TKR Quandary

Maria1

new member
Joined
May 5, 2020
Messages
6
Age
74
Country
United Kingdom United Kingdom
Gender
Female
Hello
I am not entirely sure that I am doing things correctly on here, but I feel I would benefit from some advice from those with experience. I am a year after a total L knee replacement. I have done the daily walking and the exercises (still doing) although in lockdown I have had little or no physiotherapy. Lke most others I have experienced extreme pain, stiffness, tightening, discomfort, swelling, bruising etc etc but a year on and I feel my knee is not getting any further forward, very probably going backwards. I still can't bend it well, although it is strong and I can walk. I/it is still very sore. I am thinking of asking for specialist appointment. I am in the UK.
 
Hi! With the concerns you have I would try to see an ortho. I think you would worry less if you talk to him/her. Keep using the ice and elevating when it hurts. My doctor still recommends that when I get swelling or fluid and it has been 3 years since my last knee surgery.:)
 
@Maria1
Welcome to BoneSmart, glad you joined us! :welome:

The good news is you still have time to increase your bend. You can do this gentle exercise to start increasing your bend.
Heel slides and how to do them

I agree you need to see a specialist to look at your knee, give you some hands on guidance so you can start to progress again. You will want to see a orthopedic surgeon specializing in revisions, as they have the experience and training to determine what is happening with troubled knees.

Please post your surgery date, a moderator will add it to your signature for you. Having the exact date will help us properly advise you. Thanks!


You will notice I moved you post from the January Jackpots to the Knee Recovery forum starting your own thread.
For several reasons, we prefer that you have your own recovery thread:
  • That way, we have all your information in one place. This makes it easier to go back and review your history before providing advice.
  • With your own recovery thread, you will see the posts and advice others have left for you.
  • Having only one thread will act as a diary of your progress that you can look back on.
So please post any updates, questions or concerns about your recovery here. If you prefer a different thread title, just post what you want and we'll get it changed for you.
If you need an urgent response to a question, just tag a member of staff.
How to tag another member; how to answer when someone tags you

Here are the instructions on finding your thread, How can I find my threads and posts?Many members bookmark their thread, so they can find it when they log on.
 
Thank you for replies. My surgery was pm on 24th January 2019. Shortly after getting home my clips tore, I rested and it healed, no infection. I have had a tendon tear and 2 pulled muscles since. I haven't pshed myself beyond limit but I don't think I was terribly flexible before op. I couldn't walk far but did swim 3 times a week. I wasn't given any pre op exercises. I don't swim now due to lockdown but as said, I still do walking exercise and all exercises given to me in paper and email. Got to admit I am a bit fed up now. I do not wish to get my other knee replaced, it isn't as bad as the left knee was. I am not in agony any more, haven't been for months but I am limited as the knee won't bend and almost always uncomfortable with stiffness and tightness. As soon as this Covid eases I will ask for appointment, our NHS has enough to contend with just now. best wishes to all
 
My whole first year was difficult, with poor ROM, but I saw a lot of improvement in my second year, and even some more in my third.
 
I still do walking exercise and all exercises given to me in paper and email.
Sometimes, the exercises they tell us to do are not always appropriate for us, individually, as there are many opinions and approaches to this recovery. Since doing all these hasn’t given you the desired result, I suggest you stop all those exercises and just do some comfortable walks. Give your knee a rest and let it sort itself out and recover. Sometimes, less is more. (My chiropractor calls me her “less is more girl” since she can only do half of the adjustment she can do on other people.)
 
I agree with Jockette @Maria1, taking a break from those exercises might be just what you need.
Prior to my TKR I was aware of the BoneSmart gentle approach to recovery as opposed to rigorous PT. I was lucky enough to find the site before my TKR. Even though I knew about the BoneSmart approach my OS was all about PT and "whatever ROM you have when your scar turns silver is all the ROM you will ever have." He was the trained surgeon that has done many, many replacements, he must know what he's talking about right? So off I went to my first visit to PT, about 2 weeks out from TKR. The next day when my knee was more swollen and I was in much more pain I opted for a BoneSmart recovery. I never went to another PT session. That was one of the best decisions of my life. Not only did I suffer less pain, but my ROM has continued to improve over two years. I've been hiking over rough terrain for good distances, scuba diving, and just living a happy active pain free life with more ROM than I ever thought I would have again after many painful years. I've now had a hip replacement with equal success following a BoneSmart approach. You don't have to suffer needlessly to have an amazing recovery.
 
