TKR Left Knee TKR Recovery

[EalingGran]

It's early days. Your scar looks great!

 

[Toothfairy]

Your scar is looking amazingly well healed. Sorry to hear you are still having so much pain but it is still early in recovery. Good that you are pleased with your progress. One day at a time.

 

[mendogal]

At four weeks, even at eight, pain with prolonged sitting is totally normal. Walking is often better tolerated than sitting or standing.

I had to set a timer for several weeks postop while sitting to draw, as it's easy to lose myself in it. I checked my notes: at 33 days out 15 minutes was the limit, followed by a short walkabout.

It was probably three months before I could sit and watch a movie without hitting pause a couple of times to take a walk around the house.

 

[JDinCT]

Had my outpatient PT today. Therapist is starting to add very light weight (2.5 lbs) to some of the exercises. I was able to complete and tolerate them well. Also starting to do some different exercises. I was able to make about 20 full revolutions on the bike in the backwards direction. Wasn't easy to make the first 3-4, but after that they were somewhat easier. That was after a 4-minute rocking warm-up.

Forgot to add earlier that I was able to go upstairs in my house yesterday foot-over-foot... about 18 stair steps. Went very slowly and methodically. Had to come down only one stair at a time leading with the post-op leg.

For information only, extension is 0 and flexion is 118 degrees. Up 2 degrees from last week.

Best of luck to all those on this journey!

 

[mendogal]

Yay for your staircase milestone and the bike!!!!

Most of us find going down sequentially comes later. The neuromuscular coordination plus balance and strength required to flex the new knee dynamically through the weight shifting while its topmost is... kinda remarkable actually!

I caution against the use of weights at your stage. The muscles don't heal before 6 weeks, and the tendons and ligaments take 12 weeks. Besides general inflammation needing extra rest, ice, and elevation, both muscle tears and acute tendonitis are possible.

If you feel you "must" forge ahead, at the very least avoid locking out the knee in full extension or full flexion - stay in the middle half of your range of motion to reduce strain on tendons.

 

[benne68]

I caution against the use of weights at your stage. The muscles don't heal before 6 weeks, and the tendons and ligaments take 12 weeks. Besides general inflammation needing extra rest, ice, and elevation, both muscle tears and acute tendonitis are possible.

@JDinCT I agree with mendogal here. It's too early in recovery to be muscle training with weights.

Unfortunately, very few physical therapists are educated in proper therapeutical approaches for joint replacement patients, so they default to the same protocol they use for sports injuries. That's dangerous. It's like telling someone with a broken leg that they need to start weight bearing before the bone is fully healed.

You may have seen this chart before on the site, but look closely at how long it takes for bone, ligaments and tendons to heal:

 

[Dearjr]

I agree with you all!

And I'm dreading my first revolutions on the bike

Lol

 

[selketine]

Also cannot tolerate sitting in my desk chair or in the car for very long.

I had this with my January knee surgery. I thought I'd never be able to sit at the kitchen table long enough to eat. I moved my desk chair in the kitchen which was a bit more comfortable, but still hard to sit in very long. I have a desk job and was wondering how I'd ever be able to sit so long in a chair. Somewhere in the 6-8 week mark it kept getting better.

I thought it might have to do with the tourniquet. My January knee was VERY knock-knee'd and had to be straightened a lot and the surgery took a bit longer with more done to the entire leg. The whole back of that leg was purple and very, very sore. I've noticed after this surgery I can sit in a chair no problem at least for awhile way earlier than last time. It could have been a nerve issue - it did improve slowly.

 

[JDinCT]

Thank you for the feedback!

Hit a couple milestones at PT today. Was able to do a full rotation backward AND forward on the bike today. It took me 7 minutes of warmup before I could get the forward rotation, but I got it! Did about 6 rotations.

Also, flexion was 120 degrees today. I know it's just a number, but for my mental goals, this was big one for me!

Now for a nice icing session

Hope everyone has a productive and relatively pain free weekend!

 

[Toothfairy]

Woo hoo. That is fantastic. I am so pleased for you.

 

[EalingGran]

caution against the use of weights at your stage. The muscles don't heal before 6 weeks, and the tendons and ligaments take 12 weeks. Besides general inflammation needing extra rest, ice, and elevation, both muscle tears and acute tendonitis are possible.

Absolutely agree with @mendogal on this.
I didn't use any weights until about 5 months. I really think using weights too early risks injury. Early on what you need is just gentle movement and flexibility work together with something like walking or cycling for very gradual mild strengthening.

 

[selketine]

Also, flexion was 120 degrees today.

That's amazing! I think everything else from this point on is gravy since that's a number that lets you do most things. Of course I bet it will continue to improve over the next few months just as the healing continues.

 

[Layla]

Nice update...always a pleasure hitting milestones.
Happy One Month Anniversary!
I hope you have a great weekend, JD!
@JDinCT

 

[selketine]

@JDinCT I'm sure you've seen the latest on tropical depression 14 with the models tracking it near Tampa as a cat 2 mid-week. I sure hope you don't have to do a second round with a hurricane.

 

[JDinCT]

@JDinCT I'm sure you've seen the latest on tropical depression 14 with the models tracking it near Tampa as a cat 2 mid-week. I sure hope you don't have to do a second round with a hurricane.

Unfortunately, we are right in the center of the bullseye of this one.... planning for the worst and hoping for the best.

 

[sistersinhim]

that it dissipates and harms no one.

 

[Layla]

Stay strong and know you're not alone. I'm sure your focus is on safety and you're taking all the necessary precautions. Your safety is what matters most.
@JDinCT

 

[Rockgirl4]

I'll be thinking about you and your family as this one comes ashore.

 

[JDinCT]

Thanks for everyone's kind words and thoughts!

Spent Saturday and part of yesterday prepping our docks. Spent remainder of the day yesterday prepping the house and continuing to prep this morning. Knee is not very happy this morning... but it is what it is...

Evacuating my family to New Orleans this evening. We have an early evening flight out of Tampa. If that gets cancelled, will be driving toward/to Atlanta. This will be interesting as the knee does not like me sitting in the car or in standard sitting position for very long these days. Usually 30 minutes max. Good thing I saved some Oxy.

FYI, the west coast of Florida has not received back-to-back major hurricanes in over 100 years and the Tampa Bay area has not received a direct hit from a major hurricane in over 100 years. This hurricane is predicted to make landfall Wednesday evening at a Cat 3.

Time to take a deep breath....

 

[selketine]

Evacuating my family to New Orleans this evening.

I'm sure it's hard to leave but I'm glad you're getting out. Milton is already at cat 3 as you know - and the track could go south to spare Tampa some pain but no one knows at this point. Even my son in Orlando is likely to get some substantial impacts from this - and I know Orlando is where many evacuate to so it is relatively safe.

I wish you the best on the traveling - keep us updated.