TKR My solo odyssey to recovery

[Vioryny]

Two months report:
I saw my clinician PT yesterday, and after some light/ moderate manipulate my extension is now Zero!
My ROM has been always great - at 4 weeks I.was.at 120, today I am at 135!
My surgeon as well my Clinician PT are happy with the outcome so far.
I do the bike at the gym - 4 to 5 times a week - 22 to 25 minutes. About 5 - 6 miles!
I take 1 ibuprofen a day plus a tylenol some time.

Still a work in progress!!

 

[benne68]

Sounds like you are doing very well for just two months post-op, @Vioryny.

 

[Layla]

Hey there Vioryny,
Happy Two Month Anniversary!
Thanks for the update. You’re doing very well!
Keep it up and stay in touch.
@Vioryny

 

[Vioryny]

Friday - 11 weeks since my TKR.
I have 0 extension and 135 ROM. I was told by my PT " you are healing better than expected", even though myself I dont totally agree ;)
I was released from PT as of yesterday!

 

[WFD]

@Vioryny , your PT is right - you are doing much better than most of us.

 

[sistersinhim]

I have 0 extension and 135 ROM. I was told by my PT " you are healing better than expected", even though myself I dont totally agree ;)

Why in the world wouldn't you agree?! You are way ahead of most people at only 11 weeks out.

 

[Vioryny]

Just a quick update, I wanted to share some positive outcomes 11 weks after my total knee replacement (TKR):

The scar is healing remarkably well—it's only 6 inches long and perfectly straight. It seems my surgeon has some artistic skills!

I'm happy to report that I'm experiencing no pain, just a bit of tightness and mild discomfort.

The best part is, I no longer need to rely on NSAIDs for pain relief!

I've been able to go to the gym 4÷5 times a week and complete a 25-minute bike session along with a 25-minute upper body workout. It feels great to be active again!

After enduring a challenging two weeks, especially the first week, I can finally see light at the end of the tunnel.
There's my PT timeline:
OBJECTIVE MEASURMENTS :


4/7/2023 - TKR surgery


05/01/23 - 9 to 122 dg
05/15/23 -3 to 126 dg
05/16/23 -3 to 125 dg
06/02/22 - 3 to 135 dg
06/06/23 - 0 to 135 dg
06/19/23 - 0 to 135 dg
06/23/23 - 0 to 135 dg

 

[EalingGran]

Great report!

 

[Vioryny]

One of my biggest fears is developing a knee infection, whether it be after a few months or even a few years. What measures can be taken to stay proactive and prevent these dreadful infections? Have any of you experienced knee infections after a few months or years, and if so, what was the cause?

As we know since the metal implant does not receive any blood flow, our immune system has a hard time finding the bacteria, so it does not know how to respond and kill it. If bacteria reaches the implants, they may multiply and result in a joint infection.
That really scares as it seems we are never put of the woods!

 

[FourCats]

@Vioryny I have just battled an infection in my right knee (TKR in 2021, revision in March). You can read about it in my thread. Needless to say I’ll likely always be fearful of another infection because, for me, there were no warning signs; it just seemed to come out of nowhere.

 

[Vioryny]

@Vioryny I have just battled an infection in my right knee (TKR in 2021, revision in March). You can read about it in my thread. Needless to say I’ll likely always be fearful of another infection because, for me, there were no warning signs; it just seemed to come out of nowhere.

So.your knee got infected, and you had to.go thru that ordeal?

 

[EalingGran]

I had unrelated septicaemia four months after my PKR after a routine biopsy.
Fortunately I got to hospital very quickly and had heavy duty IV antibiotics and my knee was fine.
I think the only lesson I learned was to be very vigilant. I have a fitbit and the first thing I noticed was that my pulse got very rapid.
I also now wear a neoprene knee sleeve when my knee is uncovered. I don't need it for support but I worry about grazing my knee and it getting infected.
I have a slightly low white count ( no cause found). I was advised I don't need prophylactic antibiotics for routine dental work but probably should take them for extraction/ root canal/ implants.

 

[Vioryny]

I had unrelated septicaemia four months after my PKR after a routine biopsy.
Fortunately I got to hospital very quickly and had heavy duty IV antibiotics and my knee was fine.
I think the only lesson I learned was to be very vigilant. I have a fitbit and the first thing I noticed was that my pulse got very rapid.
I also now wear a neoprene knee sleeve when my knee is uncovered. I don't need it for support but I worry about grazing my knee and it getting infected.
I have a slightly low white count ( no cause found). I was advised I don't need prophylactic antibiotics for routine dental work but probably should take them for extraction/ root canal/ implants.

