Hi all,
Long time lurker of this forum. I have read all your articles about recovering from a TKR. Very useful, thanks. And thank God I found this forum, otherwise my recovery would have been mentally much harder I think! There is no such a forum in my native country (Spain).
Sorry about my long following message but I prefer to provide the context..
I am a 53 year old Spanish lady who had RTKR on the 21/07/2022, so a bit more than 6 months now.
It's being a slow and fairly tough recovery I had 2 previous knee surgeries: the 1st one a few years after a ski accident which broke my ACL.. that surgery was apparently a failure for ACL and meniscus in 2007 in France, my country of residence for the last 16 years.. I had a second surgery due to increasing pain on the knee in Spain with stem cells in 2015. The surgeon then warned me then about the first "failed job" which seriously damaged the cartilage.
That 2nd surgery provided relief for a good 6 years.. in 2021 the pain cameback and I had PRP injections for over a period of 1 year.. (every 6 months) they had worked in the past but not anymore.
Forward to a few months before the surgery: the French consultant who I was seeing for it (a renowned one in the region) accepted through his assistant secretary to fix a surgery date over the phone for TKR (June 2022.. I'm a MFL teacher, I could ideally have the surgery in the holiday term). I see him in May 2022, after waiting for 5 months in real worsening pain BUT he announces me that HE WON'T DO IT because my knee can still resist, I'm too young blablabla..
I protested of course, as I had been waiting to see him for 5 months and I knew I needed this TKR.
I left feeling desperate and quite angry.. I decided to ask for a second opinion over there (thank you to the surgeon who had made me wait 5 months for nothing!). The appointment with a second OS was only possible for mid August.. i could not wait that long under the intense pain.. so I contacted the efficient Spanish surgeon who I was also seeing and traveled here to Spain on the 14/07/2022. Only a week later I was having the surgery! Hurrah.. I had to go private though and paid for it.. but I know it was the right option then.
He confirmed the appalling state of my cartilage and knee and the need to have it done after the surgery. It was worse that what could be seen on X-ray.
But unfortunately, due to all the previous journey before the actual TKR, I arrived at the clinic with a significant muscle atrophy on the right leg.. which I do believe it has really hindered my progress.
I had to use a crutch until the 4th month..
My knee ROM is now good (125), extension 0 from day one..
I made a mistake of overdoing with a weight at 3 months
And I had a small pocket of swelling under the kneecap just after that (which hasn't disappeared but doesn't really hurt.. I showed to my OS here and he didn't seemed concerned.. at my 5 months' visit)..
Since then I have concentrated on working at the pool (walking, a bit of swimming with a gentle kick and a bit of aquajogging with a floating belt) 3 times a week..
A bit of walking everyday (not recently because of the pain on left knee) 30 minutes.. and I have started doing a bit of stationary cycling.. about 10 minutes for now with low resistance.
My problem over the last month it's been my other knee. I'm concerned because it hurts.. I thought it would be due to compensating.. so I'm trying to strengthen both legs (slowly as otherwise it hurts the next day) and watching my gait (a physio said it was correct).. but I'm getting a bit worried.
Is this pain on the other side considered "normal" and more than likely would be temporary or should I worry?
I have sent a message to my OS asking him about his opinion. He hasn't replied yet.
Thank you very much for your advice. I really like this forum!
Long time lurker of this forum. I have read all your articles about recovering from a TKR. Very useful, thanks. And thank God I found this forum, otherwise my recovery would have been mentally much harder I think! There is no such a forum in my native country (Spain).
Sorry about my long following message but I prefer to provide the context..
I am a 53 year old Spanish lady who had RTKR on the 21/07/2022, so a bit more than 6 months now.
It's being a slow and fairly tough recovery I had 2 previous knee surgeries: the 1st one a few years after a ski accident which broke my ACL.. that surgery was apparently a failure for ACL and meniscus in 2007 in France, my country of residence for the last 16 years.. I had a second surgery due to increasing pain on the knee in Spain with stem cells in 2015. The surgeon then warned me then about the first "failed job" which seriously damaged the cartilage.
That 2nd surgery provided relief for a good 6 years.. in 2021 the pain cameback and I had PRP injections for over a period of 1 year.. (every 6 months) they had worked in the past but not anymore.
Forward to a few months before the surgery: the French consultant who I was seeing for it (a renowned one in the region) accepted through his assistant secretary to fix a surgery date over the phone for TKR (June 2022.. I'm a MFL teacher, I could ideally have the surgery in the holiday term). I see him in May 2022, after waiting for 5 months in real worsening pain BUT he announces me that HE WON'T DO IT because my knee can still resist, I'm too young blablabla..
I protested of course, as I had been waiting to see him for 5 months and I knew I needed this TKR.
I left feeling desperate and quite angry.. I decided to ask for a second opinion over there (thank you to the surgeon who had made me wait 5 months for nothing!). The appointment with a second OS was only possible for mid August.. i could not wait that long under the intense pain.. so I contacted the efficient Spanish surgeon who I was also seeing and traveled here to Spain on the 14/07/2022. Only a week later I was having the surgery! Hurrah.. I had to go private though and paid for it.. but I know it was the right option then.
He confirmed the appalling state of my cartilage and knee and the need to have it done after the surgery. It was worse that what could be seen on X-ray.
But unfortunately, due to all the previous journey before the actual TKR, I arrived at the clinic with a significant muscle atrophy on the right leg.. which I do believe it has really hindered my progress.
I had to use a crutch until the 4th month..
My knee ROM is now good (125), extension 0 from day one..
I made a mistake of overdoing with a weight at 3 months

And I had a small pocket of swelling under the kneecap just after that (which hasn't disappeared but doesn't really hurt.. I showed to my OS here and he didn't seemed concerned.. at my 5 months' visit)..
Since then I have concentrated on working at the pool (walking, a bit of swimming with a gentle kick and a bit of aquajogging with a floating belt) 3 times a week..
A bit of walking everyday (not recently because of the pain on left knee) 30 minutes.. and I have started doing a bit of stationary cycling.. about 10 minutes for now with low resistance.
My problem over the last month it's been my other knee. I'm concerned because it hurts.. I thought it would be due to compensating.. so I'm trying to strengthen both legs (slowly as otherwise it hurts the next day) and watching my gait (a physio said it was correct).. but I'm getting a bit worried.
Is this pain on the other side considered "normal" and more than likely would be temporary or should I worry?
I have sent a message to my OS asking him about his opinion. He hasn't replied yet.
Thank you very much for your advice. I really like this forum!
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