TKR Post op swelling and stiffness<<

@Josephine
Thank you for your reply.
I do have a chiropractor who sees me for my back.
Would he be able to help with this problem at the back of my knee?
It is really stopping me being able to pull my leg back to get a better bend and also my straight is still not good.


I have cut right back on all the exercises I was doing.

I tried doing the step exercise where you put your foot on second step and push to bend as much as possible and since then, 3 days ago, I’ve had what feels like severe stiffness from mid thigh to almost my calf.

It feels like it’s in a vice orbthst ive got something wrapped tightly around it

Kind regards
 
Would (a chiropractor) be able to help with this problem at the back of my knee?
Don't see why not. My chiro helped with mine!
I tried doing the step exercise where you put your foot on second step and push to bend as much as possible
That's called a lunge and is one of my least favourite exercises as it can cause swelling and pain
 
@Josephine

Thank you for your reply.

So doing those lunges are probably what caused my leg to be tight and painful from mid thigh to calf.

It made getting downstairs much harder as I couldn’t get the bend properly and it really hurt my thigh

Thank you
 
@Josephine

I’m now 12 weeks today and been to physio today.

She measured my bend at 105, it was 110 three weeks ago
And straight is still 10 so no change there.

Very disappointed!!!

She’s given me 4 different exercises to do.

Feeling very flat now.
Regards
 
If your bend has diminished your knee is probably swollen. You must have increased your activities, causing that swelling. Swelling will also inhibit your extension. You aren't even 1/4 of the way through this year of recovery. I bet if you slowed down and just did your normal daily activities for a month or so, your swelling will come down and your ROM will come right in.
 
I do have a chiropractor who sees me for my back.
Would he be able to help with this problem at the back of my knee?
I just mentioned this question again because this past couple of days I've had a really bad pain in my hand and wrist and my chiropractor sorted it out for me this morning!

She measured my bend at 105, it was 110 three weeks ago
And straight is still 10 so no change there.
I'm assuming you mean +10 of extension which means you cannot get your leg flat onto the bed, yes? You haven't mentioned it, but I would assume this is causing difficulties when you walk?
She’s given me 4 different exercises to do.
And what exercises are these? How many reps and sessions has she told you to do of them?
 
@sistersinhim

Hello

Thank you for your reply.
My knee is still very swollen and the problem I have when I’m trying to achieve more of a bend when I’m on the bed pulling it back, is that I am still getting extreme pain in the back of my knee where the hamstring tendons are. I’ve been trying to stretch them for 19 weeks now and it’s not getting any better. In fact , after I’ve had a session of stretching, the swelling and stiffness seem worse the next day.

Another thing that is happening over the last two weeks is my thigh muscles have started to hurt a fair bit. Also, my physio gave me some new exercises to do yesterday and I’m feeling very painful in my hip today and the swelling and stiffness is worse than it was a few weeks ago. I am now finding coming downstairs really uncomfortable.

I’m so sorry to go on like this...... feeling very low

Can you tell me if you did exercises or not?
I’m getting really confused!!! Do I exercise or not?

Do you know what scar tissue feels like or the signs of it?

Oh dear, I’m so sorry again

Regards - Rose ( josh1303 is my grandson)
 
@Josephine

Hello

Sorry yes 10 is +10 which means I can’t get it straight.

I can walk in . I don’t limp but I do feel a pulling in the crook of my knee at the back when I walk.

The exercises she had given me are:
1. Lay in my back and put a dressing gown belt around the arch of my foot . Lift the leg upwards and pull towards me to stretch back of knee. Hold for 30 seconds. 5 Reps two times a day

2. Lay on side. Bend both knees keeping heels together. Keeping heels together raise knee upwards. Put back down then repeat 10 times twice a day

3. Lay in bed. Keep good leg flat and pull operated knee into a bend ( I can only go so far and then I get excruciating pain in the tendons if the hamstrings at the back of my knee)
Repeat 5-10 times twice a day.

4. Lay on back. Bend knees. With arms, lift pelvis up and hold. Then lower and repeat 10 times 2 times a day.

So I did these yesterday at physio with hrt. Today, my swelling has got worse. My knee is stiffer and more painful and a new one, my hip is hurting.

I saw GP last night and he said my hamstring tendons are very tight and said I may have Tendinopathy. He’s told me to ask my physio to refer me for a scan. He also said I might need surgery as a last resort to free these tendons off. I’m now getting worried that I’m not progressing and at 12 weeks I was expecting to see some improvement.
I’m also worried about getting scar tissue and needing an MUA!!

