Revision TKR Tabbykit's recovery from TKR revision
- Thread starter tabbykit
- Start date
United Kingdom
No, you don’t have to worry about it. But, that area is now more sore than it was. Proof that he should have just left it alone. Especially since it is not necessary to do that.
Just let things heal naturally, we don’t always have to “do something” so that we will heal. Our body was designed to heal, it knows what it’s doing. Give it the privilege of sorting itself out. (One of my favorite quotes from Josephine!)
Just let things heal naturally, we don’t always have to “do something” so that we will heal. Our body was designed to heal, it knows what it’s doing. Give it the privilege of sorting itself out. (One of my favorite quotes from Josephine!)
tabbykit
member
@Jockette, thank you. Can I ask you something (and indeed to any other forum advisors who might read!) - I am now entering week 10 postop. I am still having the same problem with pain inside the middle of the knee, on raising the leg from a bend. It's as if something 'catches'. No clicking or clunking though. I have to make a mental effort to tell the leg to bend. Sitting or lying with my knee at rest it's not painful, it's only on raising from bent - eg, if I am sitting at my desk/kitchen table then get up, it's the same sharp 'catching' pain.
I can't see that it is caused by the quads in particular, and it seems to come from behind the kneecap area. I am still doing quad sets etc, walking round the house, icing and elevating etc. This particular problem means I cannot drive yet (don't have an automatic), as of course my left leg has to be bent and flexed to use the clutch pedal. Walking is still painful, still on crutches. I worry that something is wrong with the implant, but have asked the PT and she says not but could not explain this pain. I have not read of anyone else here having a similar problem - and wondered if you had any idea?
I can't see that it is caused by the quads in particular, and it seems to come from behind the kneecap area. I am still doing quad sets etc, walking round the house, icing and elevating etc. This particular problem means I cannot drive yet (don't have an automatic), as of course my left leg has to be bent and flexed to use the clutch pedal. Walking is still painful, still on crutches. I worry that something is wrong with the implant, but have asked the PT and she says not but could not explain this pain. I have not read of anyone else here having a similar problem - and wondered if you had any idea?
10 weeks is early days, still, in this year long recovery. I had my left knee done, but if it had been my right, and was the same recovery that I had, I don’t think I could have done a clutch at 10 weeks. We are all different though, and I’m sure there are some who could.
When do you have your next follow up appointment? That might give you some peace of mind.
When do you have your next follow up appointment? That might give you some peace of mind.
tabbykit
member
That’s 3 weeks away, you could see some good improvement by then.
And remember, an MUA is your decision. He may recommend it, but if you don’t want it you have the right to say no. There are plenty of us who took our time and were patient with our recovery and ended up well without an MUA. It is not the answer to every issue and it is not always successful.
Maybe due to being a revision he did extra work in the area where your pain is and it could take extra time to heal from it.
I still have some issues 2.5 years later but I’m also still seeing some improvements in some areas. No one has offered me a revision yet and I’m not pushing for one.
And remember, an MUA is your decision. He may recommend it, but if you don’t want it you have the right to say no. There are plenty of us who took our time and were patient with our recovery and ended up well without an MUA. It is not the answer to every issue and it is not always successful.
Maybe due to being a revision he did extra work in the area where your pain is and it could take extra time to heal from it.
I still have some issues 2.5 years later but I’m also still seeing some improvements in some areas. No one has offered me a revision yet and I’m not pushing for one.
tabbykit
member
Yes, I hope so, I am trying hard with ice, gentle exercising etc. I would refuse the MUA if offered, as I did after my original TKR. Read so much about it and while I know it helps for some, it's not for me.... I would prefer arthrolysis if it came to that, but as you say 10 weeks is not long, so hopefully neither of these will come up!
bland9
graduate
tabbycat- really I believe that MUA is given to much negativity on here and its not that bad at all- though for me its was a waste of time and did not help so in ways I agree with you perhaps looking more indepth what arthrolysis entails might be the way forward
tabbykit
member
@bland9, my research into the effectiveness of MUA was not from BS, but from reading studies of longterm outcomes, after I was threatened with a MUA after my original TKR. I read that while immediately following the procedure, ROM was of course much increased, but following patients 6 months or a year on, rather a lot of them were back to pre-MUA ROM or with a negligible difference. If some of us are more likely to develop adhesions, then there's also a big chance we will develop them again... hence my not wanting to go through a MUA to gamble on the small chance of improvement. Seems more logical to me that the surgeon at least removes excess scar tissue/adhesions to give a better chance. I will see my surgeon this week, and I am at 70/5 ROM at 12 weeks. Will update after seeing him.
tabbykit
member
Saw the OS yesterday, he thought my recovery was going 'as well as expected' considering my ROM was so poor prior to revision. He bent my knee and said it has a soft end feel, which is good, and guessed correctly that my right knee is giving me a lot of trouble (it also needs a TKR). I'll see him in 3 months and I said I might be ready to talk about that then.!
You might find that as you new knee takes on more of your weight, your old knee will get better. Mine did. It sounds like your OS is happy with your progress. That is always a relief to hear.
tabbykit
member
I hope it will, it's really been taking the brunt of weight-bearing for a long time! I will need to have it done, but hope I can put it off for a while yet. The OS also said he did not see doing anything more to the revision knee, and that it could be I don't get great ROM given the state it was in before. Realistic at least, better than false hope. If I can get to walk reasonable distances without pain I will be content with that.
I think that's what most of us want. I was told I would never be pain-free, but I'm much better than I was. That makes me and my OS happy. As long as my old knee hangs in there, no replacement for it! I think if we are sensible in our activities and not stress either knee, success will be in our future.
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tabbykit
member
5 month update. Still not great but I think very slowly improving. ROM now 85/0, still using sticks or crutches mostly. Knee still painful on bending, and physio thinks it is probably due to scar tissue. Will see surgeon again in December but in September he said he couldn't see doing any further surgery on this knee.
