TKR Straightening leg after TKR

[Maddie143]

Hi Sara61,
Thanks for the help. Im moving along slowly but surely.

Hi @Maddie143, and welcome... I see that you've not re-posted for a week, so I hope you're coming along better now? I hope you'll read the articles you were sent back a few days ago, and check back in so we can see if we can help!

Happy New Year, too!

Hello,
I'm hoping this is how I reply to a message. Can you let me know if you got this please?

 

[Sara61]

@Maddie143 to get someone attention, you do not need to quote their whole post all you need to do is put the @ before their name ie: @Sara61 make sure you leave no spaces and then the person will be notified that you mentioned them xx

 

[Jockette]

Should I be concerned that I still cannot fully straighten my leg at the 3 week mark? It feels like there's a tight band wrapping around my entire knee.

No, you should not be concerned. Recovery takes an average of a full year, so 3 weeks is literally early days in this recovery. Straightening your leg takes a while, as does just about every other aspect of this recovery, so try to be patient.

Regaining our ROM (both flex and straight) is more about Time than repetitions of a list of exercises.

Time to recover.
Time for pain and swelling to settle.
Time to heal.

Our range of motion is right there all
along just waiting for that to happen so it can show itself.

In the general run of things, it doesn't need to be fought for, worked hard for or worried about. It will happen. Normal activity is the key to success.

 

[Freya34]

After only 3 weeks? Don't worry about a thing just yet! It can take months to gain flexion and be able to strengthen your leg.

Are you working with a physical therapist? They can advice you on what exercises you can do to strengthen your leg.

But also don't worry! According to my doc it takes about 8 weeks just for a knee to heal. Muscles, nerves, etc can take 12 months or longer to get back to normal.

 

[Bluebell53]

Hi @Maddie143, I had my knee replaced the day before you on 6 Dec 2021. I too have the stiffness in the knee making it difficult to bend the knee. This is my second knee replacement in which the first one was exactly like that too. You have to be patient. My first knee got better with time. I rest most the day with my leg elevated with my ice machine. I do my exercises everyday but I do not push myself but rather go at my own pace. Hang in there it’ll get better, I promise.

 

[Jockette]

I'm hoping this is how I reply to a message. Can you let me know if you got this please?

Here is some information for you:

How To Use This Forum

Short articles to help you navigate BoneSmart and better use all the features available.

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Rather than quoting the whole message, just go down to the reply box, mention the member you want to address by using the @ sign in front of their username (no space) and type your reply. Not quoting whole messages saves a lot of space on the page, and also saves duplicate reading.

If you want to quote just a line in a post, highlight that line.

At the bottom of the post you will see:

Like/ +Quote/ Quote this message. (See photo below)

Click the +Quote

When you get to the reply box, you will see where it says “insert quotes” Click that and it will put your highlighted area into your reply.

Happy Posting!

 

[Rubyroo]

@Maddie143 Hey Maddie! How are you coming along? I had my LTKR on December 10th (knee #2). Let us know how you are doing. It is a challenging road!

 

[Sporty79]

@Maddie143
Welcome! I was concerned about kneeling as well. I recently had both my knees done Sept 29th, 21 and Dec 29th, 21. After about week 6, (first knee) when I was able to get more flexibility in my knee I would kneel my knee on a workout bench and stretch back as if I was trying to sit on my heel. My knee incision was pretty numb still and it helped me with my flexion also. My PT was surprised I was able to stretch on my knee like that.
But I would wait until things feel better and all your components are healed so you don’t do any damage to them. Once your feel confident in that, try that movement. It has helped me.

I also had nerve pain that shot down my shin and I couldn’t stand anything touching my leg or knee for first few weeks. I kept that leg on pillows elevated with no blankets on it. I found if I wore my compression sock on that leg it would help with the sensitivity. Massaging the knee and scar helped also to de-sensitize that area tremendously. Ice helped as well. Hand in there it will get better. It’s an annoying nuisance for sure! It’s all you can think about.
Now I’m week one with my second knee and it’s a completely different recovery. No nerve pain this time (thank goodness) but more pain in my quad and weakness then previous knee. It’s been harder to do my straight leg lifts. I do have more flexibility and less tightness though.
The biggest thing I learned is to be patient. I didn’t really “feel good” in my knee until about 6 weeks, then at 12 weeks my first knee is feeling really good.
I just have it in my head this is a year long process and each week is a new milestone. It’s a tough recovery, but it is worth it. Take time for yourself and don’t over commit. It’s ok to say no. happy healing!!!!

 

[FourCats]

I’m 8 months post op and sometimes still have that tight band feeling especially after being on my feet for a long period of time or sitting for too long. I work to find a balance and remind myself that I am still in recovery.

