1. Community
  2. Bones, joints and muscles
  3. Knee Problems

Knee/scar stiffness

Posted , 3 users are following.

pam1313
pam1313

I'm 7 weeks into a patellafemoral athroplasty (knee cap and trochlea) replacement after waiting 11 years for this, I am only 56 now so was considered too young before. Everything going ok, scar healing nicely, and I've been massaging scar and surrounding area with vitamin E oil and bio oil. Doing exercises, particularly on static exercise bike which really 'loosens' up any stiffness! However, as day wears on my knee goes really stiff and I can barely bend it.  I don't trust myself to walk on it, and I am currently using a stick to enable me to hobble about!  It is very frustrating as I'm reading that this type of surgery has a quicker recovery time than TKR. Is all this normal..........or am I expecting to much too soon?

0 likes, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • andrea30334
    andrea30334 pam1313

    Posted

    hi pam im 9 weeks TKR and still suffer greatly at the end of the day. My knee gets fluidy and really stiff but we just have to cope with it?? im sure like ours yours is totally normal and just part and parcel lol
  • caroline46398
    caroline46398 pam1313

    Posted

    I am the same even now it tends to get worse as the day goes on - at 14 weeks. I am assuming it is just our knee telling us the muscles are tired. I used a stick until about 10 weeks and knew when I was confident to let it go - which was when I was walking and not hobbling! Again I keep it in the car and on occasion still use it for steps or long walks - am going to get a folding stick soon and am aiming at 6 months to throw it away!  With any op everyone takes different times to heal and if yours was bad for a long time in the first place then it will take longer.

    Good luck.

    • pam1313
      pam1313 caroline46398

      Posted

      I also forgot to mention that I've had fibromyalgia for last 18 years and am also menopausal - crickey what a combination!  Fibromyalgia doesn't like trauma and I think recognises this as trauma. I seem to hurt all over. When medication has finished (and goodness knows by taking naproxen twice a day and paracetamol four times a day for last 7 weeks I now rattle!) I think I may turn to drink!  Dont know about you but I hate that word 'patience" - if anyone else tells me to be patient I may well be up before the judge for murder! 
    • pam1313
      pam1313 caroline46398

      Posted

      Caroline, did stiffness get any better? I am now 14 weeks like you were when we corresponded, so just wanted to see if it has eased any. Mine is only a little better, and yesterday I had really bad day, it was so stiff/tight. I hobble about so much it affects my other knee.....which had never been brilliant but was not as bad as knee they operated on. Talk about a vicious circle. My muscles still seem very weak on operated knee, although on odd occasions I do think they're getting a little stronger - but there's no consistency - it's REALLY frustrating.

      I'm a secretary but am up and down all day long in the office. I'm signed off until 16 July but unless a miracle happens I wont be going back even the. Do you work, have you gone back, and if so at what stage? Sorry it's twenty questions but I'm beginning to panic that I'll always be like this!! 

       

  • Dotty_Lotty
    Dotty_Lotty pam1313

    Posted

    I am 6 weeks post tkr and most of the swelling goes down overnight ,but by early afternoon it is so bad I have no choice but to rest and do the ice and elevation routine. My physio told me that this is totally normal and that  the swelling would take a long time  to totally settle. Best wishes
Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.