Lifting leg after TKR

I am 3 months post total knee replacement. if i wiggle my foot from side to side and when i walk and when i do excercises, my knee has started to knock. Has anyone else experienced this and is it normal

Hi everyone.

I had my op 5 days ago. I cant do a leg raise and Ive been stressing. Ive felt like i should at least be able to raise it a little by now but this post makes me feel a little better. I am panicking that Im not doing enough and that i wont progress as i should. I have a decent bend so not flapping about that but the leg raise, unassisted is beating me.

Im probably being totally unrealistic at such a short time after my op.

Got about 45 clips in still and I dont know if the dressing also works against me.

Fingers crossed I'll get there

Hi Suisiemah, How is to going? I am just 3 days post op for a TKR and cannot straight lift my leg! is this to be expected? Thanks Phil.

i'm new to the forum....just had my tkr 6 days ago and had a similar experience to you ....i did all my prehab and i,m a rehab professional so was disappointed with not being able to get good angles and not being able to lift my leg....its a weird feeling.

i guess we're all different and in time everything will come right !

i have a similar situation but only 5 days post op. ive been reading about TENS machine for quads inhibition....has anyone tried this?

Hi it's my first time on here as well I am 69 and I am 7 days into my TKR and feel exactly like you I had morphine issues exactly like you cannot lift my leg either I feel frustrated crying a lot sleeping is a nightmare constant pain feeling sorry for myself plus now bowel issues but I know it will get better I had my right knee done 3 years ago but feel my right was better than left as there was not so much swelling but this one is really swollen behind the knee so I think that is causing a lot of restriction in lifting the leg but I'm sure you will get through it with time and a lot of pain doing the exercise and patience it's really hard i know but chin up you will get there

Good Morning

I am Post TKR only 6 days and I am also panicking. I came out of hospital on sat 20th Nov. Physio said I couldn't leave until my leg I could lift up straight, I managed less than an inch, but allowed me to ho home. physio said if I don't get that lift I wouldn't be able to join the knee class, which I knew nothing g about until that moment.

I am using tubi grip to help me get in and out of bed and onto the couch etc. I've had my crys everyday since the op due to the pain. I can bend my leg very slightly but I am so very swollen. After reading some of your responses to the 1st question, I think I am now panicking too much and need to take each day slowly. physio has done that I think. Anyone else only days post TKR feeling the same? thank you.

Thanks so much for all the questions and responses. As I follow this post, I am currently 9 days post op TKR on my left knee. I live out in the country and my wife was able to stick with me for the first week before having return to work. However, it has been tough finding in home physio and trying to keep up with it on my own. It's hard to gauge where you are verses where you should be. I too have been overly concerned about lifting my leg, bending my leg and the swelling. All of you have put my mind as ease and have finally been able to get an in home physio appointment. Along with the TKR I also had to have both ligaments on the sides of my knee repaired, as i didn't have an ACL going into surgery. My bend is probably only at 65 degrees but I am working on that. Thanks for all the encouragement you have given to others, as I too have been encouraged by everyone's thoughtfulness.

Hi Susane,

I had a TKR R 2 1/2 years ago and just had a PKR L 5 days ago. Like Chico discusses in this blog, it is a journey. It was 9 months before I felt comfortable walking for any distance and several weeks to feel mobile to say the least. My advice...for what it's worth.....is to take it one day ant a time and work on the flexion and extension. The strength will come but you want to minimise the scar tissue in the first few weeks so you range of motion will be there down the road. This is where PT comes into play. I would sit upright in chair and slowly pull my operative leg back using my non operative leg , let it stretch for a few minutes then pull it some more. I found that stretching is the key. The same with extension......your heel on a table in front of your and let gravity pull your knee downward. There are several posts form Chico on this blog that are very accurate in my opinion. Good luck and remember it is a journey and there is light at the end of the tunnel. I rarely think of my TKR knee for 2 1/2 years ago at this point.

Hi,

Don't worry, or become too fixated on the bend. i had both of mine done 2 years ago, like you I was really sick due to the morphine and anaesthetic, and had to stay in for a bit longer. I also only had that amount of bend, but just keep exercising and icing (get a cryo-cuff for the icing), and it gets better. Just plug away at it, helps if you take some pain relief before you exercise too. Honestly, it improves, just takes time. It was 6 months before either of mine felt good, and now I can run again (if I wanted too!).