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11 weeks post TKR, can't straighten knee.

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tricia2396
tricia2396

Hi, I know this has been mentioned in the past, I think I commented on it, but I am now beginning to stress about this. My recovery seemed OK until about 7 weeks post op when I realised that I couldn't straighten my knee. I don't know if the swelling had stopped me noticing this before, but at my 6 week check, all was well and my surgeon was happy. Now I can't walk properly, uphill is ok, but downhill is a struggle and painful, also back of knee really stiff and painful after even a short sit down.

I attend physio weekly and have been advised to hold off from all usual exercises, can use the static bike, bend and extend my knee and use the bottom stair as a "step" for exercises. I can also use the pool when I can get there, but there seems little or no improvement.

Has anyone else experienced this at 11 weeks or beyond, or have any advice that has worked for them.

I am in the UK.

Thanks.

3 likes, 45 replies

45 Replies

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  • terri59470
    terri59470 tricia2396

    Posted

    Same here Tricia, I'm at 14 weeks and really struggling to straighten. It's my l left knee, I had my right one done 10 months ago and didn't have this problem! Just goes to show, no 2 knees are the same!

    I'm doing the same stuff as everyone has described - ottoman, oven gloves, hanging the leg off the bed - hurts like Hell most of the time I'm doing them but I think I'm slowly starting to see slight improvements. I can't think of anything different that I'm doing but if I do then I'll be sure to let you know.

    Good luck with the exercises, hopefully we'll all get there in the end!

    • irish_linda
      irish_linda terri59470

      Posted

      yes terri you are most probably seeing the difference ,by doing it often,leg straightening as i found out is one of the hardest things its only after my revision that i have this problem ! i was soooo obsessed with the bend because i had no bend before the revision ,so i was on a mission to get that bend !!! never thought that the straightening would be a problem as it was pretty straight at 4-6 wks ,surgeon kept telling me to keep up the bend ,i took him literly . but later down the road it became a problem. im working very hard at the straightening and it looks like im getting places its very slow but bit by bit its stretching ,only recently im able to push the knee down by my self before it just wouldnt do it because of weakness of muscles i put my leg on the coffee table which is the same height as the sofa ,i put my leg straight out in front of me while watching the telly and i push the back of the knee into the table and hold its not easy as the front of the knee just below the kneecap  really hurts kinda burns but its getting to be less painfull before i started it would not move and i could but a fist under my knee only fingers now .im not finsihed yet as im afraid if i neglect it i might lose it so i will keep going .i still pay attension to doing some bending
  • sarcee50
    sarcee50 tricia2396

    Posted

    I am a year post op and worried constantly about my knee not being straight. One of the best things I was told and I kept it up daily was to sit on a chair with another one in front of you ..put your heel on it and let your leg 'hang' let gravity pull it down...its painful and you might only manage a few minutes each time but I used to try and do this about 4 times a day....I still do it now but laying on the sofa with heel hanging on the arm x
  • Annibgood
    Annibgood tricia2396

    Posted

    Hi Irish Linda!

    You told me about the exercise to do in bed before you get up to counteract stiffness. Definitely easier when you do it but still fairly stiff.

    Thanks for that

    Ann

  • donna4434
    donna4434 tricia2396

    Posted

    Hi Tricia..I got to about -3 with knee when PT was complete. I think I lost a bit of straightening afterwards but what did help was I bought some little party balloons at the dollar store (pound shop) and inflated them slightly then used them beneath my knee..there is slight resistance but you can see when you're pressing down as they bulge out a bit..good on surfaces when the bend is almost straight but not quite. My physio also told me to point the toes forward before each try at straight as that releases the calf muscles. ..I am not sure I will ever have a straight leg after 20 years with a slight bend due to previous injury pre the tkr. I am 7.5 months post now.
    • irish_linda
      irish_linda donna4434

      Posted

      donna that is such a great idea with the baloons !! every day is a school day .!!!. i think that new tkr patients should be told to do this it would encourage them seeing the baloon bulge .but make sure you dont frighten the life out of you if they are blown up too much haha!!! .cheesygrin
  • Cass73
    Cass73 tricia2396

    Posted

    Further to my post...sarsee 50 has it right.  Should have specified put your HEEL or ankle bone on bedpost or sofa arm to let it hang.  Not further up the leg.  And mind your language to us as you feel the stretch!  Yes it hurts.  But works!
  • cheryl90571
    cheryl90571 tricia2396

    Posted

    Hi Tricia!

    Lots of great info and support on this discussion thread so far!

    I wanted to add some perspective that I got from my physical therapist.

    I was feeling a bit discouraged that my legs were not as straight as I THOUGHT they should be. (Had left TKR last June and right one last October.)

    My physical therapist looked at my paperwork and said, " You pinpointed September 2007 as the date that you experienced your bad pain in your right knee." I nodded. THEN she said something I honestly had not thought of before!

    "So, we can assume that EIGHT YEARS AGO you had pain that was causing you to walk differently than you HAD been walking." Hmmmmm...

