TKR Pattikakes Recovery

[Celle]

Does anyone know anything about your foot being strapped into a boot during tkr surgery to keep from movement. I 've had an ankle problem since my surgery on 1/31 and a of told me while I was in the hospital this was so and that' why I was having ankle and foot pain.

i don't know who told you that, @patticakes , but unless it was your surgeon, I don't believe it is true.
I've just sat and watched several videos of knee replacements and none of them showed the foot strapped into a boot. Teds or a sock - yes. Boot - no.

During surgery, the angle of your knee bend has to be altered several times, so your foot and ankle have to be moved.

Towards the end of surgery, the surgeon tests the range of motion (ROM) of your new knee once the hardware is installed, before he closes up the incision. To do that, he/she has to handle the lower part of your leg, in order to bend your knee. He'll be touching your ankle and your foot to do that, lifting them up off the theatre table. So it doesn't make any sense to have your foot immobilized in a boot.

I'm sorry that these images aren't very good (I took them from one of the videos), but you can see the foot isn't wearing anything but a sort of sock:

Besides that, a boot wouldn't be sterile, so the surgeon wouldn't be able to touch it to lift your lower leg and test your knee flexion. And how many pairs of boots would they need, to fit all the sizes of patients?

It is possible that, during testing of ROM, your surgeon grasped your ankle a bit hard and that could have bruised it. Have you talked to him/her about your ankle and foot pain?
You might also try icing your ankle. If that doesn't help, try a warm pack - a warm (but not too hot) wheat bag, for example.

 

[Jamie]

Be sure that you have replaced your shoes following surgery. Although as Celle said, it is possible to get some foot or ankle pain after your TKR because of the surgeon's manipulation to ensure proper movement of the new joint, normally the pain would not last much more than a couple of months. But, trying to walk with your old shoes and their wear patterns can cause foot and ankle discomfort as well. Be sure you're walking in new shoes that have good support - like a walking shoe.

If the pain persists, continue communication with your surgeon about it....especially if it seems to be worsening.