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18 months after partial knee replacement

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Shell.t
Shell.t

Hi I'm 51 I had arthroscopy two and a half years ago and a partial knee replacement 18 months ago all was great I have full bend in my knee can walk for miles walk upstairs without pain and have been Zumba and kettlesize classes since January up until now  my knee is painful fairly tender it feels tight hurts to walk and painfully going up stairs has anyone else suddenly had problems this far down the line when things seemed to going do well xx thank you in advance for any replies 

Michelle x 

4 likes, 85 replies

85 Replies

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  • debbie08326
    debbie08326 Shell.t

    Posted

    Oh and forgot most important part was to go back to rest , ice and elevate and it should calm down within few days/ weeks . If not may need to give Doc a call . 

  • tricia1954
    tricia1954 Shell.t

    Posted

    hi Michelle . Didn't mean to barge into your post😬. But, there are so few partials on here it was interesting to hear what has happened to you and Debbie.  My font of all knowledge is John he has given me encouragement at the start. 

    You do sound as though you have been doing marvellously, I would love to go back to Zumba classes. With everything else going on in your life maybe it was just that at that moment you did too much.

    Hopefully it will all settle for you with a bit of rest.

    good luck with it all. At four months I aspire to your achievements.

    • anita74405
      anita74405 tricia1954

      Posted

      Hello Iv just joined this group.

      I had a PKR 3 months ago, like everyone I'm eager to get my knee strong.

      Was doing great but 5 weeks in I pulled my hamstring, by just doing my exsercises physio gave me to do.

      Had to do nothing for a couple of weeks, then all good until a week ago and sharp pain behind my knee when ever I bend when sitting.

      It seems this is common. I'm very frustrated, and still on painkillers.

      I

    • steve16211
      steve16211 tricia1954

      Posted

      i had my PKR done on 26th Februray, luckily my partner is a physio so i have had lots of post op care, its now 11 weeks on and i have 130 degrees bend but cant straighten fully because my Hamstring is very very tight but with the help of my partner and going to the gym i am very optomistic i will be back to full fitness very soon. steve

  • ellen49890
    ellen49890 Shell.t

    Posted

    Ok, I am 3 weeks out from PKR, patella femoral.  All was going really well besides expected stiffness, swelling and Pain.  Only using a cane part time and finally slept thru the night for the first time.  PT has been going well; ROM was 123....until today.  One exercise was walking on my heels and had been doing it with no issues until today.  Now I have some pretty good Pain right above my kneecap and on either side with flexing,  therapist thinks that I have strained my quad tendon and told me to ice, elevate and stay off it for a few days.  This really has be bummed and wondering if I should call my Dr.?

    Anyone else have this experience?

    • debbie08326
      debbie08326 ellen49890

      Posted

      Hi Ellen 

      Still so early in the game . Yes I would agree with the therapist .

      I had all sorts of pain here and there coming and going . Just when I thought I was 3 steps ahead I was 10 in the other direction . Frustrating yes for sure , understand completely . 

      Your knee / body been through a trama . Just lay low few days I'm sure it will turn around .

      Debbie 

    • Shell.t
      Shell.t ellen49890

      Posted

      Hi Ellen

      Lovely to hear from you I'm sorry your having problems st the moment but your doing amazing three weeks is not long at all my knee was very swollen still at that time x keep resting whenever you can ice it and dint push yourself too much you really need to be careful in the early days I think we are all guilty of that though x 

      Lovely hearing from you and I hope everything improves for you

      Shell x 

    • ellen49890
      ellen49890 Shell.t

      Posted

      Thanks for the encouragement!  One thing I have learned in the last 3 weeks is that I am not a patient patient!
  • CHICO_MARX
    CHICO_MARX Shell.t

    Posted

    When you do Zumba, do the exercises require that you exert the same force on your knee as if you were running?  If so, STOP!!!!!  This is the list...

    https://patient.info/forums/discuss/do-s-and-don-ts-after-a-tkr-a-typical-list-541794

    Notice jogging and running.  These activities can put anywhere a force from 5 to 18 times your body weight on the knee which is why they are forbidden for TKR patients.  I believe the same will hold true for PKRs.  

    Your best bet is to stop for two weeks, take an anti-inflammatory like ibuprofen REGULARLY (has to build up in your bloodstream to be effective) and apply a topical as well.  Voltaren Gel (RX in the US) is the second best one on the planet.  If this doesn't resolve in 14 days, see your surgeon for at least an x-ray.

    • debbie08326
      debbie08326 CHICO_MARX

      Posted

      Thank you for the list again Chico .

      Good to remind us all ! Great post .

      I finally have given in and realize everything I've heard all along on here about exercise and not over doing it has been right 

      Debbie 

    • CHICO_MARX
      CHICO_MARX debbie08326

      Posted

      Correct.  You CANNOT push a knee to recovery.  I pushed a hip replacement to full recovery in six weeks.  That took 5 hours a day, six days a week in a therapy pool and gym.  Tough but fast recovery.  I also pushed two shoulder impingement surgeries to full recovery (360-degree rotation) in five weeks instead of six months.  Lots of intense work, pushing them every day.

