TKR "Knee-Day" 3 December 2013

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My BS friends I need some help! It will 11 weeks on Tuesday since my TRKR and 3 weeks since MUA. A few days after the MUA I felt "this is it! I will finally start progressing!" Wrong...even though I kept up with icing /elevating and pain management I have no functionality in my knee per my PT. I can barely bend my knee to 80 degrees without pain. With pain I can get my knee to bend to 90 degrees. At PT they can straighten my knee to 0 degrees by placing ice and weights on my knee but once they are removed I can't straighten the knee. I do the dame exercises at home and get the same results. I'm still in a lot of pain and its been nearly 11 weeks! I'm seeing my OS tomorrow. What questions should I ask?

Hugs
Denise
 
I know there are many MUA success stories out there but can't think of the names off the top of my head, so I will tag @Jamie for you she'll either have some terrific advice or be able to tag the appropriate people to come help :) Don't lose faith or hope!
 
In my humble opinion (I am not a doctor), you need to give yourself more TIME.

How often do you go to PT? I think you have been pushing yourself way too hard, which increases swelling, which reduces ROM.

A MUA this early is too aggressive, which just increases swelling, which just reduces ROM. Give it more time...............

I have been through a lot of surgeries in my lifetime - my RTKR was one of the worst. A surgery that involves breaking bone is usually much more traumatic vs. a soft-tissue surgery. A surgery as traumatic as this one, will take a year plus to recover.

Skip PT for a week. What have you got to lose? You can always do (some) exercises at home, but I would advise just taking it easy. Your body has been: sawed, hammered, glued, maybe stitched, etc, etc. Your body considers this as trauma and it needs time to recover. Our bodies are not like flashlights: when the battery dies, just slide out the dead one and then put in a new one. Our bodies are not like that. You can't just take out one knee and slip in a new one, wake up and expect to go running around like nothing happened. You need to give your body time to heal.

Any PT that makes you scream to measure your ROM is way too aggressive. Forget ROM. Unless there is a big, major health problem going on, ROM is just a measurement for the PTs' personal job evaluation (usually). Just forget ROM - take time to heal. You can work on ROM later.

Everyone heals differently. Stop comparing yourself to everyone else.

It just takes time...............

Wishing you the best,
 
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Hi Denise - sorry to hear you are in pain after your MUA. I am sure someone will be along soon to help you! I have not experienced this but would your recovery be only since your MUA and not the original surgery date? If this is the case then you are only three weeks out and and sound like you have decent ROM for that point. Hope one if these bone smarties has some advice that can help you soon. I wish you the best!
 
@Jozilla, I read that you do count from your last procedure, so yes, @denpucc is just 3 weeks out. I know it must be really hard to 'start over' with the countdown, but apparently it is like starting over - just with a wee bit of a head start.
 
Denise, these folks are absolutely right. You need to give yourself much more time before you pass judgement on how well your knee is going to function. It's simply way, way to early. The fact that you have not realized any improvements indicate to me that your initial problem was swelling and not adhesions. Your poor knee is still swollen and that is what is holding you back. You cannot do exercises or work your way to a better ROM. What it needs is weeks of gentle bending and stretching coupled with lots of ice and elevation. The more you try to exercise or resume normal daily activity, the more likely you are going to be to have swelling continue. Also, if you have pain along with the swelling, you need to be medicating yourself with either prescription meds or over the counter medications so that the pain is controlled. Continuing pain and irritation of those tender tissues will increase the swelling too.

Eleven weeks is VERY early in this recovery process, even for someone who has a fairly uneventful recovery. You're going to need some patience in the coming weeks and months. Let your body heal. Don't push yourself. And don't let your therapist do it either. Gentle, gentle....no pain with your exercises other than the mildest of discomfort.

You asked about questions for your surgeon.....one thing I would ask is what his approach will be to take care of your pain management for the coming weeks. If you are constantly in pain, it is NOT being adequately managed.
 
Did your OS mention a hard stop or adhesions. I know you mention adhesions and a history of them. But was there a "hard stop". Its so unfortunate and we send well wishes your way. Keep the faith. !!!!
 
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