 

[Roy Gardiner]

i dont know how to respond to messages on here

Here is how to use the quote functions https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/how-to-use-the-quote-feature.56660/

 

[BBCG]

Hi @Maddie143 we saw your post so you did it correctly! Lots of us have the tight band feeling; maybe not everybody, but lots! For my two knee surgeries, that band didn’t loosen up really until probably a few months in, and it correlated, as I recall, with the timing of the internal swelling’s receding, and then the leg seemed to loosen as far as restriction and swelling go. I’m at 8 months now, and have been on my feet all day the past two days with no issue really, so it just does take time!

 

[FCBayern]

It took me a long time to get to a straight leg @Maddie143. I had been limping for years on a bad knee and it took my muscles and tendons a long time to find their proper place in a leg that worked right again.

 

[Maddie143]

Thanks

@Maddie143 to get someone attention, you do not need to quote their whole post all you need to do is put the @ before their name ie: @Sara61 make sure you leave no spaces and then the person will be notified that you mentioned them xx

@FCBayern

@Maddie143
Welcome! I was concerned about kneeling as well. I recently had both my knees done Sept 29th, 21 and Dec 29th, 21. After about week 6, (first knee) when I was able to get more flexibility in my knee I would kneel my knee on a workout bench and stretch back as if I was trying to sit on my heel. My knee incision was pretty numb still and it helped me with my flexion also. My PT was surprised I was able to stretch on my knee like that.
But I would wait until things feel better and all your components are healed so you don’t do any damage to them. Once your feel confident in that, try that movement. It has helped me.

I also had nerve pain that shot down my shin and I couldn’t stand anything touching my leg or knee for first few weeks. I kept that leg on pillows elevated with no blankets on it. I found if I wore my compression sock on that leg it would help with the sensitivity. Massaging the knee and scar helped also to de-sensitize that area tremendously. Ice helped as well. Hand in there it will get better. It’s an annoying nuisance for sure! It’s all you can think about.
Now I’m week one with my second knee and it’s a completely different recovery. No nerve pain this time (thank goodness) but more pain in my quad and weakness then previous knee. It’s been harder to do my straight leg lifts. I do have more flexibility and less tightness though.
The biggest thing I learned is to be patient. I didn’t really “feel good” in my knee until about 6 weeks, then at 12 weeks my first knee is feeling really good.
I just have it in my head this is a year long process and each week is a new milestone. It’s a tough recovery, but it is worth it. Take time for yourself and don’t over commit. It’s ok to say no. happy healing!!!!

@Sporty79 thanks for all the information! Im struggling a little being patient. The tightness in my knee is keeping me from bending it much past 90degrees. I can use my other leg and slide it back to a little past 90 but not much. Straightening is going okay. Still not at 0 degrees but not too far off. Still a lot of pain at night but I can tell its healing just slowly. Today makes 4 weeks post op. I've heard so many people (not on this forum) talk about how 6 weeks is when you have to be at 110 or more flexion and -5 extension or you won't get there without help from a surgeon. Its been nice to see on here more realistic expectations. Im trying to do my exercises and hope for the best. I cannot believe you started kneeling at 6 weeks. There is no way I will be able to that in 2 more weeks! You are superwoman!!

 

[Maddie143]

@Maddie143 Hey Maddie! How are you coming along? I had my LTKR on December 10th (knee #2). Let us know how you are doing. It is a challenging road!

@Rubyroo Hi Rubyroo im slowly moving along! Today is 4 weeks and im healing a little each day. Hope you are doing well. Bending and straightening is tough because of swelling and tightness but im trying to be patient.

 

[Maddie143]

Hi @Maddie143, I had my knee replaced the day before you on 6 Dec 2021. I too have the stiffness in the knee making it difficult to bend the knee. This is my second knee replacement in which the first one was exactly like that too. You have to be patient. My first knee got better with time. I rest most the day with my leg elevated with my ice machine. I do my exercises everyday but I do not push myself but rather go at my own pace. Hang in there it’ll get better, I promise.

@Bluebell53 thanks for the words of encouragement. Maybe part of my problem is that im not staying off of it enough. Im type A so its very hard for me to lay down all day. Stiffness is very real and definitely holding me back.

 

[Maddie143]

@Jockette thanks for that. Its good to be reminded that its going to take time so I need to just relax. How much do I need to be off of it at this point? 4 weeks?

 

[Jockette]

You don’t need to stay off it, and you don’t want to lay around all day. You do need movement. Somehow, through trial and error, you need to find the balance of what works for your knee. Too much activity will cause increased pain and swelling. Rest, ice and elevation is important, but activity is important also.

I see you tagged members you wanted to post to, great job! When you do that, there’s no need to also quote the post.

 

[Sara61]

Maddie, this might be helpful for you to have a rough idea what you should be expecting to do each week, although everyone is different.

Why resting is critical after joint replacement surgery

Even with so many advances in surgical methods that allow surgeons to replace traditional open surgery with less invasive approaches like robotic, laparoscopic, or arthroscopic surgery, any procedure is considered to be a major stress on the body and mind. Your body spends a lot of energy...

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