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TKR Pain 2 years after TKR

Earlier on in my recovery from TKR 2, I did have some hip pain. It was after I began to walk about more. I think it was to do with my gait having inevitably changed. However, it seems to be fine now. Could your pain be related to muscles, tendons and ligaments getting used to a new alignment?
Glad you're enjoying your retirement.
 
Hi Spex10 I wonder if that could be it. I know I had to 'learn' to walk again after both knees done. The pain and buckling come when I stand up and walk for a few minutes. After a little while the pain and buckling stop and i can walk for several miles without problem. Come home, sit down and next time I stand up it happens again. I just keep hoping it will go away.
 
Pumpkin if it doesn't clear up I will go see doctor just in case it is coming from my hip.
 
Hoping for the best for you. It surprises me as far out as you are that you only have a flexion of 95 , if that’s what the 95 is referring to. You indicate you are getting around ok, so that’s good. I guess I am one of the lucky ones in that my flexion maxed out over 135 on left leg and actually started out over 100 with right . Let’s hope our knees are the only thing we need replaced.
 
Softail my left leg has lymphodema in it so it never will get a good bend to it due to fluid in it. I had hoped the right would have been better by now but at last physio about 3 weeks ago she said she was ok with it being just 95. It does disappoint me that it is still stiff though.
 
I have been trying to do the exercises physio set me to get my bend to go past 95 but neither knee is willing to bend any further. My right knee hurts at the back when I try to bend it further. Its really painfull I haven't seen physio for a few weeks as she cancelled my last appointment as she couldn't attend. I don't know whether to try arrange another or give it up as a waste of time. I can walk no problem and go upstairs ok but still can't come down normally. I was trying to climb over something the other day and realised I wasn't managing any better than before knee replacement. I was out in the sun yesterday and sat down on the grass with my dogs. I really struggled to get back up. I couldn't stand up normally, couldn't roll over onto my knees so had to very ungainly struggle to stand up. This wasn't what I expected. I guess I really thought new knees meant getting back to near normal. I guess I should be glad the arthritic pain has gone. Just not got the movement I hoped for. Going to try going for a cycle next week. I really hope the knees work to cycle. Sorry for the moan.
 
You still have time for improvement, Molly. It's only 5 months since your right knee was replaced. Your knees haven't finished healing and improving yet.
 
Hi all. Been a traumatic couple of months. Son in law died last month very suddenly. He had lung cancer and brain tumours. Only diagnosed 2 weeks before he died. Then husband had a nasty fall while out running ending up with 4 days in hospital and 2 operations to mend his badly cut arm.
However we did get away on holiday to Tenerife. Just back. The huge amount of steps in the resort proved hard. My knees would go up them but not down them. Then one day we did a walk which entailed climbing up and down some big rock steps. Again got up them ok. Unfortunately the knees wouldn't bend enough to come back down them. I had a lot of pain trying to get them to bend enough. They just wouldn't do it without pain. Really disappointed.
Had to go to doctor today due to groin pain which she is sending me for xray because on examination she thinks it's arthritis in my hip. Really unhappy. I spoke to her about my knees not bending and she checked and still only at 95 on each knee. Have to phone physio tomorrow to see if she will see me again but I really don't know what she can do as one knee a year old and the other 6 months. Maybe I didn't do the exercises enough or hard enough at the start the doctor said.
 
Hi Molly,
I'm really sorry to hear about the death of your son-in-law, and about your husband's accident. :console2:

Mollymax said:
Have to phone physio tomorrow to see if she will see me again but I really don't know what she can do as one knee a year old and the other 6 months. Maybe I didn't do the exercises enough or hard enough at the start the doctor said.
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There's still time for your knee flexion to improve. ROM can continue to improve for a year, or even longer, after a TKR. You put quite a load on your new knees while you were in Tenerife and It's possible that has given them some more internal swelling, which inhibits ROM.