Glad you are ok!
As far as dental work, per my doctor, I should take it every time before dental work. Better safe, than sorry! Also , we have to watch for UTI as well
I am jn another forum and one person got an UTI and she needed a revision
We live under Damocles sword, hopefully, my immune system would be strong enough to handle the unexpected, as you never know when an infection sneaks upon you. You can't always tell, regardless how careful we can be.

 

[Whoodee]

This is interesting. I was told to take four amoxicillin pills one hour before any dental work. I go tomorrow morning for a crown and I’m nervous. Having both knees replaced in a span of about four months meant no dental work three months before and three months after each one, so it’s been a while since I‘ve been able to see the dentist. I sure hope I can steer clear of any infection.

 

[Jaycey]

Please don't worry about infection - especially after dental work. Studies have confirmed taking antibiotics before procedures is not necessary. Of course it's your choice to do this. But infections are not the norm.

@Vioryny Please don't live life in fear. You are doing fine! Simple hygiene and common sense is all that is needed.

 

[FourCats]

Yes @Vioryny that was the course of treatment. My OS admitted it might be overly aggressive but he didn’t want to take any chances. When he did the irrigation surgery, he took quite a few cultures plus drew fluid from the knee to see if and where it was. It seems to have been superficial so we caught it early. But I will still be on daily alert to watch for even minor changes.

I suffer with edema in my lower legs and feet. Often when I have been on them for some time, the fluid will pool and the skin becomes very tight. I have to be extremely careful not to bump the legs because it has caused an ulcer to form which creates a route for infection to enter and grow.

 

[Layla]

Happy Three Month Anniversary!

That really scares as it seems we are never out of the woods!

Any number of things can negatively affect your life also, so please don't stress over this. There is no sense in tormenting yourself over the thought of a complication. Instead, take normal precautions and look into ways to ramp up your immune system if you feel that will make you less vulnerable. I think your fears will fade over time anyway. Best wishes for a nice peaceful weekend!

A quote by Mark Twain -
"I've had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened."

 

[Vioryny]

Hello, all -

Today, I had my three-month check-up with my surgeon to mark my kneeversary! He is pleased with my progress, and I won't need to see him again until my one-year anniversary. Here's a brief summary of my journey with left TKR (Total Knee Replacement) so far:

On April 7th, I underwent the TKR procedure. I underestimated the intensity of the surgery and the lengthy healing process. My surgeon agrees that it is a challenging operation, and the recovery can extend up to 18 months.

The first week following the surgery was extremely tough. I must confess, there were moments when I couldn't help but cry due to the excruciating pain. I faced a setback during the initial three days when I couldn't lift my leg. However, on the fourth day, my physical therapist (PT) visited me at home, and I was finally able to lift my leg. It was a moment of great joy!

I continued with at-home PT for three weeks, and my progress was remarkable. After that time, I achieved a range of motion (ROM) of 115 degrees and could perform 5 knee extensions. Subsequently, I transitioned to outpatient PT, where I reached 120 degrees of ROM after four weeks. By the eighth week, I had made further progress, reaching 130 degrees of ROM and achieving full extension at 0 degrees. During my final PT session after ten weeks, I reached 135 degrees of ROM.

For the subsequent six weeks, I attended PT once a week, following the completion of my at-home PT sessions. I'm pleased to report that my surgical scar is looking great, measuring only 6 inches and appearing straight as an arrow. Although it still feels tight, it is significantly stronger compared to my "good knee."

As far as my right " good knee", while I do experience discomfort while walking under my patella and on the medial side, the x-ray revealed condromalcia patella and significant bone-to-bone contact on the medial side but I don't plan on subjecting my right knee to the same TKR treatment as the left one as I have nearly full extension and 120 degrees of ROM. The shift test results were negative. I have also scheduled some gel injections for my right knee to hopefully see some improvement.

So far, everything is progressing well, and I hope to avoid any setbacks moving forward. I wish everyone the best of luck on their own journeys to recovery!

 

[EalingGran]

Sounds great!

 

[Vioryny]

Sounds great!

I am pleased so far, thus I am gonna take a break from this forum
Maybe, check back in 6 months again, provided everything goes smoothly.God willing won't be any bad issues in the future!