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Knee Pulling when walking

Posted , 7 users are following.

vanessa95917
vanessa95917

I am 3 weeks post op with a partial outside right knee replacement.  Doing well. I have physical therapy 3 times a week and I also have home exercises 2 times a day. The issue I am having is when I walk my entire knee from the inside across the front pulls to the outside making it very uncomfortable walking. It is very tight across the center of my knee. After a couple of minutes it begins to pull across the back of my knee. Is this normal?  I have 127 degrees of bending and I can fully extend my leg. I only feel this walking not during my exercises.

Thanks

1 like, 14 replies

14 Replies

  • susan89127
    susan89127 vanessa95917

    Posted

    Hi Vanessa, you seem to be doing really well. It is very, very early days for you. You will have pain for a long time as the inside of your knee heals from the op. I would suggest keeping on with exercise but mention it to your surgeon when you go for your 6 week check if it is still troubling you. I am 11 months post op with also an outer (lateral) partial knee replacement on my left leg. I have never found anyone else who has had the lateral partial as it is supposedly quite rare. Hope you have success with it in the long run. X.
    • vanessa95917
      vanessa95917 susan89127

      Posted

      Thank you for your words of encouragement.  I have got to wrap my head around the fact that this is a long healing process.  I don't like the pulling sensation when I walk and it keeps me from walking normally.  But it is early.  Will keep up my exercises.  I know how important they are. I had a joint removed at the base of my thumb in 2011. I thought I would never get the use of my thumb again but I do. All because I was faithfull with my exercises. I don't have 100% there but it is about 98%.  I am happy with that.

      Very thankful I found this forum to talk with people that have had this surgery. Just 2 replies so far and I already am feeling so much better about the surgery.

      Continued healing my friend.

      Thanks,

      Vanessa

  • lfr33
    lfr33 vanessa95917

    Posted

    Hi there

    Three weeks is very early doors, and it sounds like you are doing fine.  I'm 12 wks post PKR, inside right knee.  I have always had good ROM, but I've always felt as though the straightening was more of a problem.  The physio (last seen 4 weeks ago) wasn't concerned, however, I, like you, feel a similar pulling when I walk which causes me to limp slightly, if I'm not paying attention.

    My new knee doesn't hyperflex like the old one, it may never do, I'm hoping in time it will because that will help with the walking business.  Also, because there was a lot of movement in my old knee where the joint had worn out and my leg had bowed ever so slightly, now my knee is solid and there is no movement, that feels a bit weird.  So, I'm wondering if these two issues together are causing the pulling I'm feeling.  

    I'm going to visit my physio again next week and see what she says, but actually I think this is all just part of the healing process.

    People talk about the 'magic' that happens at 6 weeks, we're all different and mine happened at 7!  That moment when you know you've turned the corner in recovery.  My expectations of what my new knee will be able to do are quite high and I may have to adjust them, but for now I'll keep going to the gym and doing the exercises and the yoga.

    Good luck with your healing, talk to your surgeon and physio, keep doing the exercises!

    Lynne

    • vanessa95917
      vanessa95917 lfr33

      Posted

      Thank you for your words of encouragement. I think some of it is the swelling.  When I first get up I don't have the pull at all but when the swelling starts I begin to feel the pull. Everything else is going very well.  I am looking forward to the final healing. Have had so much pain before the surgery. Can't wait till all is done and can feel pain free again.

      Good luck also in your healing my friend.  You have been a big help.

      Thanks,

      Vanessa

  • sueisobel
    sueisobel vanessa95917

    Posted

    Keep up on your exercises, it could be the tendon (that controls where your patella moves) need to get used to the way your knee now operates.  Concentrate on your quads and everything will/should fall into place
  • irish_linda
    irish_linda vanessa95917

    Posted

    wow what a bend your so lucky and a perfect straight leg to go with it your a very lucky girl ,id say the pull your feeling is all that healing going on in there ligaments tendons take a battering during the op ,it will improve just keep doing your  excersises and maybe if you have a bike that you can sit on to pedel would help if not just do your walking it dosent mean that you have to do miles even if its a very short distance just do it often and ice after it also dont forget to rest up at 3 wks you will still be very tired which is to be expected   and maybe you have reduced meds and thats why you feel the tightness more if so upt the meds for awhile its way too soon to reduce them good luck your doing fantastic
    • vanessa95917
      vanessa95917 irish_linda

      Posted

      I am so appreciative of the replies back to my issue.  It helps to have someone or many others to discuss what I feel when I walk.  It is so hard to explain exactly how it feels.  You all have been great encouragement.