I backed off of doing exercises after reading that you did NO exercises
I don’t understand why my swelling and stiffness isn’t lessening

So sorry to go on, but Ive really no one else to talk to here

Regards
Rose
 
In fact , after I’ve had a session of stretching, the swelling and stiffness seem worse the next day.
That is cause and effect. Your stretching exercises are causing your swelling. Swelling causes stiffness.

Also, my physio gave me some new exercises to do yesterday and I’m feeling very painful in my hip today ( and the swelling and stiffness is worse than it was a few weeks ago)
Again, cause and effect.

Can you tell me if you did exercises or not
I did NO exercises. I rehabbed by doing just my daily activities. I am a long-time knee surgery experienced patient. I've had 11 of them, 2 of them were kneecap removals, who's recovery is almost as bad as a tkr recovery. I never did any exercises after any of these surgeries. Take advantage of my experience and stop doing all of your exercises. Just use your knee in your normal daily activities. It knows how to recover without anybody telling it how. Give it a try for at least a month. Your knee has a whole lot healing to do. It's terribly inflamed and won't calm down for a while. Exercises just continue to inflame it. They are not helping at all.
 
I’ve been trying to stretch them for 19 weeks now and it’s not getting any better. In fact , after I’ve had a session of stretching, the swelling and stiffness seem worse the next day.
Doesn't that tell you something?
Do you know what scar tissue feels like or the signs of it?
I can tell you this - you said that your flexion is 105. That shows that you DON'T have any scar tissue (what I call adhesions!). No-one with that ROM would have adhesions.
So I did these yesterday at physio with hrt.
What did you mean by hrt?
 
@Josephine

So sorrry Josephine.
That’s auto spelling. Hrt was meant to say
“her “ meaning the physio girl
 
@sistersinhim

Hi again. You said you had a knee cap removal. Along with my knee replacement I had to have a new knee cap. I still can’t feel where the knee cap is as it is still swollen a bit in the actual knee cap bit.

But it’s extremely swollen and tender above the knee cap and goes upwards about 4” and all that area is very very tender to touch. Does it take longer to get better if you’ve had to have a new knee cap as well?

Just a reminder, I am now just 12 weeks post op

Regards
Rose
 
Hi, Rose, at 12 weeks post op you are still only 25% healed in this one year (on average) recovery. You have lots more healing to do and where you are now is not where you will end up.

I’ll give you my Cookie Theory:
Recently I compared this recovery to baking cookies. My chocolate chip cookies take 12 minutes to completely bake. If I take them out earlier, at 2 minutes, 4, 8 or whatever, they will only be partially baked, and not all that tasty, because they’re not done yet.

The same is true of our knee at 2 months, or 3 months, etc. It needs time to finish healing.

@Josephine Will you please explain, once again, what they mean when they tell us they replace our knee cap? (I was also told this) Do they indeed remove our patella (knee cap) and replace it with an implant? I know you’ve explained this before but I need a refresher and Rose could use the explanation—2 for the price of 1 :heehee:
 
Does it take longer to get better if you’ve had to have a new knee cap as well?
Both of my kneecaps were removed in the 90s. I have no patellas at all. When they were removed the patella tendon had to be shortened, so there is no room under that tendon to put a kneecap, so I still have no kneecaps. I can't answer your question since I've not experienced what you have.

If I remember right, @Jockette, they will shave off any of the arthritic part of the kneecap and if too thin will install a patella button. Hopefully, Josephine will explain it better and correct me if I have it wrong.
 
they will shave off any of the arthritic part of the kneecap and if too thin will install a patella button.
That’s about what I understood from what Josephine said that time.

So then why do they tell us they are replacing the knee cap/patella? To me that means they literally take out the patella and replace it with something. Fixing it up is not the same as replacing, in my opinion. I do have a button, I can see it on my X-ray.
 
Not "if too thin they will install a button". They only shave the articular surface of the patella TO put in a button. If it was too thin, they wouldn't touch it at all.

And having the patella removed, known as a patellectomy, is quite a different thing from having a patellar button installed. Chalk and cheese there, my dear.

So then why do they tell us they are replacing the knee cap/patella? To me that means they literally take out the patella and replace it with something.
It's just habit and laziness, actually. The correct nomenclature for the procedure is not replacing but resurfacing.
 
The correct nomenclature for the procedure is not replacing but resurfacing.
Resurfacing does explain it very well. Why don’t they just treat us like adults and use the correct term. Instead they confuse us.

Thank you again, I’m going to save this information.
 

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