PKR One Year Out - Pleased With Outcome

[Layla]

I suspect I am better now than before my operation but it is still a bit marginal and it would be good to have objective evidence.

Just remember that this recovery can take a full year and even longer for some. So you have lots of time to experience and enjoy improvement. It's going to get even better!

 

[EalingGran]

@beachy Thanks for your encouragement. I think and hope you are right. I am gradually improving. I drove for the first time since my operation today. I know a lot of people on this forum have driven a lot sooner than me- but we live in a very busy suburb of London and the driving is pretty ' stop/ start' with lots of traffic lights/ roundabouts etc. So you are constantly twisting your foot/ knee between acceleration and braking.
I managed really well but need some ice and a rest when I got back home.

 

[beachy]

That's awesome! Congrats!!
I can't wait for the day I can drive. But I would be just like you if I lived in a busy city.
Everyone recovers at a different rate, no two knees are the same.
Keep up with the ice and you'll feel like new.

 

[JusticeRider]

I know a lot of people on this forum have driven a lot sooner than me- but we live in a very busy suburb of London

I started driving at 3 weeks post op because I had to, but I wish I could have waited longer. I think it caused me a lot of extra swelling in my reactive knee. It’s good you were able to do more healing before you got behind the wheel You too @beachy !

 

[EalingGran]

@JusticeRider Thanks. I was beginning to lose confidence about driving. It's a fine balance between resting and pushing yourself in all these activities and challenges.

 

[JusticeRider]

That is so true! And you never know what the right balance is until you’ve done it! Trial and error. I feel like this recovery is just day after day asking yourself ‘is this too much?’, ‘is this not enough?’ and then just finding out as you go.

 

[EalingGran]

14 weeks now post op lateral pkr
Overall I reckon I am in profit from my surgery especially as it seems to have cured my hip pain and the acute sciatica.
I still currently have quite bad lower back pain ( MRI shows arthritis at L4/5 and L5/S1 and spinal stenosis at L4/5. Also some scoliosis). Also still have some medial knee twinges and some pain/ stiffness at front of knee.
I can now go upstairs normally at least two or three times/ day. I need to be careful and push straight up, engaging my thigh muscles. If I let my knee go forward over my ankle then it hurts. Still can only do a couple of steps down correctly. I can walk over 3 miles so long as I break the journey for 30 minutes for a rest/coffee. There is minimal pain (1 to 2/10 on walking)
My pilates teacher whom I have privately once/ week thinks my muscles are strengthening and I am improving. I still have some soreness/ stiffness at night and need to use my cryocuff resting on my knee and some sleeping medication.
I stopped all painkillers at 10 weeks- mainly because I needed to see if my hip pain came back before my OS review at 12 weeks and whether I would need to go on a wait list for hip surgery. Pleased that correcting my 20 degree valgus deformity seems to have cured my hip pain for now.
I am wondering whether to go back on naproxen for the back pain but going to try doing more back exercises first- now I can lie on my tummy and kneel( albeit very briefly). It feels a bit of a backwards step going back on naproxen but probably shouldn't think like that and will do it if things don't improve.
I think my numb patch is diminishing but wish I had drawn a marker on it. Occasional unpleasant zingers/ pins and needles but not too bad. Able to kneel for short periods if padded.

 

[beachy]

Walking 3 miles is awesome! So is pilates.
Fingers crossed the back stays well behaved!

 

[Flashlight]

Being able to kneel is awesome! I still haven't tried this and I'm hoping I will finally be able to paint my bathroom this spring. It is much easier to drive if you have had a left knee done! You are doing very well and have a great attitude. At 5 1/2 months I'm finally able to walk down the stairs. This was a big accomplishment for me this week.

 

[JusticeRider]

You’re doing great EalingGran! Stairs! Kneeling! 3 miles walks! Looking good. I know your body is having to make a lot of adjustments right now and you have challenges with your back for sure. But I hope all the pieces fall into place for you as your body adjusts to your new leg. Don’t be afraid to add that naproxen back in temporarily…whatever it takes to have the best recovery possible, right? I know it feels like losing ground to do it (I fought continuing with Ibuprofen and Tylenol) but it’s only temporary. And truly, you’re doing so well! Just be patient, stay positive, and keep talking to us. We’ll all get there together.

 

[EalingGran]

5 1/2 months I'm finally able to walk down the stairs. This was a big accomplishment for me this week.

That is brilliant. You must be so pleased- it is a real achievement. I think I will really believe in my recovery when I can do that. Currently can only do occasional steps down properly. Find it reassuring that it happened for you at 5 1/2 months.

 

[EalingGran]

be afraid to add that naproxen back in temporarily…whatever it takes to have the best recovery possible, right?

@JusticeRider Thanks - I know you are right. I think I will go back on naproxen- if only for a few weeks until I can try to build up my core muscles a bit more. Also my back is better in the warmer weather. I may just have to pamper it a bit until the Spring!

 

[EalingGran]

Have restarted on the naproxen mainly for my back pain. I overdid it today ( 14000 steps and a lot of stairs doing a backlog of laundry). My knee is definitely warmer/ a bit swollen and a little sore. I have given up the crutch but bought a folding walking stick to take out.
I carry it and just use it for rough ground or where the pavement is uneven due to tree roots. I am going to take the naproxen for 2-3 weeks but try to build up my core/ back muscles and then see if I can stop it again.

