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RTKR (4th surgery on this knee) 12-11-14

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I have PT in a few minutes so we will see if I have progressed. I also feel like I have a cement leg. Are you sleeping at night? That is the only thing I AM doing. I think if we do at least half of what pt does it will help maintain what we have gained. I'll check in later.
 
@kvhundley how did your PT go? I got to 68 active flexion/70 passive and 5 degrees extension. Not a big gain from last week but at least no worse. I have decided I definitely feel better about myself, my knee, and this whole process when I do some things on my own b/w PT days, so I am going to keep doing that. Just not push too hard. I go see my OS tomorrow; anxious to see what he says.
 
It was better than I thought! 100/10. I am happy but I am hurting because I pushed it. very sore. Glad to hear you are feeling better about it. All my kids and husband will be back to school\work by next week so I will be a. 4 weeks post op and b. On my own all day. Do you see people or get help during the day? My OS just canceled two post op apts scheduled for this week so now I have to wait until the 14th. Receptionist said I can start driving when I feel like it. Really???? OK! I will take their word for it
 
So long as you are not on drugs and you can brake quickly, you should be ok to drive. You might test out quick braking with the car not running to see how it feels.
 
I am still on medication. That is the problem. I am not ready to be off it. I could never get PT done without it. I am going to try and step down to a mild painkiller before I try and drive.
 
Visit with OS today...confirmed my suspicions that extensive prior scar coupled with newly forming scar tissue has caused my progress to stagnate b/w 60-70 degrees. He manipulated my knee today and says he wants to be aggressive at breaking up new scar. Off for MUA this Friday! I think I am relieved more than anything else, that my instinct that things were not moving along properly was confirmed. Hopefully this will help!!!
 
All the best on Friday, sounds like given your history this is the way to go.
 
wfu99 said:
Can anybody share with me the story of your ROM progression--esp if it was slow?
Click to expand...

Several weeks post op my x-rays showed a possible problem and my OS ordered me onto crutches. I was not allowed any weight bearing PT or other exercise for over a month. My ROM was abysmal and getting worse.

I still visited my PT who was trained in lymphatic massage and other modalities. She said to trust her and every visit my PT would massage around my knee and gently stretch the muscles and repeat while my leg was hanging off the edge of the table. Each visit gained several degrees of ROM until reaching around 115 ROM which is about maximum for that technique.

When I was allowed back to full weight bearing, I continued on to a ROM of 135.

I fully credit her with helping me obtain that ROM. Not sure it would have happened with a PT of less experience and training.
 
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MUA was HUGE success for me! The band of scar tissue under my incision was broken up/released and I am bending the best I have done since surgery. Would estimate I can now get close to 110-120 (whereas before stuck around 60). Now just aggressive PT to keep my motion...! Yay! @burbn8r
 
Glad to hear your MUA went well, wishing you continued improvment.
 
wfu99 said:
Now just aggressive PT to keep my motion..
Click to expand...
I'm glad the MUA worked for you.

Please don't do aggressive PT. Those soft tissues injured during the initial surgery have now been re-injured by the MUA. Gentle PT will keep your joint moving, whereas aggressive PT is likely to re-inflame your healing tissues.
 
[Bonesmart.org] RTKR (4th surgery on this knee) 12-11-14
@Celle thanks for your concern, but in my case I really think PT will be pivotal to helping me maintain ROM. I have a "golden window" of about 2 weeks to keep moving to prevent the adhesions from re-forming even stronger than before. I do have some swelling, but I am also aggressively icing when not bending. I am just scared to death that this will not "hold" as I feel better than I have since the surgery. It was instant relief!
 
PT is fine, and necessary. Aggressive is unnecessary.
 
"Initiation of intensive physical therapy is important to lock in the gains of the manipulation under anesthesia. We have also found that pictures of the achieved ROM are a good motivating factor for the patient and therapist, giving them a goal to work toward."
Excerpt from
Stiffness After TKR: How to Avoid Repeat Surgery
Edwin P. Su, MD; Sherwin L. Su, MD; Alejandro Gonzalez Della Valle, MD
 
I hope this works for you. You might keep an eye on the swelling and make sure it's not increasing with the aggressive therapy. I would imagine your therapist will be watching for this as well and would report any instance of gross swelling that might occur. It's good you're icing as much as possible.
 
Maybe diligent or consistent would be a better way of looking at it. :scratch: Aggressive brings to mind cranking on the leg and crying....:wink:
 
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