Don't listen to what your doctor said about you not doing your exercises enough or hard enough at the start. That's nonsense. Your ROM is not your fault.
It's not exercising that gets you your ROM - it's time. Time to recover, time for swelling and pain to settle, and time to heal. Your ROM is there right from the start, just waiting for all that to happen, so it can show itself

Here on BoneSmart, we've seen so many people whose ROM was held back because they exercised too much.
 
Oh my, I’m so sorry about your son in law. :console2:

I hope your husband continues to mend.

My ROM has continued to improve after my 2 year anniversary. Hopefully yours will, too.
 
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Love the sanity of the advisors. I'm so lucky to be part of this group!
 
Your poor knees were really stressed out from all that aggressive activity. Treat them will TLC and ice and elevate them until they calm down.
 
I agree with sistersinhim, it’s probably the specialized activity that’s causing you knee pain. I experienced knee pain when walking at work because I just expected my new knee to jump in and do everything I hadn’t been able to do for years without preparing it at all. Yes, I did months of PT, but exercises will not prepare a new knee to take on thousands of steps, inclines or climbing. The only thing that helped me was slowly (super slowly) building or prepping my knee/leg to do what I needed it to do.
 
Oh @Mollymax I'm so sorry to hear about your son in law. Your poor daughter and family. What a ghastly time. It puts our knee problems into perspective!
On our recent holiday I was so pleased to be able to queue at the airport etc without pain and manage ordinary plane seating. Also managed all walking about etc but I didn't do anything particularly strenuous just kept going.
I still get a kick out of being able to go up and down our stairs easily.
It's almost my second knee's first anniversary. I have no idea what the ROM is as it works well enough for everyday comfortable use.
PS my new Skechers air cooled memory foam trainers put a real spring in my step. I recommend them.
 
@Spex10 yes it's been hard for my daughter. She has been married twice and her first husband also died of cancer. They were divorced by that time but stayed very friendly. So to have her second husband die of the same thing was devastating.
It's my first knee first anniversary tomorrow. Can't believe that is 1 year already. I am pain free 90% of the time with both knees but sometimes in bed both knees hurt especially turning over. I can go up stairs normally but still struggle coming down. High steps are difficult because the knees just won't bend enough without giving me a lot of pain. I still dont have a bend of over 100 with either knee and think that must be a good as they get. If I try to bend it further as in a heel slide or sitting at a table and try push it back it really hurts so I don't do it.
I think I didn't push hard enough in the early days. I don't see physio any more because I felt she did nothing for me.
I do enjoy a walk with the dogs these days though as there is no pain from the knees when walking.
Sadly I had to have an xray on my hip last week as terrible pain in groin going round to hip and leg collapses when the pain hits. I really hope it's just an injury but it's been sore for months now. Won't get result until next week though.
 
I definitely think that you tried quite hard enough at PT in the early days. Don't try and force your knees to bend.
How about just going with the flow, try to forget ROM for now and focus on your hip?
I only accidentally found that my ROM had increased when I was sitting at my desk concentrating on my work and discovered that my feet were right under my chair. My knees had just bent back painlessly and effortlessly.
 
Thanks for replies everyone. I am still waiting on xray results. To try phoning again next week.
Going to try cycling next week when at caravan if weather stays nice. Hoping I may be able to lower the seat and adjust the crank shortners.
Will just keep doing what I am doing and how that the bend may improve on its own although left knee is now a year old. Have to see lymphoma nurse on 1st Aug as leg seems to have more fluid than it had hence the reason it won't bend.
 
The answers are all there @Mollymax! Don't even try to increase bend it just won't work and will annoy you.
Have a good relaxing holiday. Forget about your knee.
 
Xray result in. OA in left hip moderate getting worse, slight OA in right hip, slight OA in lower spine. Have to be referred to a physio as doctor said needs specific exercises to help to stay mobile. Not to overdo the exercise as in my walking etc but to do it on a regular basis and cut back the distance if in pain. Not very happy right now. In fact rather upset.
So I get my knees sorted out and the rest of me goes to bits.
 
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