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TOTAL RIGHT KNEE REPLACMENT - PROBLEMS

Posted , 9 users are following.

Lizl1957
Lizl1957

Hi

I am 58 and had a total right knee replacement 9th Feb 2016, so just over 5 months ago.  I was up and walking almost immediately and was discharged after 5 days in hospital.  I was doing my exercise that Iwas given and moving around as much as possibe.  I went to physio weekly.  After 3 months I was still struggling to bend it only reaching around 75.  MY physio said that if I couldn't reach at least 90 on the bend I would porobably have to go back to the consultant for a Manipulation Under Anaestetic. 

I am a police officer and lucky enough to be able t attend a rehab centre for a 2 week period with intense physio, so the hospital physio said that she would wait and see how I got on at the police rehab centre.

I did my 2 weeks and only managed at the most 90 but in the whole 2 weeks on maybe 2 occasions. The physio's there said exactly what the hospital physio's said.

I went back to the hospital physio's who referred me back to the consultant and got an appointment almost immediately.

I was told that in cases like mine the next step would be the MUA, however because I was over the initial 3 months post op period he was unable to do the MUA as it could possibly result in fractured bones.  As a result I have been given an appointment in December 2016 to see how it is then and if still cauing problems, will have to have itopened up again and the scared tissue scraped out.

I still can not walk upstairs properly and when I do I end up catching my bad leg on the steps.  I am unable to walk downstairs properly, still one step at a time.  I sit down at work, and even after just 10 minutes of sitting, I struggle to stand and walk straight away.  I still can not bend it the expected minimum of 90.  I am woken at night in pain and it is just getting to me now.

Any suggestions?

1 like, 15 replies

15 Replies

  • marie77007
    marie77007 Lizl1957

    Posted

    Did you do exercises on bike,just curious
    • Lizl1957
      Lizl1957 marie77007

      Posted

      Yes and still do however still unable to do a full rotation.  I have to pedal one way and then back the other
  • alan31891
    alan31891 Lizl1957

    Posted

    Hi i had my knee replacement in june 2015 i has taken me since then to get to about 120 still feels alien in my leg my doc said some people take up to 18 months to gain full benifit from the op stick with the exercise bike is best for movement pedal both ways

    good luck

  • chrishappy
    chrishappy Lizl1957

    Posted

    Hi, your having a tough time alright, I had similar problem with my first tkr 12 mths ago, I'm in England and had physio with the nhs for weeks and still only had 90bend at a push. I bought a set of pedals that you put in front of your chair, you can move them back or forwards to accommodate whatever bend you have. They were a great starting point for me. Then I paid for a couple of sessions with a private physio who told me if I keep doing the same exercises and same repetitions my muscles won't respond as they will be used to them. So more exercises added. Also make sure your well hydrated at all times too. Thanks to receiving that extra info from physio and using my pedals I'm now at 115 deg bend which is pretty good considering the trouble I had. Good luck

  • jeanne_06699
    jeanne_06699 Lizl1957

    Posted

    My experience is the same. I go in August to surgeon. I can go up the stairs if there is a railing but going down is still a problem. I Will Not let them open me again ever.

    And a manipulation is also out of the question .I am better than I was before the surgery and I am happy with that. So what if I can't bend past 100. I am not going to run any marathons. I just want the pain and stiffness to go away.

    • Lizl1957
      Lizl1957 jeanne_06699

      Posted

      I enjoy walkig and with my knee the way it is at the moment, I can only walk short distances and even then I occasionally catch my foot and almost trip over.  It feels like my knee is constantly in a vice
  • Oldfatguy1
    Oldfatguy1 Lizl1957

    Posted

    6 months and being less than agile on stairs is not uncommon. One suggestion as i am envisioning you being a person that goes at a quick pace in about everything you do.......now.....slow way down and take full strides....hit your heel, ball of the foot, toe and then full bend as far as you can. Both legs....same stride. You'll look very strange and the masses will wonder about you but you can't worry about that. I don't know where you are but it's summer in my part of the world and dehydration can mess up your system. Drink plenty of water and slooooooooow down everything you do. Who knows, you may set a new standard for your entire department.........every cop on the beat will have a new gait..................slow and steady. Good luck. You'll get lots of great advice on this forum and you must have to pick and choose what's right for you as we are all different in the way we go about healing.

    • Lizl1957
      Lizl1957 Oldfatguy1

      Posted

      I live in London and what is so rustrating is I am a police officer so always used to being on the go and able to do things, that I can't at the moment, so is frustrating the hell out of me sad

    • Oldfatguy1
      Oldfatguy1 Lizl1957

      Posted

      Welcome to an elite and very sociable group. Here you will find a lot of empathy, kind words and straight from the hip ( an old term in the U.S .from the wild West days) shooting. The great thing about everyone on here, they have been through it.