 

[beachy]

You know what to do...ice and elevate

 

[benne68]

bought a folding walking stick to take out.
I carry it and just use it for rough ground or where the pavement is uneven

I found that having the stick was also a great way to signal other people that they should stay away. In fact, I carried it even after I stopped needing it so folks would give me a wide berth!

 

[PearlandLilP]

Thanks I suppose I worry that just having had a partial knee replacement I will still have some pain from the other compartments. My surgeon thought because I was so knock kneed that correcting that would relieve the pressure on the other compartments and the hip/ back. Just have to hope he is right It would be good to hear from others who have had partial replacements.

How long did your knees stay swollen/ warm/ sore for post your joint surgery?

My surgery was on 25th October 2022

Hi-came here to find others as I am scheduled for partial replacements, both knees. I’m 41:(. how are you feeling at this point? Happy you went partial?

 

[JusticeRider]

I overdid it today ( 14000 steps and a lot of stairs doing a backlog of laundry). My knee is definitely warmer/ a bit swollen and a little sore.

My goodness EalingGran, that’s quite a day! Hopefully with some rest and ice you will be feeling better. The Naproxen should help too! It’s so hard when there are so many things that need to be done but then we are reminded we are still recovering. I did some work in the garden yesterday, and last night my pot roast leg decided to make an appearance. It’s been a while, so I guess I needed a little reminder that the knee is still in charge! I hope you’re feeling good tomorrow and ready to tackle another day, maybe with fewer trips up and down those stairs

 

[PearlandLilP]

@JusticeRider @Jockette Found this paper weighing up the pros and cons of PKR versus TKR. If you Google the title you can get the full pdf free and it is not that technically challenging to read.
One of the points of interest is that because PKR are easier to revise the revision rates may be artificially raised and more PKR than TKR are revised even if the Oxford knee score is the same i.e.- people may be told to live with a poor outcome on TKR whereas a surgeon is more likely to attempt a revision of PKR.
Another interesting point is because there are more revisions of PKR there is a perverse incentive to stop doing PKRs - as revision rate is seen as a marker of surgical ability or lack of it. Whereas in fact other outcome measures may be worse with TKR.
The only problem with nearly all the papers I have found on PKR is that they look at the most common type ( medial) rather than lateral or patello-femoral.

Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty: is the glass half full or half empty?
Authors:	Murray, DW Liddle, AD Dodd, CAF Pandit, H

Following this! At 41, I’ve been recommended to get bilateral PKR, to get TKR’s (since partials don’t work) or stop skiing because I’m too young Totally torn

 

[JusticeRider]

@PearlandLilP I’m another PKR and also in my 40’s. I’m not sure how you find my thread if you want to read, but maybe someone can comment that knows?

Also, if you start a thread in the pre op section, you can ask questions and we can try to help if we can

 

[PearlandLilP]

I am now 11 and a half weeks post lateral PKR surgery and just notebooking my current situation before I see my surgeon on 18th. So sorry for long post but just trying to clarify my thoughts.
It is a bit of a curate's egg with some good and some definitely not so good.
Not currently helped though, by still feeling very rough with a chest infection/ no appetite/poor sleep/ no energy. Feeling fed up as it is our Ruby wedding anniversary tomorrow and we were meant to be in Sri Lanka for a holiday to celebrate - but had to cancel because of my joint problems and surgery. Not even sure if I am going to be able to enjoy lunch out tomorrow. So definitely feeling sorry for myself and glass more than half empty.
On the good side.
My scar is beautiful. Glued so it is really neat and perfectly healed. Less than 4 inches long.
My leg which was previously over 20 degrees valgus is now pretty much straight and my gait is much better than pre-op.
The general post op pain and stiffness is definitely improving and my knee no longer swells or gets warm very much if I walk 10000 steps in a day. Until this recent chest infection my sleep was getting better and I am more comfortable in bed at night than in the early weeks.
I have managed to stop all my painkillers except for occasional paracetamol. The idea for this was to see if my previously severe hip pain came back now my leg is straight. I have moderate hip arthritis and lumbar arthritis with some stenosis. So far after two weeks the hip is ok- so probably won't go on waiting list for hip surgery. I am having an ultra sound of the hip on 17th which might also be informative.
I no longer have much if any pain at rest, although I didn't really have much resting pain pre- op.
The pain I had pre- op in the back of my knee ( I think from my Bakers cyst) has gone.
My supra patellar bursa has gone and my Bakers cyst has shrunk post op.
I have great ROM 135 flexion/ 0 extension on operation side compared to 145 flexion/ 0 extension on my untreated leg.
The not so good side.
I still have moderately severe twinges of pain in the medial side of my knee if I put too much weight on my bent leg- particularly if knee is not directly above the ankle but pushed even slightly forwards. This means I can not really walk up or downstairs normally. This is very similar to some of the pain I had previously and I worry that it is due to the untreated medial compartment of my knee. This did definitely have some arthritis- although my surgeon who is a big proponent of PKR thought it was basically OK.
Similarly I still have some crepitus and occasional pain in the femoro patellar joint- which similarly had some definite arthritis on MRI but my surgeon did not think would trouble me once my leg was straight.
I still get some medial knee pain if I walk more than one mile. Further I have tried so far is about one and a half mile walk.
In conclusion I think my surgery is fine but I worry that perhaps I would have been better with a TKR for full pain relief.
I think I am going to have to make the best of things as I guess it is still early days and I certainly don't want any more surgery.

Did you happen to see Dr. Sukin I’m Bozeman, MT?!? I have had surgeries yet but feeling everything you’re saying. Wanting to get back to skiing but otherwise no significant rest pain. Bone on bone lateral sides