Guest viewing is limited

TKR TKR Progress

One year later and overall I’m thankful for the knee replacement. Overall, I can do pretty much anything I want to do without pain. Even going down steps normally is okay. Anything that causes a deep bend still hurts as I still don’t have a bend that doesn’t start hurting past about 120. I’m really thankful that I don’t hear or feel the clicking many TKR people complain about.

1646633B-27F9-4481-848C-84103466DEA4.jpeg
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Happy an-Knee-versary, @Odieodell! :cheers:

Congrats on a successful recovery. My experience is that our knees continue to improve well into the second year... so, more to come!
 
I’m now at about 18 months since I had my LTKR surgery. No pain from daily activities or sports (golf, pickleball and tennis). I’m guessing my flexion is currently around 120 or 125, so I believe I’m still improving.

The only pain I ever have is in the evening when I work on flexion and bend it to my current max. It is only tissue pain behind the knee. Some days after a lot of activity my left calf muscle will be sore. I have to believe this tissue soreness is because my activities continue to push my current limitations much like PT does. Does that make logical sense? I’m wondering how long it may take me to get past this and perhaps to 130 flexion.

At least I’m having fun. It’s more enjoyable than PT and I have no regrets having had the surgery.
 
Yes it makes sense. You're doing great!
Since it sounds like you might be as active as you want to be.... are you pushing yourself "just because" or is there another goal you have in mind in terms of daily function?
 
Thanks for your reply. I’m not pushing myself, but simply doing the daily activities I love. I hope eventually I will gain enough flexion (similar to my right knee) that the tissue soreness goes away.
 
I have a question about a friend who had his left knee replaced almost 12 weeks ago. He went to my same surgeon and also had a Conformis implant. I was shocked when I saw him today walking with a very bent knee. I asked him when he sees the surgeon again and he said not for two years!

I know we all heal different and I've heard zero extension can be harder to achieve than flexion. His current extension looked to be as bad as I was prior to surgery which was about -20. I asked him if the surgeon ever mentioned doing a MUA and he said no. The surgeon at his 6 week post-op appointment said everything looks fine and it will eventually straighten out. I believe he is still doing PT. Do you think it will straighten out without some assistance from the surgeon?

I personally told him I think he should make another appointment with the surgeon.
 
A bad extension at 3 months isn't that unusual. A MUA doesn't work for extension, only for the bend, so his doctor made the correct decision. There are extension exercises he can do, but what worked best for me was walking with a longer-than-normal stride, with a heel-to-toe gait. My leg didn't straighten quickly but it did and without painful exercises.

Why don't you tell your friend to come join us here?
 
Odieodell said:
His current extension looked to be as bad as I was prior to surgery which was about -20.
Click to expand...
Did he have the extension problem for a long time prior to the surgery? If so, it could be that muscles in his leg have become foreshortened and need more time to loosen up. This happened to me with my first TKR.

As sisterinhim says, heel-to-toe walking is a good way to gradually improve extension.
 
I am approaching my 2 year anniversary of my LTKR. Overall, I have been very happy with it and can do most any activity I want. I believe my flexion is still about 120. However, I still have tissue type pain behind my knee if I try to bend my knee beyond that. I constantly work on my bend. I thought my tennis and pickleball activities would eventually get me past this and continue to improve my flexion. I can live with it, but was wondering this type of pain common for everyone?

I fear one day accidentally falling on it and performing a manipulation without anesthesia.
 
benne68 said:
Is this new pain that you've developed, or have you had it since the beginning of your recovery?
Click to expand...
I have had this pain since the beginning of my recovery. I’ve asked if I might have a Baker’s Cyst, but I’ve been told no. I’ll look into the other two possibilities you mentioned.
 
So I’m almost 2-1/2 years post-op and the knee has felt good. However, after playing tennis doubles last week my knee began to hurt a bit above the kneecap, but mostly to the medial side like where before TKR meniscus pain would be. When I get up in the morning it doesn't hurt, but the longer I’m up and walking it begins to hurt again. Walking isn't too bad, but bending it is painful. There may be a tiny bit of swelling. I'm icing and resting it. I'm hoping it is just tissue injury as my bend has only been about 120 degrees. However, I am also concerned that possibly the kneecap isn't tracking correctly now. I'm thinking of giving it another week of rest and if no improvement make an appointment with the surgeon. Has anyone here had a kneecap cause problems after TKR and if so what can be done to correct it?
 
I'm sorry to read this, @Odieodell. If your flexion is down, that's a sign of inflammation and the fact that it started after you played tennis does suggest that you twisted or twinged something during play.

Your plan seems sound: give it a week to recover, doing lots of icing and elevating and taking some anti-inflammatory medication (Aleve, Advil, or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory). If it doesn't improve with self-care, you probably should have it checked.

Please do keep us posted!
 
I recently fell, and my knee/leg hurt like crazy. I did contact my OS as it was a full-on, hit the ground, fall, just to see what he suggested. He had me go in for x-rays just to make sure no bones had broken around the long posts (I've had a revision also and they put posts in when doing the revision) All was fine, but it was better to know that, as I was in a lot of pain and discomfort, that was likely tissue, etc, related damage, but better safe than sorry . My suggestion is, if you're mostly sore, but not in terrible pain, wait it out a bit to see if it begins to feel better. If not, I'd at least message my doctor and get his advice. Good job on icing-that won't hurt anything but will help with pain and swelling.
 
So a full month later and I’m still having pain issues with my knee 2.5 years since surgery. It feels like kneecap alignment problems. It doesn't bother me much just to walk, but sports activities trigger the pain. I have some stiffness and reduced bend. I've still been icing it in the evenings. I have verified my quad is still much weaker than it was prior to surgery by using the leg extension machine at our gym. I can lift 30 lbs. on my right leg and barely 10 on my surgical leg. Thus, I am still hoping this is simply muscle imbalance. I have scheduled an appointment with the surgeon on October 3rd. Praying
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Active Antimicrobial Hydrogel

Staff online

Members online

Total: 768 (members: 4, guests: 764)

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom