TKR Lisako76 Recovery

[Lisako76]

What exactly do you find the problem. We are in fact trying to revamp a bit, and feedback would be useful. Are you using a phone, tablet or computer?

I use either my phone or tablet. I have a hard time understanding how to post so others will see it. It's it that you post and it shows up in New? If so, how long will it stay in New so that enough people can see and answer? Or do you need to follow others to know how they are doing?

I'm used to social media where you post and people respond. I feel like if i just post again in my feed how will people know it's a new topic? Do i reply to someone else's last answer even though it's a new question?

I love this site and the moderators get back to you amazingly fast! I just am unclear where the best place is to post a question. I hope that made sense!

 

[Jockette]

Continue to post right here as you just did, just scroll down to the reply box and write.

There is no need to quote everyone you want to respond to, that takes up a lot of space, and as staff, we read a lot of posts, and it’s time consuming to differentiate between quotes and replies. You can just mention someone’s name, if you want to. You can tag members, too. I’ll go get the tutorial about tagging.

We can always change your title for you, any time you want, but its not necessary for every minor change of discussion.

When I come to Bonesmart I go to the main listing of all the forums, then to the Knee Recovery, and read all the posts. This way I see all the posts that were written while I was offline. Others do the same thing.

 

[Jockette]

Here is information about tagging another member:

Tagging other members and answering tags

You may have seen members call another member or member of staff to a thread. This exactly like tagging someone in Twitter. Just put an @ before the member's user name like so: @SFgal When you post the reply the name will turn into a link: If someone tags you, a red number will appear beside...

bonesmart.org

 

[Jockette]

Here is information on other ways to use this forum:

How To Use This Forum

Short articles to help you navigate BoneSmart and better use all the features available.

bonesmart.org

 

[Lisako76]

Thanks

 

[Lisako76]

I've had 2 arthroscopic knee surgeries, one on each knee. The scar tissue formed on the right knee after the surgery 2 years ago and i never got that leg straight. It won't matter now because I'm having the right knee replaced the end of October. It did however make me afraid it will happen again. It sucked that i have been walking with the knee slightly bent since.

Can scar tissue do that after TKR and if so. How can i prevent it?

 

[Jamie]

Don't worry about others seeing your new posts. They show up in bold on the index page for other members when you make new comments. That's how they know your thread has new content. Most people click on the NEW POST link when they come online, so they should see what you write fairly quickly.

If you haven't been using the NEW POSTS link, I suggest you give it a try.

 

[Roy Gardiner]

It sucked that i have been walking with the knee slightly bent since.

Can scar tissue do that after TKR and if so. How can i prevent it?

There are 'scar tissue' and 'adhesions'. Scarring is universal, adhesions are rare and is when soft tissues stick together, restricting movement. Adhesions are often caused by working too hard in recovery, causing excess swelling. Here's an advance copy of our recovery guidelines with our take on how to get the best ROM.

We are all different, as are the approaches to recovery. The key is, “Find what works for YOU.“ Your doctor(s), physiotherapist(s) and BoneSmart will offer advice and are there to help. The advice may vary, but YOU are the final judge as to the recovery approach you choose.

Knee Recovery: The Guidelines

1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now, they are almost certainly temporary

2. Control discomfort:

rest​

elevate​

ice​

take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)​

don't overwork.​

3. Do what you want to do BUT

a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you​

b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.​

4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of these

the BoneSmart view on exercise​

BoneSmart philosophy for sensible post op therapy​

5. At week 4 and after you should follow this

Activity progression for TKRs​

6. Access these pages on the website

Oral And Intravenous Pain Medications​

Wound Care In Hospital​

The Recovery articles:

The importance of managing pain after a TKR and the pain chart​

Swollen and stiff knee: what causes it?​

Energy drain for TKRs​

Elevation is the key​

Ice to control pain and swelling​

Heel slides and how to do them properly​

Chart representation of TKR recovery​

Healing: how long does it take?​

Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it​

Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?​

There are also some cautionary articles here

Myth busting: no pain, no gain​

Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR​

Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds​

We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery.

While members may create as many threads as they like in a majority of BoneSmart's forums, we ask that each member have only one recovery thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review history before providing advice.

 

[Lisako76]

The surgeon said it was scar tissue restricting the movement. That's all i know and it's not something i really understand other than on a basic level. It just made me worry that it could happen again. I asked the in home PT and he said that couldn't happen but others have said it could. I watched the knee surgery video but am not sure what, if any of the tissue is left of the knee besides from the patella. That's why i was asking because you guys are so knowledgeable!

 

[Roy Gardiner]

The surgeon said it was scar tissue restricting the movement. That's all i know and it's not something i really understand other than on a basic level.

