Knee

I am 7 months post right TKR, I am not experiencing any difficulty with kneeling. I started kneeling on a pillow after 3 months as I returned back to my yoga class, was really hard going to start but now I don’t have any pain, I built up over time. I found that the kneeling has helped manage the scar tissue, the numbness down the front and side has also gone. I do feel that Yoga had really enhanced my recovery and help rebuild the hamstrings and glutes. The yoga practice is very subtle and really stretches muscles out. 

The stretching is especially great.  But be careful with yoga...

In my opinion...never consider sitting back on your heels...ever.  Talked to docs and PTs about this.  The device is meant to give you the ability to lead a normal life at 0 / +120 ROM.  Extension of your flexion to the mid-130's is even OK.  +140 is athlete's range and sitting on your heels requires a flexion of +161.  No knee implant is meant to be bent that far.  I've heard of some new "high flexion" devices out there but not a lot of information or years of actual patient reporting.

If you have a regular implant, like all of us (unless we have a member with the new one), just know that you risk damaging the device or substantially reducing its lifespan.  I have never contacted a manufacturer on the exact limits of these and there seems to be no published data.  All of my medical sources tell me not to extend your flexion beyond the recommended range.  But again, that's just in my opinion...

Stay safe...

As above... The nerve pain when kneeling may never resolve.  I'm 2 1/2 years post-op and still feel it on hard surfaces.  So I avoid that.  I use a 4" foam pad indoors and padded tactical knee pads outside.  TKR veterans of many years still report nerve tingling when encountering a hard surface.  I've accepted it as a forever thing.  But I'm 70 so forever is not an unacceptably long time.

When I'm gone and turned to ash, my giant hip implant is going on my daughter's mantle, my knee on son #1's and all my spine hardware in a glass vase on son #2's.  I will be looking over them for a looooong time.

Do #3 to straighten your leg...

https://patient.info/forums/discuss/tkr-rom-work-at-home-620053

It's a KILLER...BUT...it is the absolute best thing to get to zero degrees.  It's only gravity...just gravity...unless you feel brave enough to add the ankle weight.  Cautions:

- Have a pillow to scream into.

- Everyone else has to leave the house

- Close all doors and windows

- Warn the neighbors NOT to call the police

Just sayin'...  The nerve pain when kneeling may never resolve.  I'm 2 1/2 years post-op and still feel it on hard surfaces.  So I avoid that.  I use a 4" foam pad indoors and padded tactical knee pads outside.  Poifect.

The limp may be caused by a number of factors...

https://patient.info/forums/discuss/other-pain-after-a-tkr-641040

The biggest thing is to rebuild all the strength in your quads, glutes and core to take the pressure off the knee.  It is imperative you do that.  The muscle work will enable you to walk correctly, regain your balance and do stairs again like a normal person.  Gotta do it.  Here's the plan...

https://patient.info/forums/discuss/post-tkr-exercising-565527

I would recommend a chiropractor visit to check your spine and hip alignment.  If they are out of whack, that could easily contribute to the limp.  Time, work and patience.  Gotta be active and strong.  Take care...

To do stairs...

1. You need your ROM back.  This is usually done by week 12 but you can keep increasing your ROM for a while longer.  I started PT in week three at -14 / +84; finished week twelve at -1 / +123.  At 2 1/2 years, I'm more like 0 / +133.  These will help...

https://patient.info/forums/discuss/tkr-rom-work-at-home-620053

2. You need to rebuild your dead quads, glutes and core to walk correctly, avoid more pain, regain your balance and start doing stairs again.  Stairs take quad strength...period.  This will take up months 4 through 9.  Start gradually with endurance and then move to the strength training...

https://patient.info/forums/discuss/post-tkr-exercising-565527

3. As you get stronger, you can start mastering stairs again...

https://patient.info/forums/discuss/mastering-post-tkr-stairs-552728

Around one year, you're likely to be completely back to normal.  Yes, some residual stiffness and noises may linger for a while but basic functionality is all back because of the ROM and strength training.  At 14 months, I was climbing up stairs two at a time without holding onto anything.  Time, work and patience...

I’m 8weeks Thursday had a few set backs but still trying so hard to work through the pain going up stairs is painful but I make my self do it I’m fed up with not getting a good night sleep due to wailing up with the pain  Physio  Is also painfulbut it’s still early days as my physio said have  patience but unfortunately I’m very on patient with myself my left knee needs doing as I said before but the thought of it  terrifies me but I am fed up with pain I just wish it would go away 😓

You will not do stairs successfully until you: 1. have your 0/ +120 ROM back; and 2. you have rebuilt the muscles in your quads, glutes and core.  See the above post for the links. 

I know the feeling.  During PT (weeks 3-12), my therapist showed me how to do stairs and it was impossible without the quad strength.  That doesn't come for a long while.  Gotta do the work to rebuild the musculature.  Until then, you're just putting all the pressure on the new knee and causing more pain.  The muscle work is mandatory to do stairs again.