TKR What did I get myself into?

[Jaycey]

Says dailey activities really won’t do much more.

This recovery takes one year or longer. I don't agree with your surgeon either. Forcing your knee is only going to make it more stiff and swollen. Daily activities and icing will help increase your ROM. Have a read in other members' recovery threads. Lots of happy members recovered this way.

 

[sistersinhim]

Here are a couple of examples of gaining ROM later on in their recovery:
One of our members, Bertschb, kept a record of his ROM process. He agreed for us to post it for those of you that are afraid you're stuck. The key is to have patience! Bertschb says:

I'm 12 months out from my surgery and have some advice based on my experience:
Don't worry about your ROM Be patient - VERY patient!!!

Here is my ROM history (more or less):
1 month - 60 degrees
2 months - 80 degrees
3 months - 85 degrees
4 months - 90 degrees
5 months - 90 degrees
6 months - 110 degrees
7 months - 120 degrees
8 months - 125 degrees
9 months - 130 degrees
10 months - 135 degrees
11 months - 140 degrees
12 months - 140 degrees

I spent waaaaay too much time worrying about ROM. I thought I'd be riding my bike a couple months after surgery but it took SIX months! Looking back on my surgery, if I knew then what I know now, I wouldn't have worried about ROM.

This is what one of our members wrote about the slow development of her ROM. (Thank you, @Campervan ) As you can see, her flexion continued to improve for a long time.

"I had a slow recovery. Here's my flex measurements at various points:
92 - 8 weeks post op
105 - 10 weeks
107 - 5 months
110 - 6 months
112 - 7 months
116 - 9 months
119 - 11 months
118 - 1 yr
120 - 1yr 2 months
125 - 1 yr 8 months
128 – 6 years "

 

[Layla]

Hi Will,
It is nice to hear from you. Playing pickle ball 4-5 times a weeks sounds awesome. Good for you!
I'll bet putting on socks and shoes will get easier given more time.
Stiffness is often related to swelling. Some good old icing and elevation after pickle ball may help. Glad you are feeling that overall things are fine. I hope you have a great week!
@WillB

 

[WillB]

Getting close to the one year anniversary of my LTKR. I have my 1 year follow up with surgeons office next month. I still am suffering from a bit of stiffness and much discomfort from the area just up above my knee cap. This tight band feeling. Especially prevalent when getting up from a chair. While I’m pretty much pain free when playing pickleball, I’m pretty stiff and sore afterwards. AND my right knee has been protesting. Will have it xrayed next month. Not sure what’s going on there. My flex is only around 110-115 which I can live with. Its really the tightness just above my knee which is the area I’m struggling with the most. Not sure if it will ever get better! According to the color of my scar I’m still healing?? But my right knee now has me concerned! Tough getting older (76).

 

[mendogal]

I'm glad you're able to be active and with a quite functional ROM.

You might find that the tightness responds to a little warmth and soft massage. If you happen to find knotty areas when you do that, see if you can *gradually* go into each knot with increasing pressure and then let go and again gently massage the surrounding area.

 

[sistersinhim]

Tough getting older (76).

Oh yeah, these side effects stink!

 

[Layla]

Its really the tightness just above my knee which is the area I’m struggling with the most. Not sure if it will ever get better

You know we tend to remind folks that there is progress enjoyed by many past the one year anniversary, so fingers crossed you fall into that category, Will.

But my right knee now has me concerned! Tough getting older (76).

I am sorry you have a new concern. Hopefully you find out what's going on with that knee at your one year anniversary appointment with your surgeon. You make a good point, as the old saying goes - getting older is certainly not for sissies.

Happy One Year Anniversary, Will, if we don't hear from you before then.

 

[alija]

Hello Will, I can relate to so much in your knee progress. I am over 1 year now and knee is significantly painful all the time if I move it . Still can't lie on unaffected side even with pillow, going upstairs normally is extremely painful as I push off from my bent leg. Walking more than about a hundred yards and attempting the stairs a few times means much pain for a few days after and the lateral side of my knee feels like a huge bird has been pecking at it! I have switched to Gabapentin type painkillers which means I shout less but using the knee more results in more swelling, pegleg gait and losing balance. My other sided10 year old partial and my opposite hip are really complaining too. The thought of living with this much pain and incapacity for years to come is grim and it's definitely getting worse. I wish you well and hope it improves but for me I really regret having it done.

 

[DEL2024Dec-38]

Hi Will, I certainly relate to your recent post. I still have the tight band feeling (TBF) also, and my non-surgery knee is feeling a lot of pain recently. I am hoping that for both of us, this is perhaps weather related and will go away. Or perhaps our gait is off because of the TBF and we're using the non-surgery knee/leg incorrectly. At least you are still playing pickleball, that's good, but you know when you do a lot of activity, you do end up paying later. I mean you, and I! I got sore after doing PT or even exercises at home. Sometimes I have to have a day to just not do much except regular moving around. I have had endless bouts of pain in my TKR knee and am seeing a pain management doctor soon. Some of the trouble it seems is coming from my back, and I wonder if that is happening with you as well. I look forward to hearing your report about meeting up with your doctor - maybe ask him/her to take an X-ray of the painful right knee?