      Went to my physical therapist today and she did some soft tissue manipulation and that seemed to help. My Dr. wants me to wait another week before I can start therapy on the incision area to break up scar tissue under the incision.That may also help. The skin is very tight in some of the places on the incision.

      Thank you all for your words from your experiences. I feel much better.  I just have to give it time and healing. Don't push it and keep up with exercises.

      Thanks again,

      Vanessa

  • Oldfatguy1
    Oldfatguy1 vanessa95917

    Posted

    You are doing fantastic. Try and remember the way you were walking prior to the surgery. All of the limping and posturing to prevent any more pain than necessay has taken a till on your ligaments and muscles. Your leg is weak and even though you have ROM you don't have basic stability. Just make sure you are taking slow, even strides (heel, toe, bend) with every step. You are so early in process and doing so well otherwise you are wanting to push things very fast. Often times that haste will cause a back set. Just take your time as the body only heals so fast and you can't push it beyond itsown capability. You are far ahead of most at your point of post op
  • lfr33
    lfr33 vanessa95917

    Posted

    I just wanted to add Vanessa, that if you are anything like me you will be wanting to do far more than your body will take at this stage.  I learned in my second week that while I could physically walk 2 miles with my sticks (a friend was visiting and it was a lovely, sunny day and I was going a bit stir crazy) the next day I paid for it, I knew I had done too much and that day I could do very little.  Now, I go to the gym 3/4 times a week, approx 1.5 hrs of cycling, treadmill and strengthening, plus, yoga 2/3 times a week, and just this week, after my 3rd yoga session, can I honestly say I feel generally strong again.  But I know my quads are weak and that's what I'm working on now, building up muscle.  

    Keep exercising, listen to your body and get strong!

    • vanessa95917
      vanessa95917 lfr33

      Posted

      I do think I am trying to push it alittle. I feel really good but I am an overboarder sometimes but this time I just have to slow down and let it heal. I can tell I don't have the strength I had. I am going to have to build it up again. Before surgery I bicycled 15 miles a day. So this is a big slow down for me.

      Fortunately I have another 4 weeks off work so hopefully by the time I go back I will be ready.

      Thanks,

      Vanessa

    • lfr33
      lfr33 vanessa95917

      Posted

      Next summer hubby and I are going cycle touring for a couple of years (we did it 2008-2010) so desperately trying to get the old muscle memory working again.  I can get really fit on the road (start off with short days and gradually lenghten as I get fitter) but I'm just keen to make sure my knee is working properly before I head off into the sunset.

      If you were fit before your op that will stand you in good stead for sure and once you feel the 'magic' happening you'll be off in leaps and bounds, you see smile

    • vanessa95917
      vanessa95917 lfr33

      Posted

      Sounds like great fun.  Get yourself in good shape. You are such a great encourager.  

      Thank you so much,

      Vanessa

    • sueisobel
      sueisobel lfr33

      Posted

      Cycling is one of the things you can do a lot of, before you can comfortably walk.  It is non impact, though you may find hills a little hard work.  It gives one a sense of freedom that you cannot get by walking alone.  Be careful, but enjoy
    • sueisobel
      sueisobel vanessa95917

      Posted

      Cycling is very good for you (if you can get your knee through the whole revolution), if you belong to a gym; try the rowing machine.  It doesn't have to a hard row, choose a light one but push the speed and build your cardio.  Still be careful as you can overdo it and get a bit unsteady, but you will know how far to push yourself.  The other piece of eqipment you can use is the ski machine.  To begin with you may not do a whole revolution, bu the backward/forward motion is do-able, until your knee is able to go the whole way round, then increase the tension at each visit.  You will get your leg strength back to more or less how it used to be, but your leg may be a little weaker tha before. 
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