      One of the side effects about TKR that Dr's don't discuss......PATIENCE......you may not have it when you start but you'll sure as he'll have it by the time you are finished. What the medical people Don't tell you going in.....thevprosthesis owns you for a year and gradually you own it. Slow things Dow and listen to your body. When it says it's tired, rest......don't keep pushing harder because somehow, someway the body will take over the brain and win. I've been through 11 surgeries and 5 complete rehabs, each of them different but yet the same. Just keep working at it. Your profession has enough stress anyway and right now, given what's going. In the world, the burden is heavier. You don't need the additional problemsrelated to TKR rehab. good luck and stay safe.

  • glenda29798
    glenda29798 Lizl1957

    Posted

    Hi!

    I had my left TKR in 2014 and although it wwas more painful than my right TKR 14 weeks ago it seemed to bend much more easily than this latest one and I still can't do stairs properly without looking like a demented chicken! If I try and walk downstairs normally I feel like I'm tipping over! My original knee measures 110' but I'm struggling to maintain 95' with the new one. I am currently paying for additional physio sessions as ideally I'd like two matching knees. When I arrive at physio I can't turn the pedals on the bike full circle but after 20 minutes of the physio bending my knee ( I lay on couch on my stomach and he bends my leg up towards my bottom, counts to ten then releases pressure. This is repeated a number of times which is hell but gets better! I also have to lay on my back placing my foot on his shoulder, pressing against him whilst he leans forward counting to ten then releasing and so on) All pretty murderous but after this I can pedal full circle as the treatment seems to release the "jammed up" feeling behind my knee. I then go away and do my exercises but the wretched thing stiffens up again until the next physio but I'll keep going as I'd rather not have any further surgery. It takes a very long time to fully recover and I personally think that you just have to be patient and persistent with the exercises as frustrating as it all is! Good luck??

    • Lizl1957
      Lizl1957 glenda29798

      Posted

      Hi

      I had two weeks intensive physio at the police rehab centre, so 2 hours every day.  This varied from lower limb classes both in the gym and pool, hydro-therapy and physical physio in the physio dept.  My physio did the same lay me on my front and bent my leg towards my bum, she also used a gym ball put my foot on the ball and rolled it back and forth a bit like you physio with his shoulder.  In the hydro-pool, I did mainly stuff with a float.  The one that looks like a sausage, she place it under my ankle so at the front, then the float would raisde my leg from the knee up behnd me.  At the end of the two weeks she said that I would need an MUA but when I eventually saw my consultant he said he couldn't do it as outside the 3 months so made me an appointment for the beginning of December to see how much if any, progress I have made.

    • glenda29798
      glenda29798 Lizl1957

      Posted

      You certainly had a lot of physio at the outset which must have helped and I only hope that you can some how avoid further surgery to remove the scar tissue as like all of us you probably want to avoid more operations. I was lucky and had my TKR under BUPA but even with that I was only allowed six hydrotherapy sessions and six physiotherapy sessions all on a weekly basis which for me wasn't enough to reach 110' The physio has told me that I'll have to take pain killers to do the exercises if necessary which I try to do but as I'm back at my admin job I can't take strong ones or I won't be able to drive to work so all a bit difficult. The only thing that I can suggest is to keep exercising and the bend will hopefully improve. December is another five months away and so fingers crossed that you'll be able to avoid the op.??

       

    • Mkhp
      Mkhp glenda29798

      Posted

      i hear you, im 17 weeks in, seems like for ever (ofcourse not really), my bend is 105 and ext 4.  i find keeping a good upper lip, spirit, patience and consistent exercises each day will lead us down the proper path.  i FINALLY made a full rotation on the exercise bike (without lifting my hip, per PT) a couple weeks ago, yea for me and for us all going thru this wonderful experience and achieving our small and not so small goals.  good luck to u glenda, and god bless, best... kathy p. oh p.s. after i finally made that rotation on the bike, my PT said, "oh well now we'll have to lower the seat one more setting", i said "dont you dare, i need to enjoy this for at least another week or so."  lol 

  • Mkhp
    Mkhp Lizl1957

    Posted

    oh my, i do hope things will improve for you.  ya know, you really do never know, i say keep up with the dreaded exercises everyday, bend bend bend, stretch stretch stretch and one never knows, that knee of yours just may start bending they way you would like before waiting till december.  patience is a necessity with this recovery period, a good spirit and strong will.  thank you for your service, and god bless.  i really dont want to go on and on, it seems that most of the discussionaires have said it all.  just to let  you know, im 17 weeks in my bend is only 105 and extension 4.  but with each weeks brings a little more success and i can only hope for better results down the road, best regards..... kathy p., oh, a good sense of humor is a necessity !!
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