TKR Two years out from October 2023 TKR

[Peterfox]

Wow and that is 6 months out
What did you feel like at 3 months ?
My tennis and PBall friends that have had TK R say 3 months back on courts
S 3 months enough time for PT ?
You seem like your a active person

 

[Dmcfad2]

@Peterfox Yes, I am an active person. My recovery hasn’t been as easy as it seems to be for some. Everyone is different and I’m sure some were playing pickleball at 3 months. Unfortunately, I am taking longer to heal, so I’m slowly getting back to my previous level of activity. I’m still having pain when I bend my knee and when I get up from a chair. My quads are weak, apparrently.
At 3 months, I was making progress and felt I turned a corner then. But, still not great. Today, at 6 months, I have good and bad days. It takes time and patience.

 

[Layla]

Hang in there, Debbie. It does take patience and as you noted we’re all different and it takes some longer than others. Thankfully you‘re at a point that you can do most all you want to do with minimal pain. Let us know how your May 6th appointment goes. Best Wishes!
@Dmcfad2

 

[Dmcfad2]

I haven’t been here for awhile. I just hit 10 months post op last week. My recovery is ongoing. I am finally back at the gym doing my previous workouts. Two spin classes a week, two body pump classes a week. I am still doing outside PT 2x a week for my knee, but that will be over soon.
I have had an issue with a tight IT band for several months, which causes snapping and pain at the knee with every step. We have been working on strengthening my quads and stretching to see if it would resolve. For five days now, I have not had any snapping, so I am hoping that I may be done with it!
I still have stiffness and some pain, but it doesn’t keep me from doing the things I want to do. It is annoying, though. I am still working on going up and down stairs without pain and without holding on to the handrail for dear life. It is so much easier when I don’t have the snapping IT band! At this point it is what keeps me from making better progress.
My bend is only about 117° on my best days and I can’t seem to get more than that. It has taken me all of this time to get there, sometimes only gaining 1° a month.
I am walking well, but I am still slower than I used to be. I limp a bit if I get tired. Even with the knee challenges I still face, I am very active and can get up and down off the floor and I can kneel.
My therapist and I have decided to have my last PT appointment for my knee next week. I can do the stretching at home and the gym is taking care of my strength exercises.
But……I am now having some lower back pain. I have been prescribed more PT, so will start that the following week with my same therapist. I feel like I will never get out of physical therapy. LOL

To be totally honest, this has been a horrific experience for me. It was the most painful thing I have done. My hips were a breeze compared to my knee. I still cannot say that I am happy I had it done. Hoping that will change eventually.

Onward and upward.

 

[EalingGran]

Sorry it has been a longer and tougher journey than you had hoped.
The IT band can be really difficult.
My post op recovery was longer and more complicated because of an overstretched MCL- but with patience and gentle but regular pilates I have really improved.
I too have back issues.
I find regular pilates really does help.
Hang in there- it is a marathon not a sprint.

 

[almostready?]

Thank you for your sharing.
I have snapping too - would you be able to say what things you did that have been helpful for the snapping?

 

[benne68]

My bend is only about 117° on my best days and I can’t seem to get more than that. It has taken me all of this time to get there, sometimes only gaining 1° a month.

Many of us continue to gain flexion well into our second year of recovery. That definitely happened to me with my first TKR. I wasn't measuring it, but I could see the improvement in function -- especially on stairs.
Being able to kneel and to get up and down from the floor puts you well ahead of many people.

My hips were a breeze compared to my knee. I

Same for me. I went into my first TKR expecting the recovery to be like my hip. Thankfully, my surgery warned me ("your hip recovery was a cake walk compared to this") and he wasn't kidding.

now having some lower back pain.

I found massage therapy very helpful in dealing with the lower back pain I developed during my recovery.

 

[mendogal]

Hang in there @Dmcfad2 Debbie...

You've had a typically mixed bag of successes (kneeling, progressing to the gym) and frustrations (ITB and now back issues), but these soft tissue problems are treatable and you have ample time for ongoing progress.

I don't know if this applies to you: my gym buddy was having low back issues that were evident when I watched her arching her lumbar spine on the leg machines. I had her adjust her seat distance and bring a towel to roll up as a lumbar support, and it really helped.

 

[EalingGran]

have snapping too - would you be able to say what things you did that have been helpful for the snapping?

I didn't get much snapping- just very occasionally if I walked and my leg kind of extended a bit more than usual.
My surgeon reassured me that in my case it was popliteus just catching slightly on the lip of my implant and it would settle ( which thankfully it has).
My main problem was that for a long time I still got pain from my MCL on stairs. That responded well eventually to glute and quad strengthening.
I was lucky because I had a really good pilates teacher who worked with me to figure out exactly what would help in my case. For me it was focusing on the medial quad- which is a tricky muscle to train because it only fires in the last few degrees of extension.
If you have soft tissue issues it can be helpful to find a really good PT/ pilates teacher/ trainer who understands anatomy and is prepared to try to help you figure out your own issues.

 

[Layla]

I am sorry you're not experiencing the recovery we all dream of. Easy peasy, quick and uneventful. Hopefully through the guidance of your physical therapist, and given more time, you'll continue to make positive progress over the next year or two.
Best Wishes, Debbie!
@Dmcfad2

 

[Dmcfad2]

Thank you for your sharing.
I have snapping too - would you be able to say what things you did that have been helpful for the snapping?

