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TKR Larger Size Knee Prosthesis<

After a relaxing uneventful day yesterday I was awoken at 5am with an excruciating sharp spasm in my left butt cheek. Fortunately it eased quickly but I have felt shakey and weepy since.

After I have done my 25 mins on the Circulation Maxx machine, hubby will help me wit some sit to stands.

I wonder if anyone else has my problem ... one leg 5cns shorter than the other due to hip problem plus the fact that my new knee does not straighten properly because of tight muscles behind knee and as a consequence unable to walk. Even hopping with a walker is a nightmare. How do people manage?
 
Please try not to fret too much about the tight muscles and tendons behind the knee and not being able to straighten the knee all the way. That happens to a lot of us! I had that, and it's very common. The muscles and tendons behind the knee are big and thick (not to mention they now have swelling around them), so stretching them takes time. That's the thing to keep in mind: it will take time to stretch those muscles.

The good news is your knee will stretch those muscles and tendons naturally just by the motions natural to the knee. Walking and your daily activities will do the job. You can do some gentle exercises later on in recovery if you want to help the process along, but the best thing is to be patient. You will get back your straight knee. :yes!:

Not many people have your set of circumstances. :sad: An auto accident and pelvic injuries that result in a shortened leg are challenging! There are a few members, though, with unusual and difficult problems and they bring unique perspectives about recovery. No two recoveries are alike, for sure. I hope you are faring well with your injuries. Your knee appears to be doing fine. And be weepy if the mood strikes. It's normal for emotions to well up and take over sometimes. :console2:
 
Izabel said:
I wonder if anyone else has my problem ... one leg 5cns shorter than the other due to hip problem plus the fact that my new knee does not straighten properly because of tight muscles behind knee and as a consequence unable to walk. Even hopping with a walker is a nightmare. How do people manage?
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As SusieShoes said, the straightening will come. Can you touch the floor with the toes on your TKR leg? If so, try to use it a little to walk, even if that foot is on tip-toes. Hopping isn't going to be too good for your hip.

I think that as your leg straightens you will notice the leg length discrepancy less, which will help, too.

Do you have a physiotherapist? If so, ask her/him for help in being able to use your TKR leg a bit more.
 
Thank you @SusieShoes and @Celle for your input.

I have been resting more and doing light stretching exercises more the past couple of days and already notice a slight loosening. The Physio at the hospital was having me walk heel to toe with that foot ... it was painful and nerve wrecking. Tip toe seems the best way forward at the moment.

Leg feels bruised this morning after a bit of a crampy night so have already done first round of light stretching and taken a 1000mg paracetamol with a cup of tea and chocolate chip cookie!
 
:wave:Chocolate chip cookies are very healing.
You are getting great advice from two of the best. Celle and SusieShoes...
Time is going to be the main healer...so try to be patient.
Hope your weekend is sweet.:SUNsmile:
 
@Izabel - just a small request: please will you use normal font instead of italics? You see, when someone's post is quoted, it comes in italics. It's a bit confusing if you post in italics as well.
I have gone back and changed most of your posts from italics to normal font.
At the top of the box in which you write your posts, there are 3 letters on the left - B, I, and U. If you select I, it should remove the italics from your font.
Thank you. :flwrysmile:
 
Izabel said:
Leg feels bruised this morning after a bit of a crampy night so have already done first round of light stretching and taken a 1000mg paracetamol with a cup of tea and chocolate chip cookie!
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Your approach to recovery is exemplary. Chocolate chip cookies should be part of every recovery! As a diabetic, I had to make do with graham crackers and, trust me, they are not a substitute. Your leg and knee will undergo a lot of different feelings and sensations along this journey; we call this "scenic."
 
Hope you are being patient and that things are easing some.
Just popping in to spread some good mojo!:tada:
 
@Mojo333 your good mojo obviously worked!

I went for my first post op consultation with my surgeon and staples out. I thought he would not be pleased with my lack of walking progress as I went in a wheelchair. To the contrary he was delighted with me ... said I looked well, said my leg sat well in the chair and queried how I felt I was doing in general. He re-prescribed my pain medication, Metamizole and Tramadol (double scripts) and prescribed a sleeping tablet (two months worth). Was with us whilst the staples were removed. said all looked well. He had sent my patella off for examination as he said it was full of holes, something he had not seen before, but had not received a report back yet. I am to continue home stretching and see a PT to assist in loosening and strengthening the muscles and tendons so I can straighten my leg, whom I am seeing tomorrow and the surgeon again in three weeks.