    She went on to talk about how EVERYONE starts to compensate for pain in knees, HIPS, ankles etc. We just can't help it. We WANT to keep moving. We HAVE to keep moving. In doing so, we lean a bit more forward to take pressure off aching knees. We tilt to one side or start to favor the hurting leg by limping. The list goes on and on!

    In doing all this compensation for the PAIN, we also become misaligned which adds back problems, neck issues, etc.

    Also, she went back to her original comment about 2007. She said, " You probably have not had straight legs in EIGHT YEARS! Your work HERE and at home is attempting to remedy an EIGHT-YEAR-OLD issue! Please be kind to yourself and give yourself credit for all you have ALREADY accomplished! "

    Well, I actually CRIED when she said this because in that moment I realized that I was doing TWO kinds of work-- rehab from my surgery AND rehab from those previous EIGHT YEARS of WALKING in weird, imbalanced ways!

    I hope that all of us will remember to be kind to ourselves and above all be PATIENT with all we have endured BEFORE our surgeries and that which we deal with afterwards. We are fighting great battles. We have endured so much pain and damage that REPLACEMENT of our knees is/ was/ will be essential to our overall well-being.

    I hope this perspective helps those who read it. I certainly learned A LOT that day. I love getting information that changes the way I think about things for the better.

    Be strong!

    Be brave!

    We can DO this!

    • Cass73
      Cass73 cheryl90571

      Posted

      Wow, Cheryl, your post about 8 years was great.  I injured knee at 27  and got replaced at 72 .  No wonder OSteo and others say my head is tilted wrong, and my neck pulls forward.  Improving with swimming and awareness, but will now give myself more ctpredir

      t.  Great therapist you had.

    • cheryl90571
      cheryl90571 Cass73

      Posted

      Wow, Cass! That was a VERY long time to be in pain! I'll bet you feel 27 again since you had your surgery!

      My good friend is having great results with her aquatherapy. Deep tissue massage has helped her also.

      It is always great when you find things that WORK!

      Yes, my therapist was WONDERFUL! She seemed to be able to read my mind, too! I was amazed at how patient she was as well. I ask LOTS of questions, but she never brushed me off. I learned SO MUCH from her and especially enjoyed hearing about WHY a certain exercise was indicated at a specific time.

      Wishing you continued success, and thank you for your kind words!

    • tricia2396
      tricia2396 cheryl90571

      Posted

      Cheryl90571, you have reminded me of the conversation I had with my physio about 6 weeks ago. He pointed out that my first arthroscopy on the operated knee was in 2006 and he said very much the same as your PT.

      I suppose we only look as far back as the TKR and not everything that has gone on before hand.

      i am trying to remember this and be kind to myself, but its so frustrating at times.

      I have physio again this afternoon and will see what his verdict is on a week of minimum exercise!

    • cheryl90571
      cheryl90571 tricia2396

      Posted

      I learned SO MUCH from my physical therapist! They are so used to being able to break a problem into small pieces and figure out how all those pieces can be remedied. We see "walking" and just try to do what we have been doing since we were about a year old. It isn't enough. We DEFINITELY need things to be broken down into doable parts. Good physical therapists are AWESOME at doing that, and I am SO GRATEFUL for their guidance!

      Yes, be patient with yourself!

      There is a lot to accomplish, but there is a lot to come back from since your arthroscopy!

      You WILL do this!

      You CAN do this!

    • tricia2396
      tricia2396 cheryl90571

      Posted

      Thanks cheryl90571

      You and others on this forum have been fantastic with advice but mainly with support. It has made me feel better and not a failure to know that this is almost normal!!!

      I'll let you know how I get on!

    • terri59470
      terri59470 cheryl90571

      Posted

      Hi Cheryl, that's really made me rethink things - although I hadn't been struggling as long as you, I can definitely identify with what your Physio said. I remember for the past few years my shoes wore unevenly, especially on my left side, which is the one I am struggling to straighten, so I had obviously altered my walking stance to accommodate the pain. And I had been unable to fully straighten my knee at all, using pillows to prop it up at night. And I always sat with that knee bent and the leg under me (thinking about it, I had done that for a LONG time!) How unrealistic of me to think I could undo all that in a few weeks......

      So thank you, I always appreciate your positivity, but this has gone deeper than that, and made me think things in a different way!

    • cheryl90571
      cheryl90571 terri59470

      Posted

      Glad to be of help!

      Yeah...I was a "legs under me, all curled up" kinda gal, too! It just FELT better!

      We just do what we NEED to do to keep going!

      I THOUGHT I was putting on such a brave face, not complaining, keeping going. AFTER my surgeries as I was walking "normally" for the first time in MANY YEARS, BOTH of my sons commented on how well I was doing and how much YOUNGER I seemed. Hmmm! Oftentimes we THINK we are hiding our discomfort when we only are in denial of it, or THINKING we are hiding it!

      I am so grateful for knowledgeable people who can lead us in our recovery! It is all very complicated!

      Thank you for your kind words! It means a lot to me to be able to give back to others. I have learned so much from everyone here!

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