      You just can't do that with a knee.  I'm at 19 months post-op on my TKR and I can tell you that I started feeling more like my old self in the 9-12 month timeframe.  Gotta get that ROM to 0 / +120 and then rebuild your atrophied quads, glutes and core.  It takes time and determination but also an understanding that it will be slow.  People have to give up all expectations on time and be more Zen: "I'll be better when I'm better."  There's no other way.  Nothing will magically speed this up and your knee will certainly not conform to any of your expectations.  

      So take it day by day...when you look back from a distance, you will see how your recovery unfolded.  Make the most out of the journey to discover your untapped inner strength...you will be a better, stronger person for it.

    • Shell.t
      Shell.t CHICO_MARX

      Posted

      Hi Chico

      Thanks so much for your reply I too like Debbie have decided to rethink my exercise choices Zumba is like a fast dance routine with quite a bit of impact twisting and turning in it .  I thought (wrongly) that all was ok as I've been doing it  since January 

      Oh well onwards and upwards I welcome any advice from people with what exercise they do 

      Shell x 

  • CHICO_MARX
    CHICO_MARX Shell.t

    Posted

    Yes, a knee replacement (full or partial) should last around 25 years...but only if you follow the rules and avoid any pounding on or twisting of that knee.  That's why a lot of activities are strictly forbidden.

    The best way to put this...  I had a hip replaced in '09.  Two weeks later, I went back to the doc and asked him when I could get back on my skates (played hockey for over 45 years).  He looked at me in amazement, as if I was totally delusional...I was.  Told me that the hip would last 25 years or more if I gave up the sport.  If I went back to playing hockey, the hip would last about THREE!!!  I was done.

    Same applies to the knee.  Want it to last?  Your competitive sports days are over.  So is your participation in banned activities that will put pressure on or torque the knee.  But everyone gets to make their own choices.  Personally, I'm looking for a cutthroat shuffleboard league.

  • Giblet
    Giblet Shell.t

    Posted

    Hi There. I am 4 weeks post op and feeling ok. I had a lateral PKR which I was told is not the common side. Walking is fine and pain free. My biggest issue is walking down stairs. No real pain, but weakness and discomfort. I’m 50 and trying to get back to “normal “ activity level. Has anyone attempted any light Sports following  PKR? If so, how did it go????
    • debbie08326
      debbie08326 Giblet

      Posted

      Hi 

      I am 20 months Lateral PKR.

      I tried different workouts at the Y. ( am previous runner ). Not sure if I wasn’t far enough along or what but my knee swelled up bad and so I stopped all workouts that have even minimal amounts of jumping , twisting . Chico has a good list of acceptable types of activities .

      Mostly now I walk , bike , and do weights and ab workouts . Sometimes i think even carrying heavy things can put too much a strain and cause knee to swell .

      I’ve gotten to point that not having swelling and pain is better than stressing about workouts .

      I really watch what I eat so as not to put weight on . Check out CHICO Marx’s posts .

      Debbie 

    • tara62155
      tara62155 Giblet

      Posted

      I had a PKR exactly a year ago. Everything was fine until recently. I was back to my usual speed walking for miles and was back on the bike. Just recently though we got a new tandem and it felt like every time we changed gear I was being shot in the knee cap!!! I could have cried the pain was awful, but we had to get home. No swelling etc just unbearable pain. I’m a very active 47 year old. 

      I don’t know if it’s the vibration from the bike changing gear that resounding through metal is causing this. It’s hard to describe to a doctor, Physio etc.

      I haven’t risked anything else as this has made me nervous.

    • COTom
      COTom Giblet

      Posted

      Hi....I am having my PKR next week, and wanted to see how the pain was the first few days and how walking felt?

      Good luck to you.

    • Manninagh
      Manninagh debbie08326

      Edited

      Hi Debbie. I am 18 months post OP. I had medial PKR. I was in lots of pain for 10 years and worked in construction. I am in terrible pain still around the front of the knee and knee cap. Started pain killers again in March. I feel im not getting better. Seems the consultants , mine anyway, are not interested. He just gives me a list of whats not wrong structurally . The apathy towards my pain an inability to walk etc is astonishing. Got me really depressed. Doctor said, my knee is not his concern. Incredible from a Doctor. Several visits to NHS physio was just a joke . I tried another and paid but it was out of her depth, pity. So I watch videos, tiktok etc. Got exercise program, been helping myself for a year now. Ive noted a few others mention doing to much, defo. I dont do any impact at all. I do stationary bike. Leg exercises for strength on machine. I do other cardio like hand cycle machine and a circuit of general muscle group training. Not worked for 2 years now. Terrible experience with no end in sight. Will carryon and hope I get there. Nice to read a forum on PKR , there isnt to much on the web. 😃

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