TKR TKR 4/6 pain lifting bent leg

[Gardenplotter]

Today was a great day, I finally was able to ride my bike outside, just up and down the street. I was still a little wobbly, just feeling unsure and scared of falling, but I had no problem with ROM to do the rotation of the pedal.
I was grinning ear to ear.

 

[Jockette]

I was grinning ear to ear.

That is so great! Congratulations!!!

 

[Sisterpat]

Good for you! Life DOES get back to normal in time.

 

[Gardenplotter]

It’s been 4 months now since my TKR and today I am in a lot of pain. Back to having a log leg, I guess from internal swelling and back to icing and elevating. I will be taking 400mg of Advil to take the edge off so I can sleep.
I don’t recall overdoing it or doing anything else than what I have done the last two weeks. Maybe it just accumulated over time and my knee needs a rest now. I will try to take it easy this weekend, really hoping it’s just the typical rollercoaster and not an indication for something serious.

 

[Sisterpat]

Give it some time and a good rest. I still have days when both knees just hurt. Patience! Let us know how it goes .

 

[Gardenplotter]

I don’t know, sometimes I think something isn’t right. The pain isn’t constant, my leg feels best at extension or at the end of flexion, but at like 30 degrees - not always- I get this knife stabbing pain just to the left below the kneecap. It prevents me from going down stairs foot over foot, its really weird, just a certain angle. On the other hand riding the stationary bike is not painful, even though I have to get to that angle in a rotation. Anybody have an idea? I don’t think it’s an infection, no Fever, not constant pain. Maybe something getting pinched?
Really confused about this
I‘m just really getting depressed, I feel like such a failure.

 

[Jockette]

I‘m just really getting depressed, I feel like such a failure.

You are not a failure! This is a difficult recovery and we all react differently to it.

When was your last check up with your surgeon and when do you see him again?

 

[FCBayern]

No need to feel like a failure @Gardenplotter, just over 4 months into recovery you still have a long ways to go. It's difficult to be patient but this really is a 12-18 month recovery, and I'm still see improvements, even if they are very small now. I didn't feel close to normal until I was in my second year of recovery. It's a long road but well worth it.

 

[FCBayern]

I should add that while I didn't feel normal until sometime during the second year of recovery, the daily grinding pain was gone, and I was in less daily pain after the first couple of months than I had been before TKR. Even though the rest of healing came slowly, I knew I was continuing to get better, instead of going the other way like it had been.

 

[Daveboy1810]

I'm one week out on my left knee, and I have the same issue as you I believe. When I lie on my back and bend my knee and then try to lift my foot, it is very very painful and I can't do it. If my knee is straight I can lift. Also I can lift bended knee standing up.
I can use my elastic band to assist but even that is very tough. I had better motion on my right knee replacement at this point. I will continue monitoring progress and providing feedback

 

[Ghostpipe]

I’m about five and a half months, and have had such a pain on the outside just below the kneecap in one knee. It’s been a particularly persistent one, been there for about a month now, but patience has paid off and it’s now hardly noticeable. It’s been really annoying in that it has stopped me doing certain things but not others, just like yours. Now it’s back to a bit of pain on the outside of both next to the kneecaps. If only I could be sure that this would disappear in a month and not be replaced by different ones!

 

[Gardenplotter]

@Jockette I last saw my surgeon at the 12 week follow up and I explained to him what issues I still have, he told me it is a long recovery and there was nothing wrong on the X-rays that he could see and that things will improve with time. My next appt. is for the one year follow up. I will make an appt early next year if I still have this problem, can‘t do anything about it right now anyway, as I have used all 12 weeks of FMLA.
Of course now I am reading up on any cause this could be „When snapping or mechanical lateral knee pain is encountered in patients who have undergone knee arthroplasty, the popliteal tendon should be investigated as a causative structure.“ and found this… I know I shouldn’t try to selfdiagnose. But I will mention it when I see my doc next year, if it still bothers me.
@Ghostpipe I sure hope it will get better in time, like yours did. I am running out of patience and just feel emotionally drained. The other day my husband came home from work telling me about his 70 yr old coworker that came back to work from TKR after 2 months and is just strutting along fine. Like I said, it made me feel like a failure. I know in my head it’s like comparing apples to oranges, and there is nothing I could have done more or less to heal faster…. still I am so disappointed.
Well that’s my whine for the day.. Good Night

 

[Gardenplotter]

The above clinical photographs demonstrate the clinical exam maneuver for diagnosing popliteal tendonitis. (A) The patient is placed in a lateral decubitus position with the operative extremity up. The patient then abducts their hip against gravity resistance with their knee in full extension. (B) With their hip abducted the patient flexion their knee from 0 to 90 degrees.
https://www.researchgate.net/public...al_Tendinopathy_After_Total_Knee_Arthroplasty

…and i found this which totally describes my problem I had from the very beginning.
Guess I will try to get in to see the surgeon sooner.

 

[Ghostpipe]

Thank you for finding that, just tried it on both of mine (I had bilateral). It does hurt my almost healed painful spot badly. It also hurts a bit on the other knee, although that side hasn’t given me any bother in that particular spot. So two out of two, must be something that is common and needs a long time to heal.
I hope that yours does eventually heal like mine has, I know that tendons take forever to settle down. If you’ve had this from the beginning, maybe you are doing something that isn’t allowing it to heal?

 

[Gardenplotter]

@Ghostpipe I can’t think of anything I am doing that would aggravate it more. Just daily living and work. But I do believe that there were prior issues. I had been diagnosed with a hamstring sprain 3 years ago and ever since couldn‘t bend my knee more than 90 degrees, go down or up stairs normally and walk longer distances. I am not so sure it was really just the hamstring then.
The TKR has made the bending better and I am very happy about that. So from your mouth to Gods ears that this will eventually heal in time.

 

[Greenjean]

I too am 5 weeks out and cannot bend my knee enough to clear the floor when walking.

 

[sistersinhim]

@Greenjean, how about starting your own recovery thread and telling us all about yourself and your surgeries.

Starting a new thread and posting

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Starting a new thread

 

[Rain Dancer]

@Ghostpipe @Greenjean Thank you so much for the posting the test for popliteal tendinitis! That is exactly when I feel the most pain—lying on my side with the surgical knee on top. I suspected that the popliteus was the culprit but didn’t react to the standard tests. Using your information, I did a search on that type of tendinitis and discovered a You Tube video by Dr. Jordan Fairley that showed how to do a popliteus tendon release maneuver. I felt instant relief. It involves straightening the leg, pressing both thumbs behind the knee, and then bringing the knee into a 90 degree bend while continuing to apply pressure as you rotate the knee towards the medial side. It’s hard to describe, so I encourage you to google “popliteus muscle Dr. Jordan Fairley” to find the video. The difference is amazing. Good luck!