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TKR Now two years post op and still recovering from nerve damage

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It may be possible that the blood thinners that you have been taking may have contributed to the bruising. One of the side effects of blood thinners is easier than normal bruising, so, if the PT dug too deeply or was a tad too aggressive with the kneading, it may have contributed to your bruising.
 
Thanks Tim. I just wasn't sure whether to go into physio all guns blazing next week screamin "look what you've done to me you ratbags"
 
After knee #1, I had ITB issues --- along the side of my thigh, very painful. PT did a deep massage --- sure helped! I also got bruising, but was worth it --- but IMHO, they need to be careful where they massage, have to be careful to avoid large veins - maybe our moderators can help out here with advice
 
Hi Margaret, I had the same bruising after my own RTKR and I think Jo posted then explaining that they have your leg up in a strap through some of the operation, and it could be that that has caused the bruising at the back of the thigh, and maybe the physio has just accerbated this bruising somewhat. Not sure, although I seemed to have bruising nearly everywhere for some time, it looked gruesome, but the reality is that it does go eventually, and all returns to normal in the end.

Sounds as though you are doing fine, and I know what you mean about the perfectionist bit. I was always going to be better quickly, and convinced myself of that fact, but my leg had other ideas, and I just had to realise that I was not in charge, IT was, and had to steady my speed to allow my knee to heal at its own pace - PATIENCE was definitely a word I learned the hard way!!!:friends:
 
Thanks Aretha. Oh yes, I had the bruising after the surgery - it was everywhere! This new bruise is just one small patch where the physio was working and is sore as well. Its more superficial bruising that the surgery bruising. Is it possible its still surgical bruising after 8 weeks?
 
Not sure, and I think I've confused Jo too, but I thought it was her that told me about the strapping, so perhaps I better keep quiet about it, but I know the bruising I had hung around for a long time after my own TKR. I wondered if it was ever going to go, but it did!!:friends:
 
Hi Aretha, I know the bruising you're talking about. Its now a dark shadow around the inside of my knee and up the inside of my leg. This new stuff is smaller and a lovely shade of yellow - just like if you bang yourself on the edge of a desk (which I do frequently!!!!)
 
Are you sure it wasn't the tourniquet I mentioned, Aretha?
Or maybe the adhesive edge of the sterile drapes?
 
My quads really have me worried, to the point I wonder if I have a rupture.

I know throughout my thred I've talked about the lag, which is still there and doesn't seem to be improving. Straight leg raises just don't get straight leg. Squats on one leg are really difficult and I can only squat a couple of inches (I hold onto supports on either side), and I feel tension above the knee cap, feels wobbly and almost gives way. Gives way when walking quite a few times a day.

What really makes me think of rupture is that just above the knee cap, just off centre towards the inner side of my leg, theres a ridge of what feels like muscle. Its about an inch wide and a close to couple of inches long going up my leg. Its close to my operation scar (which is crescent shaped as they used the original open meniscus removal scar that I already had. When I do the squats the scar seems to disappear inwards and skin puckers.

Sorry to bug everybody with this but its got me really panicky and paranoid.
 
Campervan said:
...just above the knee cap, just off centre towards the inner side of my leg, theres a ridge of what feels like muscle. Its about an inch wide and a close to couple of inches long going up my leg. Its close to my operation scar
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I had almost exactly that, both legs. Still a tiny bit left. Can't tell you what it is, but as between us we're now running 3 out of 3 it can't be that rare. I'd not worry.

I suspect - it's just a guess mind - that if the muscle were ruptured you'd be in a lot of pain?
 
Margaret, I have a hard area just above my kneecap that I was worried about, so yesterday I asked my physio what it was and he said it was scar tissue - he told me to massage it and said that really helps to get rid of it. Could you not check it out with your physio to put your mind at rest? Just a thought.
 
"Are you sure it wasn't the tourniquet I mentioned, Aretha?
Or maybe the adhesive edge of the sterile drapes?"


Jo, you are alost certainly right, my mind wanders sometimes, I know I asked the question why I was so bruised, and yes, you did say it was probably torniquet. Could this be what Margarets bruising is or is it too late after the event?


Margaret, I too worried and worried about that hard area which almost felt like a soft bone sticking out, but I had forgotten about it recently and now its almost flat and not nearly so obvious, so take heart, it does go in the end and I also suspect it was scar tissue in my case too. Hope this makes you feel better! :friends:
 
Thanks guys. I see the physio tomorrow so will be sure to ask. And I see the surgeon in a week's time, so will also talk to him.

I wouldn't be so concerned but its the pain when I do the leg raises and sqats. Pain goes right across the top above the kneecap. I couldn't do leg raises for almost two weeks as they were too painful. I also get the same pain across the top when I try to move my leg from being elevated down to bent down to the floor (ie get of the couch). I would have thought that pain would have gone after 8 weeks, but could be wrong!!!!
 
Margaret, when you see your surgeon again, ask him if he did a quads snip, which is a small cut in the quads just above the knee in order to get better access to the joint. Because your description sounds awfully like he might have done.
 
Thanks Josephine. Does a quads snip heal eventually? I remember I wasn't allowed to do full leg raises for the first month, would a quads snip be why?
 
I have my surgery report, which physio asked me to get. It says: "With the patient in the supine position a high thigh torniquet applied the old medial menisectomy scar was excised and a medial skin and medial parapatellar approach was made to the knee." From reading an library article of Jospehine's "different kinds of knee replacements surgeries" - does this mean no quads snip?

And now been to physio with the surgery report. She says its patella femoral pain, no quads snip, and my inner range quads are still not working. So change to some exercises to try to get them to function, eg change the squats that I do from holding onto a bench to leaning against a wall. My leg raise with a wedge under knee still lags, but if she pushes my kneecap over very slightly then it goes up heaps further. So the exercise changes will work on getting this right.

So I'm a lot more positive about things this afternoon than I have been for a few days. The past few days have been a bit dreary and down, not sleeping well again, with the fidgets when in bed.
 
Morning Campervan (evening)

I'm glad you are feeling more positive and pleased your physio was able to shed some light on you issue. Our knees are so complicated :rolleyespink:
 
Hi Campervan. Glad you're back on track. As for the sleeping -I've made a deal with myself -if I'm fidgeting in bed I just get up and take a walk around the apartment , have a drink of juice , give it 5 minutes and try again. If I still can't relax I go to my default recliner and watch TV or read for a while. I know how important sleep is but I've found lying in bed not sleeping just gets me frustrated- and there's always 'later' to catch up ... Try a nap today if you can.
 
Thanks Randi. I'm southern hemisphere, so when you were typing the above I was fast asleep....YEP, fast asleep!!!. I only woke once last night, slept from 11.30am through to 3pm, took Paracetemol and back to sleep until 8am. :yes 4::yes 4::yes 4:

Sometimes when I can't sleep I get up and eat cornflakes, drink camomile tea and read my book. Seems to work, but not for an hour or so.
 
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