functional and while it would be ideal to be at 0° extension it's not really an impairment for mobility, it will just make standing for long periods of time more difficult. I asked if it was possible to improve it and he said at this point probably not. He said he could manipulate them but he would have to sit on them ( his words) and there is no guarantee it would help. He did manipulate the right one when he was doing the left and it was at zero but has apparently reverted back to 2°. I'm feeling discouraged. Have any of you gotten full extension after 6 months and if so how?
 
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