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Total knee replacement

Posted , 9 users are following.

jugal_kish62037
jugal_kish62037

I have undergone total knee surgery of my left knee 10 weeks back.I have very little swelling ,manageable pain but there is lot of stiffness with the result I am not able to walk with bent knee.What should I do

1 like, 26 replies

26 Replies

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  • philguud
    philguud jugal_kish62037

    Posted

    You're still very early into your recovery. Take it easy and focus on rehabilitation

    Therapy is your friend listen to the physical therapist. In time the stiffness will go away.

    I had two knee surgeries before my tkr so I was stiff before my surgery and I ended up

    having to have revision surgery but that doesn't mean you will. Take care and relax.

  • j21370
    j21370 jugal_kish62037

    Posted

    Hi - you should discuss your concern with your surgeon since you cannot bend your knee. Most surgeons perform a manipulation, in which they take the patient to the OR and under anesthesia they bend the knee back and break any adhesions that they can be forming so the patient can start bending their knee during physical therapy. However, this is usually done around 12 weeks (3 months). After 4 months my doctor told me that it is usually not performed. I am 6 weeks post TKR and I could only bend my knee to 110. I saw my surgeon one week shy of 4 months and he suggested a Manipulation and I opted not to have it done because 3 months have gone by and if I already had adhesions the manipulation would not work. I go to the gym 4 times a week and work on my bend. I wish luck. Let us know how you make out. J21370
    • jugal_kish62037
      jugal_kish62037 j21370

      Posted

      Knee bending is to the extent of about 135 degrees.I go for a km and half  in the morning and evening .Stiffness and pain is there while I start the walk but the pain and stiffness decreases after about 200 steps.Is it normal or do I need to go back to the surgeon ?
    • j21370
      j21370 jugal_kish62037

      Posted

      If you can bend your knee to 135 and could go for walks and the only thing is that is stiff that is normal. I have been told that it takes up to a year after a TKR. But you are doing great. Try going to a gym or do water exercises in a pool -- that is very helpful. J21370
    • jan01779
      jan01779 jugal_kish62037

      Posted

      My 10 weeks and at 135 bend that's brilliant !!! You can't have scar tissue for sure.I would definitely discuss you problem with walking with your Consultant or physio I had terrible gait problems initially as has to teach my brain how to walk again. My physio was excellent with tips.

  • clive45466
    clive45466 jugal_kish62037

    Posted

    Hot bath and use your body weight to force a bend slowly after soaking your knee.

    Use the position of your foot against your straight leg as a reference for more of a bend.

    If you make no progress in a week , see your consultant

    Good healing

    • jugal_kish62037
      jugal_kish62037 clive45466

      Posted

      Thanks for advice.However I am told that we need to avoid hot water treatment on the knee after TK R as much as possible
    • clive45466
      clive45466 jugal_kish62037

      Posted

      Hi

      I can only say I had hot baths from the 4th day after the operation, which I found really helped with the pain and stretching / bending. Also the hydro pool is hot.

      Good healing

  • cynthia89958
    cynthia89958 jugal_kish62037

    Posted

    I have serious stiffness of knee post tkr athough I do have swelling and pain still at 5 weeks out..  I'm noticing a slight improvement after a day of massage (self - I have trained  in therapies) so will keep this going as the other exercises are not  making enough progress.

  • marilyn10235
    marilyn10235 jugal_kish62037

    Posted

    It is quite usual for the stiffness you are getting. You're still quite early in your recovery. But to have got to 135, you are doing really, really well.

    I am at 6 months & still have the stiffness, my bend is not 135!

    You must realise that TKR surgery is brutal. So it's not surprising you have the stiffness in the joint, your leg is still in the process of healing. I was told the swelling can last for a year or more, as the swelling subsides you will notice the stiffness go.

    Icing does help to reduce swelling, do you still ice regularly?

    Give yourself a break, you are doing brilliantly. Well done.

    Marilyn

    XX

    • chris00938
      chris00938 marilyn10235

      Posted

      I seemed to have reached a plateau with my bend.  Husband reckoned it had got to 133 about a week or so ago but I'm wondering if he measured it accurately.  Now it seems to be 130 and I'm SURE it's more of a bend than I was getting then, so maybe it's his mistake, but struggling to get it more than 130 now (this is seven and a half weeks post op).  I'm finding the best way for me is to sit diagonally in the chair and get foot tight against the arm and sort of lower myself into the tighter knee bend like that (this probably isn't making sense how I'm describing it) but it gets the tightest bend I can do and I sit like that for a while.  I wonder if doing more exercise makes it harder as the muscles are firmer so need more pushing to achieve what we want?  Just makes me wonder if it's better to concentrate totally on 'the bend' until we've reached what we want before strengthening but this is only a thought and I don't want to stop the exercise to strengthen!!!!

    • marilyn10235
      marilyn10235 chris00938

      Posted

      Yes it's maybe best to get your bend before strengthening. Concentrate on either the bend, or strength.

      Do you need to do more on the bend? 130 is more rom than my knees have had for about 10 years! I'm really envious, you lucky girl you! Lol

      You have done exceptionally well, I am in awe of what you've achieved in such a short space of time!

      When you feel it's time to, then concentrate on strength. You'll do that too!

      All the best

      Marilyn

      🤗🤗

      XX

    • jenny80029
      jenny80029 chris00938

      Posted

      That's a super bend, wow.  Wouldn't worry about it, I am sure any more will come in time just through daily life activities and if it doesn't you probably don't need it! (in my opinion!)  I'd just focus on strengthening and just keep throwing in the odd bend here and there.  

    • chris00938
      chris00938 marilyn10235

      Posted

      Thanks Marilyn:-)))  I suppose I'd like 135 although my husband asks why LOL!  Yes, I know I have been very lucky on this one!:-))))  Hope you're as lucky on your next as I've been with this first one:-)))  And me LOL!

    • chris00938
      chris00938 jenny80029

      Posted

      Thanks Jenny:-)))  It's one of these things where you feel you're fumbling along again - not quite sure what to do for the best:-))))  I'll keep doing with the bend what I've been doing every evening - raising my backside off the chair a bit and then putting the foot down into a tight bend and lowering myself into it, sort of thing. 

    • jenny80029
      jenny80029 chris00938

      Posted

      Completely relate to the fumbling along!  I keep trying NOT to compare myself with others, but it is soooo tempting!  However as long as we are making progress and generally wandering in the right direction I guess that will have to be enough! confused  Plus different PT's and surgeons and hospitals all have varying approaches.  Different countries too.  I'm in UK and haven't had any physiotherapist trying to force me to do anything. They have all been brilliant, encouraging and gentle.  If anything, they have been telling me to be careful not to overdo things, and I am taking things very slowly and steadily.  I do think the main thing is about moving in the right direction. 

    • chris00938
      chris00938 jenny80029

      Posted

      Jenny, you are SO right.  And that's just how my physio at the hospital was, and when I phoned to say I had a pain at the back of the knee when I got to 115 degrees he told me to ease up for a couple of weeks and not push it.  So yes, progress in any shape or form is good:-))))  And there will be days where we go backwards too, but that's not a disaster - we just carry on going forward the next day:-))))

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