I have been working consistently with my PT. She massages it and manipulates my kneecap. Then, I do lots of quad strengthening exercises. One leg squats, lunges, step ups. I use the machine where you lie down and put your foot on the pad and push with your leg. I also do spin classes and have just started back doing weights. The stronger my quad gets, the better my IT band snapping is. Good luck. Mine has actually been better this last week…..finally!

 

[Dmcfad2]

Thanks for all the comments I appreciate you all.

 

[Dmcfad2]

ADMIN: Please change my title to One Year Out or something like that. Thanks.

So, my one year anniversary (10-19) came and went. I am on a cruise and just thought to update.

All in all, I am happy with my new knee. I haven’t had the success some people have, but I’m content. The awful arthritis pain is gone. However, I still have pain walking down stairs and my knee still throbs at night. I can only bend to about 110-115°, but it is enough for me to do the things I want to do. I can walk for long periods of time. I can ride my bike. Oddly enough, I have no problem kneeling, which I understand can be hard for many people. My knee tightens up if I don’t keep up with exercise. I ride the stationary bike every few days to loosen it up.

I am still not to the place where I would ever want to do it again. I would if I had to, but I wouldn’t like it. It was a very painful recovery for me. If I develop pain in my other knee, I will wait until I can’t walk at all to have surgery.

I don’t want to discourage anyone. I have friends who just rave about their new knee and they are very happy. In my case, I have had both hips done and they were a breeze compared to this knee. My knee still feels foreign to me, but it’s getting better slowly. I am still anticipating more improvement as time goes by. Thanks for all the support here. I will check in occasionally.

Edited to add: the snapping in my knee finally went away about 2 months ago.

 

[sistersinhim]

l in all, I am happy with my new knee. I haven’t had the success some people have, but I’m content. The awful arthritis pain is gone. However, I still have pain walking down stairs and my knee still throbs at night. I can only bend to about 110-115°, but it is enough for me to do the things I want to do.

You are just one year out and probably still have some more healing to do. I'm betting that as time goes on and healing continues, that you will see even more improvements.

I am very envious of your cruise trip. Stay safe and sure-footed!

 

[RockyBones]

I haven’t posted here in a long time but was inspired by your comments

I am now one year post TKR also. Still experiencing the ‘tight knee’ But your comments that your knee tightens if you don’t keep up the exercises home for me, as I’m not regular with my exercises at all

I also feel I’ll not do the other knee unless ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. I’m so afraid I’ll end up with two tight knees.

Congrats on your progress.

 

[Layla]

How delightful...a cruise! I know it's not your first and I hope you thoroughly enjoy.
Good to read you're doing well, even if it's not quite where you hoped to be at one year post op. Many continue to enjoy progress into their second and even third years after TKR, so fingers crossed that will be you too.
Thanks for stopping by, please do stay in touch! We appreciate your updates.
@Dmcfad2

 

[mtcwp]

I am almost 11 months out (Nov 7) and I too am experiencing what you are ... my knee feels like it's wrapped in a very tight ace bandage and I am still uncomfortable especially when I walk. ... the good news is the nerve pain is gone but it still feels foreign which is disappointing. My range is very good at 130-135 degrees, but I will NOT do my other knee. This is not what I signed up for.

I still have some sharp pain in the lower left side of my left knee. When I am in bed, I hear/feel clicks in my knee which I don't think is my kneecap.

I'm just curious if anyone is experiencing the same.

 

[Rockgirl4]

My right TKR recovery sounds a lot like yours. I just wanted to encourage you by saying I gained more range of motion in years 2 & 3, finally lost the pain going downstairs by the 2-yr mark, finally felt like my knee belonged (wasn't foreign) around 2 years, and FINALLY had no problems except stiffness by the 2 & 3 year mark. It can come, so keep your fingers crossed.

 

[Dmcfad2]

My right TKR recovery sounds a lot like yours. I just wanted to encourage you by saying I gained more range of motion in years 2 & 3, finally lost the pain going downstairs by the 2-yr mark, finally felt like my knee belonged (wasn't foreign) around 2 years, and FINALLY had no problems except stiffness by the 2 & 3 year mark. It can come, so keep your fingers crossed.

Thank you!

 

[Dmcfad2]

Just a quick update as this year ends. I am now 14 months post op. Not much has changed or improved in the last two months. Still a tightness in the knee, especially when I have been more active. Still can only bend to about 110-115°. Still having trouble going up and down stairs without using a handrail. Still some occasional throbbing at night when trying to sleep. Arthritis pain is gone, but has been replaced with a different kind of pain/discomfort. Still wouldn’t do this again unless I literally could not walk.

This surgery has made me feel old. I don’t know how else to put it. I am 73 and have always been active and fit, even when I was having arthritic knee pain. But, since this surgery, I have slowly seen my fitness level deteriorating because I just can’t work out like I used to. I have gained about 7 pounds. I sit around more than I used to before surgery. I can’t walk like I used to before this surgery. I’m much slower. I can’t do the body pump classes like I used to, but I do keep trying. Getting up and down from the floor is harder and takes more time, so sometimes I skip the floor work just so I can keep up with the class. Luckily, I can still do spin classes, but I have to modify, as I don’t have the stamina I did before surgery. I have accepted all this, but it still saddens me.

I know this isn’t a glowing report, but I have to be honest. I still have hope that I will improve as more time goes by. Happy New Year to all.