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TKR Really fed up

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Sadkneeguy, I spent much of my recovery trying to figure out how to make the best of my appointments with my ortho. So if any of this helps you do that, that is great. These orthos are our partners, and sometimes things don't go as well as they could because we're not sure how to work with them, what questions to ask, or are afraid to say what's really on our mind. And to tell the truth, surgeons in general and orthos in particular can be a little shy on the bedside manner front. Keep us posted.
 
Thank you for the posts on my last thread. I am off to see the surgeon next week and feel more confident despite only 65 degrees of flexion. In passing, i am wondering if anyone has had persistant (nagging) pain behind the knee after TKR and Subsequent MUA? I know it is not a Bakers Cyst as this has been confirmed. I have queried this but have never been given an answer. As stated before, i still have a lot of swelling around my knee.

A couple of hours after TKR op, i was in bed and had really bad twinges behind my knee. On a scale of 1to 10, it was a 12! I was given morphine until the twinges went. Perhaps this is the result?

You guys are really good. All ideas welcome.
 
[Bonesmart.org] Really fed up
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Sorry but it's preferred members stick to one thread for their recovery posts as you can see from the article linked in my previous post.


Sadperson said:
i am wondering if anyone has had persistant (nagging) pain behind the knee after TKR and Subsequent MUA? As stated before, i still have a lot of swelling around my knee.
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Are you still being diligent in taking your pain meds? This is a fairly typical post-op pain scenario and means you are not taking your pain meds adequately. You might also try icing at the back of your knee. That often helps as well.
 
I was wondering, Sad. When you played rugby, what was your regime when you twisted your knee or ankle? I suppose the answer I am expecting was that you use the Rest, Ice, Elevate and Compress. (He in the US when an athlete injures themselves they will show them in an ice bath :shocked: ) One thing I have not seen in your post is if you are icing regularly...not just the top of the knee, but also the underside. I saw that you tried to use the CPM machine. Also, perhaps (I am neither a doctor or therapist) one reason you are having some issue may be that your muscles are so well toned that they are needing to be gently stretched out and not treated aggressively?

Hope your appointment goes well and there is no need for further surgical intervention.
 
First of all, my apologies to Josephine for not following rules. In terms of the pain meds, I have to confess I am not as diligent as I should be. the 'cocktail' includes morphine, Aspirin and Ibuprofen (max 8 tablets a day each and oromorph at night). It is great for killing pain but can mask other things hence this back of knee issue which feelis like something is wrong rather than common or garden pain. Ice is great and I use an ice bandage when I get home. I have been known to have a wet patch on the knee of my trousers while at work! Lol. I have fallen down stairs last week, not due to knee replacement but back of knee thing. Post rugby injury always included RICE and ice baths but also specialist attention including pain injections and physio. RICE was/is my major pain relief.

I do stretches and flexions diligently and have been less aggressivevas advised. This has helped my brain but not swelling .however, this is to be expected as it is early days.

Quads and hams are well toned but some mass lost from just above injured knee. Sub conciously they 'fought' the machine. Calves tend to be tight but this is a legacy from sport.

Thank you for you input. Surgeon on Thursday and physio friday. :headbang:
 
Sad person,

When you ice, are you elevating the knee? I had a friend who was having so much trouble and I kept talking to her over the phone. When I saw her knee. She had a PT who did aggressive therapy, and she wasn't"t icing and elevating. I went over to visit, took one of my polar ice machines, and some other things I knew she would need and told her to get a new therapist! When she started gentle therapy. Icing and elevating, the swelling went down, and she was able to bend her knee normally again. It takes time Sad person. Right now, in my opinion it hasn't been long enough since your last MUA to give your knee a chance to succeed. Good luck with your surgeon's appointment; I hope you will get the answers you are looking for! :)
 
You have quite a challenge. I am sure you are frustrated :headbang: . I hope things get figured out. Other than taking your pain meds, it seems like you are doing all that YOU can do. How is the ROM coming. Is it improving any with further therapy and time?
 
I hope all has gone well today for you.
Being from a rugby orientated family and being an ex- athlete myself, I recognized your frustration at not getting to where you want to be just yet. I'd bet my last penny you have gone hammer and tongs at all the PT stuff you can. I know I shall have to hold myself back as I will just want a speedy result after my op next week. It's what all the rugby guys in my family would do too!
I'm sure you will get to where you want to be slowly but surely.
Don't whack your surgeon - just change him if you need to. It's sometimes just what you have to do. There are some very good rugby orientated guys in the UK.
 
Dear all, just to let you know I am to have another op! I won't get my leg straight again but the doc is going to give it another go. Measured today at 80/-5, up from 65/-5, so the hard work might be doing something but back of knee issue is not responding. I am to have an epidural, then the rugby team (physio) will come in and jump on it for a 4 day hospital stay. If it does not work ... big decision... revision. Won't go there though.
Thank you to all for help and advice. Really needed the advice and thank you all for the continued support. I hope I can pay it back.
 
Sadknee...no tell me it isn't so!!!! I hate you are going to have to go through this again. Prayers coming your way.
 
Prayers all goes well and the flexion comes and recovery is uneventful. :sorry:
 
So, he wants to do a second MUA this soon! :scratch:

Your knee is still healing and as we have said it can take up to a year to get all the ROM you want. Each time you are opened up, the swelling and healing process begins again along with the scarring. I haven't had to deal with an MUA but I knew it would take time whether I liked it or not. As I have said before the Knee is always in control until the healing process is finished! Good luck on whatever decision you make. :)
 
Please keep us informed of what goes on. Your experience will help others. And a truckload of good luck to you!
 
So hope it goes well - I'm sure it will. How much does the physio weigh?.....
 
Dear all, prayers will all be gratefully received. First of all, i give thanks for the NHS as they are great BUT the surgeon who will be doing the op said yesterday i was 80/-5. The physio measured me today and said I was 65/-5! So all the stuff I have been doing has either worked or not depending on who is right. Op is classified as urgent but that depends on the needs of others. Thanks again for kind comments. I think this will run and run and run. Now that is one exercise I cannot do!
 
Shouldn't they get their act together so you know exactly where you are with the rom? Let us all know when you get your date. Be positive - it's going to work!
 
Got a date! 3rd June at 7:30. Epidural followed by 4 days in hospital. Cannot come a day too soon. I still have pain at the back of my knee and it could be an injury to the tendons but that is yet to be confirmed. My knee is massive but I am glad that i have a date now. As I am sure many of you know, it can be a struggle to lump a leg of concrete around. Back pain kicking in and painkiller dosage increasing. This sounds like I am whinging but it is all still better than the pain and agro pre-op.
 
Brilliant! At least you can look forward to getting the issues sorted out in a few weeks time. I guess until then you are stuck with the pain meds - does icing and elevating help?
 
Sadperson said:
I have to confess that I have done 'sets' as this was what I was supposed to? Clearly not! Leg raises, calf stretches, knee bends, heel rests, gentle rowing, etc but all of them have been to the boundary of pain and sometimes going beyond! I use ice as the pain killer and use pain killers when I have to.
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This will be part of the problem.
Sadperson said:
I guess I have been trying too much to maintain what the surgeon had done and so perhaps have been tackling it head on like a bull in a china shop. I think the answer in my own case is just to ease up a little. My knee is twice the size of the right one and maybe the answer is just to let things settle down and relax.
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:thumb: And you have the answer right here.

If you broke your leg, you wouldn't walk on it to help it heal. If you cut yourself, you wouldn't pull the scab off to improve things. You'd leave it strictly alone. Sorry to be blunt, but you don't strike me as a shrinking violet!

A major part of healing is to do Fanny Adams until the swelling and pain goes away and healing is largely finished. Only then can training start. As you know, training hurts and has to, "No pain, no gain." But healing is not training and this philosophy is the opposite of the correct way, which is "No pain, more gain."

You will be constrained to sit around a lot, watch a lot of telly, stuff like that. Can't be that bad now can it?

So I've just put a new slant on what everyone is saying -- don't believe anyone who says you have to 'push through' or any cobblers like that, it really is nonsense.
 
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