Hi I am 71, living in UK. 18 months ago I had TKR, then came lockdown, no physio. I had written/picture exercises which I did faithfully, also walked daily, I worked hard as instructed, I burst a couple of clips initially but all healed, I pulled calf and thigh muscles over time, trying to get the knee to bend. Nothing worked. Recently seen surgeon who will attempt keyhole arthroscopy BUT has warned me that at this late stage there are numerous risks, the least being it simply doesn't work, at worst it could cause damage and reduce my mobility, resulting in more surgery, also risk of blood clot and internal bleeding, he tells me that this surgery is usually done within 6 months of the tkr, the sooner the better but he will do it if I choose it. I have big decision to make, I can walk well with a stick the tkr is strong it keeps me up when my other knee drops but I have only 65% bend and can't straighten it 100% it does get tight and stiff but it's not painful. Any help and/or advice would be much apprecuated
 
Hi, Maria, I’m sorry you’re still having trouble bending your knee. I’m going to read back through your posts, then I’ll come back to comment.

By the way, I merged your newest thread with your original recovery thread, as we prefer that members in recovery have only one thread.

This benefits you because all your information is in one place, easy to find, and maintains a nice journal for you.

This also benefits our staff, as your information is all in one place, and we often go back through your thread for previous details, so we know what you‘ve been through which helps us advise you better.

So, please keep all your posts in this thread. If you’d like a new title, let us know what you want, and we’ll change it for you. You can always bookmark this thread so you can find it easily.

Best wishes on your continuing recovery! :flwrysmile:
 
Please confirm the year of the date you had surgery, I think we have it listed incorrectly.

I had written/picture exercises which I did faithfully, also walked daily, I worked hard as instructed, I burst a couple of clips initially but all healed, I pulled calf and thigh muscles over time, trying to get the knee to bend. Nothing worked.
You did indeed work very diligently on your bend, but not all knees respond well to such diligence. If you are still doing these exercises, please stop and give your knee a rest. For some of us, we need more time to heal.

The doctor you recently saw does not sound very encouraging. If it was me I would seek another opinion, and maybe even a third opinion.
 
My tkr was on the 29th January 2020. Xray shows no problem. Yes I worked hard, I was instructed to, but I could only do so much as we all know its painful. I stopped pain relief as soon as I could for other medical reasons. There will be no 2nd opinion here, due to Covid our NHS is trying to catch up. I am trying to find some statistics on the possible procedure
 
Oops, forgot to say I do not exercise as rigidly now, I still walk daily, though not far, I am now back to swimming 3x weekly and I enjoy it and feel a little more flexible all round yet the knee is the same, it's far too painful to force it to bend more than approx 60%
 
@Maria1 I think you will find that many orthopaedic consultants are scheduling appointments - many phone consultations. Areas are just now starting to get back to surgery. I would phone your surgeon's office and see if you can get a consultation.
 
I have had the consultation, as said it was quite negative. I was hoping that some folk on here might have had a very late arthroscopic and could give me the benefit of their experience as I have to make a decision to go ahead or stay as I am, thanks for comments
 
Were you asking about having an arthroscopic lysis of adhesions?

That's a surgery that should probably be done by a surgeon who specialises in problem knees, so you may need to search for one of those if you decide to continue.
 
If your surgeon is proposing to do a lysis of adhesions, be sure that he or she is experienced in this procedure. Although it's done via arthroscopy, it can be very tricky to do it correctly and whoever might perform this procedure for you needs to be well skilled and have successfully treated others this way. Ask a lot of questions of anyone you are considering for surgery. Remember, that you can go anywhere you like, so it may pay to do some research into surgeons who may be able to help you. @Jaycey is in the UK and I've tagged her to see if she could be of assistance in finding a surgeon with this expertise.
 

BoneSmart #1 Best Blog

Staff online

  • Jaycey
    ADMINISTRATOR Staff member since February 2011

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
65,167
Messages
1,596,863
BoneSmarties
39,356
Latest member
JanieMarie
Recent bookmarks
0
Back
Top Bottom