I don't really think it's your age as much as, this surgery is a bear. With teeth and big claws.

 

[raylo]

Ain't it the truth? As I typically say, I've still got a pretty good engine but the wheels are falling off.

But my right knee now has me concerned! Tough getting older (76).

 

[DEL2024Dec-38]

Hi Will, just wondering if you had that follow-up with your surgeon and what he had to say. Did you discuss the tight band feeling going on? Also I hope you asked for an X-ray of your right knee. Maybe it's plain arthritis and a cortisone shot will help. Keep in mind what Layla says, maybe you (and I) will have progress after the one-year mark. Take care and we hope to hear from you.

 

[Layla]

Let's tag @WillB, and see if he responds. He hasn't been around since mid December, but he may receive email alerts, and if so, we can see how he's doing.
I hope you have a great week ... WillB too!

 

[WillB]

Well, finally I’m back after a tough ‘23 with LTKR in Jan and a laminectomy mid August. My new knee is ok but still a bit stiff, a little sore and having the tight band feeling just above the knee. Since I do have generalized inflamation, I guess I’m okay with the reality that my knee may always be a tad painful and stiff. Flex is just 115 which I can live with.

Played a lot of pain free pickleball from Nov thru Jan until my right knee began to hurt. Recent MRI shows a bilateral horizontal meniscus tear. Have appt tomorrow with my orthopedic surgeon to discuss options. Maybe just a scope procedure to clean up the area and stich up the tear. I had a cortisone injection a month ago and boy did it work. No pain but now understand it’s just a bandaid and I should not have gone back to pickleball as if everything was great. Obviously further damaged the meniscus because pain has resurfaced!

I can only sit in an easy chair so much!! Happy spring

 

[Layla]

Ugh! I'm so sorry you have to endure the pain from this tear after a tough 2023, Will. Thankfully you enjoyed some pain free pickle ball for a few months. I hope the easiest possible remedy will get you up and moving again soon.
Best wishes for your appointment tomorrow. Please stay in touch and let us know how you're doing.
@WillB

 

[DEL2024Dec-38]

Good to hear from you, Will. I hope your surgeon has a good solution for your meniscus tear. I think you've been through the toughest surgery, which is the knee replacement, this will hopefully not be too bad. But when oh when will we be rid of that tight band feeling? I have it also. My friend hurt her elbow playing pickleball; it sounds like a dangerous sport! For the time being, can you read a book or try playing ping pong? And there's so much to watch on TV... Please let us know what the doctor says.

 

[EalingGran]

So sorry that you have further injury and surgery needed. It's hard when returning to the activity we love is too much. Hope the OS appointment is helpful.

 

[WillB]

Well, a scope proceedure on my knee is off the table att. Seems with age and the extent of osteoarthritis in the joint, a scope proceedure would not last long. So, starting mid May I will have a series of 3 gel injections to replace some of the cushioning I have lost. Each injection is about $125 which neither my Medicare advantage nor my VA insurance will cover. The relief may last for up to a year and seems worth it. We did discuss surgical options moving forward if the gel injections are short lived. Maybe a partial vs total. Time will tell.

I did ask about the continuing tightness and soreness of the quad tendon. It may continue to gradually get better, but it’s really the only part of my TKR that bothers me.

 

[Layla]

Sorry the scope is off the table. I hope the gel injections bring you long lasting relief, Will.
Please keep us posted.
Have a nice weekend!
@WillB

 

[MichiganGal]

Hello Will - glad to hear about the pickleball but sorry about the other knee. Hope the injections help the knee. It is very interesting to hear others talk about the struggle even coming up to the one year mark or past the one year mark. I am still having issues on and off. Some pain in my thigh after walks or exercising and continued swelling. Still having the odd feelings at the knee cap when I have swelling - my surgeon said that feeling is normal with swelling/inflammation. I have struggled with inflammation for years. I try not to go down the rabbit hole that there is something wrong with my knee but it is easy to think of all the things that could go wrong. I am trying to get into my doctor earlier than the one year mark but he is booked solid. I guess if it is too much I can just go to the ER and get an xray that way to make sure the replacement is ok. I really don't want to do that but I will do what I need to do to make sure it is ok.

 

[WillB]

MichiganGal…not sure when you had your knee surgery but even after a year I have a little stiffness along with the tight band feeling just above the knee. And my kneecap? Feels really weird and I can not kneel on it. But I really think, little by little, my knee will continue to get stronger!
All the best!