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← Return to Mako Robotic Arm TKR Day Two
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Fortunately a bit of bowel action, although the word "action" is not exactly right. I start therapy next Tuesday, no in-home therapy. I am working hard at doing the exercises the therapist in the hospital gave me. I added those from the web only because I cannot do much on the leg raise, so I decided a few more wouldn't hurt. Yes, I have been very active most of my life, working out 4-5 times a week with bike and weights until adding more about 6 weeks before surgery. I also played soccer for years. Extension is not too much of a problem and I can pull my leg back beyond 90 deg flexion but it will not stay there. I have no problem getting my socks on - the hospital therapist told me that many people do not have the flexibility in their lower backs. He also told me to keep using the walker even though I feel I can walk without it, because people give it up too soon and end up subtly favoring the damaged knee, which develops into gait problems. Anyone heard this?
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Yes - sort of. I actually developed gait problems twice. The first time it was due to my TKR leg not being fully extended, so my PT forbade me walking for exercise. I substituted swimming and stationary bike. The second time, about 8 months after the surgery, I again had major gait problems. Turns out that the TKR leg is longer by 1/3”. Custom orthotics took care of that. I’m pretty sure with your precision surgery that should not be a problem. My PT showed me how one can fairly easily see if one’s gait is off: wear fairly tight clothing, walk normally toward a mirror, and pay attention to how close your arms swing at the sides. The “space” between my left arm and body was about 1” more than on the right side. Anyway, I’ll leave you alone now for a while, and will look forward to progress reports.
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@saeternes : good news on the digestive front. You seem to be doing well, in spite of being without in-home therapy. I gave up walker simply because I did not feel that I needed it for balance, indoors. I had had arthroscopic surgery on that same knee a year prior to TKR, so both pain/rehab was a “been there, done that”. Well, not quite. TKR took longer, hurt more. But the basic exercises all get back to the basics: repetition, and proper form.
As far as the knee’s range of motion at this point - it is good whatever you can do right now. Would you like to hear extremes? Day after surgery the PT measured - after session - 105 degrees. And, to really blow everyone away, I had 0 extension after 4 MONTHS. Hope that gives you something to chuckle about, when grading progress.
Re. Socks: a bother, but not a problem. Glad you figured out the best way to put them on. September here in SC was still quite warm and humid, so my main complaint was the heat generated by the compression socks.