1. < Joint Replacements

Truth about Total Knee Replacements

Posted by rickraleigh @rickraleigh, Jul 31, 2021

Your new knee will never feel as good as your original old one

For most people it takes a full year to get most of the benefits of the surgery

Many people experience a clicking sound when walking for years or forever after the surgery

You should do physical therapy for a year after the surgery to get the best range of motion results even though your therapist will discharge you after several months.

There are no studies which will tell you what activities you can do after TKR. Is doubles tennis OK? Golf? What you read online varies. There are no clear answers.

Many surgeons are finished with you after the surgery. If you have issues with the surgery's aftermath, they may not be that helpful.

The scar is big, and no amount of ointment (vitamin E, etc.) will substantially reduce it.

Good news: If you had bad knee problems before the surgery your knee will feel a lot better after the surgery.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Joint Replacements Support Group.

algrieco | @algrieco | Sep 29 1:17pm
In reply to @h2marcia "I was told I could play doubles. At the end of 3 moths my knee began..." + (show)
@h2marcia

I was told I could play doubles. At the end of 3 moths my knee began buckling. I stopped for 3 months. Now knee buckling very badly after 2 weeks

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I was told that, most likely, i would be able to sprint in the Sr.Games in a year after my May 2023 replacement. Now, 4 procedures later, i have trouble walking as a result of the severe Arthrofibrosis, swelling, limited ROM and pain. They fail ti mention up front that 6-10% of those having knee replacements will end up with Arthrofibrosis (excessive scar tissue buildup).
It is caused by an overactive Immune system. As I understand it, The Hospital For Special Surgery has developed an immunological test that will identity those who will react poorly in advance of surgery do that they can avoid it. I wish there had been such a test ling ago, as I would never have had the replacement. My next option is a revision to a hinged knee, in which they remove all tendons, which are an area where binding scar tissue accumulates. There are no guarantees that come along with it, so i am on the fence.

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2 replies
h2marcia | @h2marcia | Sep 29 1:50pm
In reply to @algrieco "I was told that, most likely, i would be able to sprint in the Sr.Games in..." + (show)
@algrieco

I was told that, most likely, i would be able to sprint in the Sr.Games in a year after my May 2023 replacement. Now, 4 procedures later, i have trouble walking as a result of the severe Arthrofibrosis, swelling, limited ROM and pain. They fail ti mention up front that 6-10% of those having knee replacements will end up with Arthrofibrosis (excessive scar tissue buildup).
It is caused by an overactive Immune system. As I understand it, The Hospital For Special Surgery has developed an immunological test that will identity those who will react poorly in advance of surgery do that they can avoid it. I wish there had been such a test ling ago, as I would never have had the replacement. My next option is a revision to a hinged knee, in which they remove all tendons, which are an area where binding scar tissue accumulates. There are no guarantees that come along with it, so i am on the fence.

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So sorry! My surgeon is HSS, he was just worried about what went into his record. I’m sure he didn’t ask for such a test.
End last May first time my knee buckled. I went to him and told him, he basically said not my problem. And still didn’t say maybe better not to play tennis (doubles).

Can’t you get 2nd opinions?

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1 reply
h2marcia | @h2marcia | Sep 29 1:52pm
In reply to @algrieco "I was told that, most likely, i would be able to sprint in the Sr.Games in..." + (show)
@algrieco

I was told that, most likely, i would be able to sprint in the Sr.Games in a year after my May 2023 replacement. Now, 4 procedures later, i have trouble walking as a result of the severe Arthrofibrosis, swelling, limited ROM and pain. They fail ti mention up front that 6-10% of those having knee replacements will end up with Arthrofibrosis (excessive scar tissue buildup).
It is caused by an overactive Immune system. As I understand it, The Hospital For Special Surgery has developed an immunological test that will identity those who will react poorly in advance of surgery do that they can avoid it. I wish there had been such a test ling ago, as I would never have had the replacement. My next option is a revision to a hinged knee, in which they remove all tendons, which are an area where binding scar tissue accumulates. There are no guarantees that come along with it, so i am on the fence.

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My TKR was FEB 2022, so maybe HSS didn’t have that then.

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1 reply
h2marcia | @h2marcia | Sep 29 2:00pm
In reply to @ruthblaze "So sorry for the run around. The mei is sometimes normal like mine but I continue..." + (show)
@ruthblaze

So sorry for the run around. The mei is sometimes normal like mine but I continue to suffer without answers. P T my muscles needed to be strengthened but after going several months I see no improvement. When wearing a brace it feels better

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I always wear a brace on that leg but because I had an ACL 35 years ago the surgeon said the quad muscles were destroyed and wouldn’t come back.

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algrieco | @algrieco | Sep 29 3:23pm
In reply to @h2marcia "My TKR was FEB 2022, so maybe HSS didn’t have that then." + (show)
@h2marcia

My TKR was FEB 2022, so maybe HSS didn’t have that then.

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The HSS test has not yet been introduced.

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algrieco | @algrieco | Sep 29 3:24pm
In reply to @h2marcia "So sorry! My surgeon is HSS, he was just worried about what went into his record...." + (show)
@h2marcia

So sorry! My surgeon is HSS, he was just worried about what went into his record. I’m sure he didn’t ask for such a test.
End last May first time my knee buckled. I went to him and told him, he basically said not my problem. And still didn’t say maybe better not to play tennis (doubles).

Can’t you get 2nd opinions?

Jump to this post

My second opinion was from HSS. My surgery was done in Rochester, Ny.

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2 replies
algrieco | @algrieco | Sep 29 3:26pm
In reply to @algrieco "My second opinion was from HSS. My surgery was done in Rochester, Ny." + (show)
@algrieco

My second opinion was from HSS. My surgery was done in Rochester, Ny.

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Sorry to hear that they treated you harshly. In my few hours st HSS, i was very much impressed with the total staff, proactivity & empathy.

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h2marcia | @h2marcia | Sep 30 5:34am
In reply to @algrieco "My second opinion was from HSS. My surgery was done in Rochester, Ny." + (show)
@algrieco

My second opinion was from HSS. My surgery was done in Rochester, Ny.

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Who did your second opinion at HSS?

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2 replies
Ann Shrader | @annshrader | Sep 30 6:03am
In reply to @ddsack "I've been lucky to have successful TKR's on both knees, and while I agree with a..." + (show)
@ddsack

I've been lucky to have successful TKR's on both knees, and while I agree with a lot of the comments in the first post, I will say that my scars after 2 yr and almost 1 yr separate surgeries are negligible, just a thin pale hairline down the center of the knee. I won't scare anyone if I wear shorts!

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Many of us may come from a place of personal suffering with needing to have surgery. We need to be mindful of the world around us and that includes people who are trying to help (surgeons and doctors) who are highly trained but may only be able to address very specific concerns. As patients (humans) we can do more to improve outcomes by taking the initiative to ask questions (keep it simple) invest in complementary means of improving our personal lives.

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bunnybear | @bunnybear | Sep 30 8:22am

Its good to know you are not alone when you have problems. But this comment trail sounds like there is nothing but downsides after a TKR. People considering one should know that is not the outcome for everyone. I have plenty of age related problems but my TKR is not one of them. I’ve not had one problem after the few weeks of rehab post surgery. I do have a scar but I think that is age related. My daughter got her TKR in her late 50’s and she has almost no scar at all.

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