He said the prosthesis put in was slightly larger than my other knee ... is this normal practice?

All in all, I am delighted even though the three hour round trip and visit was very tiring so I am icing in bed.
 
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Sounds like a great report! Walking progress at your stage of recovery generally means short distances. Some people do have trouble walking even to the bathroom, and find it painful to sit in a chair with feet on the floor, so it sounds like you're doing well.

PT can be a wonderful thing, but it is also where TKR people tend to get into trouble. Please don't let the therapist push on your knee, or force your knee to bend in any way. You do all the work. The only bending that matters is the bend you get using your own muscles anyway. Forcing the knee puts it at risk of tiny internal tears in the healing tissues that increases inflammation. If that happens, your knee will swell more, and if it swells more, you hurt more. :sad: Many therapists understand this, though, and are gentle. (Just warning you because some aren't.) Insist on gentle therapy this early in recovery.

Izabel said:
He said the prosthesis put in was slightly larger than my other knee ... is this normal practice?
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I'm not sure what you mean. Have both of your knees been replaced... and the surgeon put a larger prosthesis in the most recent one? Or do you mean the prosthesis he put in makes this TKR larger than your other, original knee? If the latter... I don't know for certain, but my TKR knees feel larger than my original knees. I'm just not sure that they are. I'll have to ask my OS next month when I see him.
 
@Izabel, I thought that was what you meant, but I wanted to be sure. Having different sized prostheses in bilateral knees does happen for a variety of reasons. :)
 
My Physio went well yesterday. I have a lovely Dutch gentlemen who has been with me through all my trials and tribulations. He will be my monitor.advisor for the stretching of muscles/tendons and regaining the muscle that has atrophied. He gave me several exercises to do as frequently as comfortable and my hubby was instructed to assist with a couple basically in a support role. As strength returns we will work on walking. He is aware the hip is not repaired and the leg length discrepancy.Actually, when I was seeing him months ago, he indicated one leg was shorter than the other before the Surgeon confirmed it. As I was sitting squarely in the wheelchair, he thought I was yet to have the op as my knee was seated properly, just as my Surgeon had noted. I will see him once a week.

Must say, knee immediately feels better without the staples and I only woke up three times in the night having taken the sleeping tablet, Bromazapan 3mg.

So my recovery journey now begins ... :egypdance::flwrysmile:
 
What a great report! Your therapist sounds absolutely perfect: familiar with you and your history, gentle, and a gentleman too. :yes!: Once a week is good. He can monitor your progress and you will be in control of your exercise during the week, along with your supportive husband.

How true that recovery is a journey!
 
It was 6 weeks yesterday from my surgery. I saw my Surgeon on Wednesday and he removed the steri strips and giant clear bandaid and was pleased with how all looked. He ha the report back on my kneecap he sent off and the damage was necrosis and not a tumor he had initially suspected. He sent me for knee and hip X-rays and boy was the hip one painful ... I was put in some contorted position on my left hip with my right leg up and over my body holding it up in the air then my right leg pulled back as far as possible! A cushioned table would have been nice rather than metal. The tears did fall but the two girlie techs were brilliant. Back to doc, knee fine but no change on hip with the fractures. He does not want to operate as it showed deterioration in my femur and tibia and my weak muscles and he says it could be dangerous changing the slipped stem and being 70 I am not a spring chick anymore. He has shown me more exercises to strengthen my muscles and put me on Calcium & D3 tablets (although I already take D3) plus acido alendronico for Osteoporosis. Plus I have to do walking and kicking exercises in hot tub. I can now hobble and tipytoe about 30 small steps with the walker. I see him again on 27 June.

It is hard to keep positive at times. My thigh still hurts from my contortionist act even after icing so I have not done my daily walk yet ... I will later when hubby comes home with lunch.

Next Tuesday I have my blood analysis and mammogram/ultrasound so I wonder how that will go in a wheelchair then my Onc Surgeon 28 May.


 
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Izabel said:
My thigh still hurts from my contortionist act even after icing so I have not done my daily walk yet .
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It will probably take a few days for those muscles calm down. Walking will probably be good for it.
 
I am having difficulty straightening my leg which makes my tippytoe walking with the walker even more strenuous.

Does anyone have any good back of knee stretching exercises I can do either lying down or sitting in a chair?

On a positive note on another matter, my mammogram and ultrasound came out negative ... relief for another year (4.5 years now) so one thing off the worrying checklist. :yes!:
 
Why are you walking on tippy toes? I cannot imagine doing that even now!

Straightening usually takes longer and will come in time. You are still in early days.
 
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