Sorry, I should've made it clear I was talking about post-TKR.

It just made me worry that it could happen again. I asked the in home PT and he said that couldn't happen but others have said it could.

It can, but it's rare. Sometimes (some say always) caused by overdoing painful exercise in recovery, causing more swelling and pain. See the recovery guidelines, above.

 

[Lisako76]

Thank you! The scar tissue was from previous arthroscopic not tkr

 

[Lisako76]

I'm plugging along with my tkr at 4 weeks. I have good days and bad ones which I expected but it's getting frustrating. With my hip replacement, it loosened up it pretty much stayed that way. Recovery would stall but not go backwards so much.

With this knee replacement I'll have a good day and think yay! I'm finally moving forward! Then I get up the next day and I'm back to day 1. Super stiff, hurts to bend, sore. Adding to the fun is the pain meds and constipation that leave me nauseated and uncomfortable. Yes I'm taking stuff for it but it's an ongoing issue. My second knee is scheduled for 10/25 and I hoped to feel much better at this point. I'm just hoping for one day that is comfortable sleeping, sitting and standing. At this point I'd even take one of them! Tomorrow is PT and I know it helps but I really don't want to go. I'm starting to feel beat up with all this. 3 joint replacements in one year isn't fun. Before that I've had a bunch of other surgeries thanks to my inflammatory arthritis. I'm pretty tough but I'm getting tired of the fight sometimes. I'll get back to it but today I just want to go back to bed and flop around uncomfortably lol. When will the pain and stiffness get better? I need to see progress.

 

[FCBayern]

Unfortunately knees take quite a bit more time than hips to start feeling like you are really making progress @Lisako76. My knee recovery was definitely a longer slog than my hip, but it does get better, even if it doesn't feel like it yet.

 

[Jockette]

I'll get back to it but today I just want to go back to bed and flop around uncomfortably lol.

I’m sorry you feel so down, but as FCBayern said, this is the nature of this recovery.

It‘s fine to take a rest day and do practically nothing, in fact, it will do your knee a world of good!

 

[Susie-Q]

@Lisako76 For constipation, may I recommend the tea, Smooth Move by Traditional Medicinals. You can find it at your grocery store and it really works. I drink 1-2 cups a day and it seems to keep me regular. I'm still taking oxy. Make sure you are eating something when taking your pain pills. I take those apple sauce squeezes, sugar free pudding or some sun sweet prunes to the bedroom with me to have during the night when I need to take meds. I hope they help.

 

[Lisako76]

Hey everyone. I've achieved 120 degree flex after tkr so that's great. There is a 2-3 degree bend when i walk that just feels off so i don't like it. I know i saw a post somewhere on here about how to get that locked in straightening feeling but i can't find it. Does anyone know where that is? No one is pushing this, its me. I can straighten my knee totally when i sit and when i lift my leg out in front of me. But when i sit the knee won't touch the table and walking is slightly bent. I would like to lose that so any tips would be appreciated. It also hurts to lie on my back without a pillow under my knees

 

[FCBayern]

Make sure your taking proper hell/toe steps and try lengthening your stride when you walk, that will help stretch those large muscles on the back of your leg and help you achieve extension @Lisako76. That's what got my last few degrees of extension.

 

[Claire56]

@FCBayern my OS also recommended that.

 

[Lisako76]

Hi everyone. I have an issue that I have no good answer for and doctors seem to blow off with a shrug. I'm hoping one of you has an idea. I had a bad fall last year and ever since I have been unable to get myself up off the ground. I can't stand from a chair without my arms pushing me up. It was a sudden change. Since that fall I've had left knee replacement, left hip replacement and right knee replacement. My right leg, even though knee surgery was 10/25, it's much stronger than my left. I'm so frustrated. Why is my left leg still so weak?

I keep thinking could I have torn an important muscle that won't heal? Doctors say no. Is there an exercise that would help me? Sitting in my recliner right now with my feet up, I can only lift my left foot up a few inches. My right foot a good foot. Help :( I'm afraid I'll never get that strength back.

 

[Jockette]

All I can say is you’ve had 3 major surgeries in a year, and your first knee is not yet even 3 months old. Healing takes time, lots of time, as long as a year on average, and that’s true if we even have just one joint replacement, and you’ve had 3, within a year.

You had to ask a lot of your first, very young knee, when you had your second knee done. It’s kind of the equivalent of overdoing an activity, so I’m not really surprised that it’s not quite “as good” yet as the second. It may have needed more surgical work than your second knee.

Either way, you are very early in recovery and I’m sure you will improve in time.