7+ weeks post TKR scar still very tight

Good morning.

The reason your scar is tight is down to the scar UNDER your scar.  When they sew you up they do it in layers.  To get through the pain you must keep bend your knee; as far back as you can bear and hold, release and stretch your leg out and hold, all the while tightening your muscles.  Give yourself a count to 10 and start again. (two exercises in one) Keep massaging as it also helps calm the nerves that are also healing and although you may not realise it, are also causing your discomfort. It may well be the nerves and not the scar that is causing the itching.  Lying in bed id a great place to do this exercise.  Try sliding your foot towards you backside and hold, then slide back towards the bottom of your bed, stretching your muscles.

One last idea.  Sitting on a chair (say at breakfast/lunch etc) pull your operated leg under the chair and hold it in place with your good leg.  You should be able to push back and release as needed and may progress even further than you think. So long as your stretch your leg out, you can do it til you get bored (Just dont go gung ho)

I ended up sleeping with a pillow underneath my knee and also putting a cold flannell on it when I woke in the night.

I had always been such a good sleeper and problems with sleeping was something I simply did not anticipate. Maybe I should have done.

Even now 3 years later I still do not sleep as well as I did before I had my knee replacement. It just seems to have changed my pattern of sleep.

Though I do not actually wake up in pain anymore.

I think it is just something we have to deal with.

Hope this helps

Sarah xxx

Massage, massage, massage!!! You can also move your knee cap up and down and from side to side. The scar tissue affects this too. I thought my PT was nuts when she started doing this but surprise, surprise, it felt good, and also helped with bending and that tight feeling. I am 22 weeks PO and still do this. Not so much with the knee cap, since it moves quite well on its own.  I have continued to massage my leg and knee, as it still gets stiff and sore at times. This TKR is a b-tch of a surgery and the recoup time is forever. At least it feels that way. Somehow we manage to get through the pain, the sleeplessness, and all the other stuff they didn't tell us about. Hang in there, things will get better.

So nice in a way to see people saying things about whst you are going through. Six weeks Monday coming since knee op and it's the night thst sre the worst. I go to bed about 10 ish back up just after midnight then trying all night to get back to sleep. Not bad pain just so uncomfortable tight and hot knee. Glad to have read your comments and no that I am not alone. Spoke to my outreach nurse today and says it could go on for 6 months. Going to go swimming next week see if that helps. Thanks for your comments.