Bilateral TKR Mamamoe's Recovery Thread

[Mamamoe]

Is anyone having issues with your knees burning. My one knee started burning today, but not the other. I had PT yesterday and I thought it could be from over use. I am 7 weeks Post op and the burning just started today...

 

[Dizzy]

Yup...I've had burning sensation for quite a while. Seemed worse when icing so I have stopped icing. I even have burning in my other knee which had TKR 3 years ago. I'm assuming it's inflammation. Hurts like a !!!

 

[Mamamoe]

I am 8 weeks post op and my knees are still very stiff, is anyone else having these issues?

 

[Jockette]

Yes, almost all of us have continued stiffness at 8 weeks, and even longer than that. While it’s annoying, it’s normal and will fade in time.

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

YES!!!! I’m 9 weeks post op for bilateral TKR, and I am soooo stiff every day. Doing my stretches and exercises helps loosen me up some, but the next day, I’m just as stiff. In addition, I’m still having occasional pain behind my right knee due to a super tight hamstring. I’ve been working on that hamstring for weeks now, but it still flares sometimes and causes my whole lower leg (calf, shin, foot) to ache. It happened last night for no reason that I can see and kept me from falling asleep until 3:00 am. Diclofenac gel, Advil, Tylenol had no effect on it. I had to ice from 2:00 to 3:00 to get comfortable.

I have to go back to work in 3 weeks, and I’m very worried about it.

 

[SpaceGirl]

Oh yes, 11 weeks post op and the morning is the worst for me. I wake up stiff and achy but when I get moving it eases off.

 

[Mamamoe]

Thanks everyone, I thought maybe there was something wrong or maybe I was doing something wrong. My ROM is only about 90 in one knee and 85 in the other. I’ve been going to PT twice a week and doing exercises at home and I thought I should be further along. I was supposed to go today but I called and cancelled, I just feel so depressed that I still can’t bend my knees like I feel I should...

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

I’m only a week ahead of you. I’ve been stuck at 105L and 100R for weeks now. Nothing is changing no matter how many heal slides I do. I hope I get better ROM over the next 10 months like the Bonesmarties promise!!!

 

[Jockette]

I just feel so depressed that I still can’t bend my knees like I feel I should...

Please try not to worry. My ROM was very slow my whole first year but continued to improve in my second year and even in my third year. There is no window of opportunity like so many people tell us.

This is what @TortiTabby experienced. (Just so you know, ADL means Activities of Daily Living, which means just go about the normal things you do in the course of your day, and not doing a “list of exercises.”)

Just an update for those who are apprehensive about gaining ROM:
It has now been 26 weeks and all I do is ADL and this is what my ROM has done:
3.5 wks: 75
6 wks: 85
7 wks: 90
10.5 wks: 95
14 wks: 100
17 wks: 105
20 weeks: 110
26 weeks (where I am today): 120!!!
I did it! My goal of 120! No "pushing through pain", no PT after the first 3 visits, and most importantly to me: No MUA! My surgeon who said I would never get beyond 85 ROM without pushing through pain was wrong, wrong, wrong. I'm excited to see if it gets even better.

 

[Mamamoe]

Has anyone ever had a knee manipulation?

 

[Jockette]

Some of our members have had a manipulation. (MUA) Sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn’t, it all depends on the cause of the “lack“ of bend.

An MUA will help if you have a true adhesion. It will not really help if swelling is the cause of a supposed lack of bend. Swelling can sometimes take months to go down and for some of us it takes longer than others. Personally I feel that 2 months is too early to consider an MUA. You still have lots of healing to do at 2 months post op. ROM can continue to get better well after a year or more. There is no window of opportunity.

Why do you ask, has your surgeon suggested it?

 

[Mamamoe]

Yes, at the time of my surgery my ROM was only 100 and I’m stuck on 90. I can‘t seem to get above 90 and I have a lot of stiffness so he wants to do the MUA. I am kind of torn as to what to do. I don’t want to stay at 90 and I have so much stiffness. I just don’t know the right thing to do.

He seems to think it will help but of course he said there is no guarantee, but he said there is about a 75% chance it would work..

 

[kneeper]

How is your swelling? Does your bend seem to vary from day to day? As others have said, if you are truly stuck it may help. If you are just at a plateau caused by continued swelling, you might wait.
How much are you exercising? It doesn't take much to anger the knee in the weeks after surgery.

 

[Mamamoe]

I go to PT twice a week plus I exercise at home, and I really don’t have a lot of swelling. My concern is I was only at 100 ROM at the time of my surgery, is it possible to get more then that after MUA, I mean can you get what you never had? I am leaning towards having it done, what have I got to lose. I feel like I have a great deal of scar tissue. Every time I go to PT my measurements do not change, I am just stuck at 90.