1. < Joint Replacements

total knee replacement

Posted by Susie2 @susie2, Nov 16, 2011

I had a failed knee replacement elsewhere, and went to Mayo for a second opinion. I am considering having a knee revision and would appreciate hearing the experiences of those who have had a revision.

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

JK | @contentandwell | Dec 28, 2018
In reply to @golfshrink "Hi Melcpa86, only time being young puts you at a physical disadvantage, right?! I know I..." + (show)
@golfshrink

Hi Melcpa86, only time being young puts you at a physical disadvantage, right?! I know I was in a lot of pain before my double TKR, but it’s hard to remember. The pain I have now is totally different. I had full ROM before on both knees. I never even thought about this being a problem when I did the surgery.
I know after having had one manipulation where my knees had full ROM immediately after, then daily regression thereafter,revision would produce the same results.
I’ve unfortunately been stymied going back to the gym as I’ve developed planter fasciitis in one foot and a torn Achilles in the other. I went to an Ortho yesterday for the Achilles and he said it’s a result of the TKR replacements. I learned to compensate when my knees were not straight and centered. When they fixed that, it shot my tendons in a bad direction. As you would Suspect, I’m now In a Sophie’s choice predicament . I need to keep exercising for my knees, but somehow wear 2 boots and keep my feet up to take care of my Achilles and plantar fasciitis. Lovely!
I keep checking these posts because I’m looking for hope that people have made gains after the 1 year mark. This is my anniversary week. I’m hoping to still make progress. Most physicians are saying at this point, I should be done gaining any more ROM. I’m finding some antidotal evidence that it’s possible on this posts.

I think I could almost live with a decreased range of motion if upon standing I no longer felt like I was going to pass out . I’m hoping to make this improve by strengthening my quads, but as I previously mentioned, I’m limited with my new afflictions.
Thanks for your reply...

Jump to this post

@golfshrink I doubt you can gain much ROM at this point with just exercise but I am also more than a year out and there is a minor procedure that can be done where they make two 1/2" incisions and go in and snip something, the adhesions I think, which can improve the ROM. I am planning to get that done in the next month or so, when I can find the time. If I do I will let you know how it turns out.
JK

REPLY
JK | @contentandwell | Dec 28, 2018
In reply to @ellerbracke "At 3 months and 1 week after TKR I am still dealing with a good amount..." + (show)
@ellerbracke

At 3 months and 1 week after TKR I am still dealing with a good amount of pain. Always present, usually more of an annoyance at level 1-2, but quite often, and especially at rest and at night, it goes up to a 4, with occasional spikes to 5. I am not taking and meds for this, since OTC products do not really seem to help that much on a once-in-awhile basis, and I don’t want to stress my digestive system, liver, etc. by popping pills. I still have Oxycodone, but not taking that either. Here it is 3.30 AM, I’ve been awake for over an hour with “discomfort”. During the evening I mostly use a heating pad for 1/2 hour to pamper the knee, which helps with falling asleep. Other than the pain, everything else is great. Good flex and extension, 100% of the feeling back around the scar (which was only about 5” long to begin with), scar slowly fading, the “sandpaper” skin area down to nickel size. Just trying to hear from other patients when the pain totally ends!

Jump to this post

@ellerbracke That really sounds unacceptable to have so much pain at this point that you are having trouble sleeping. Have you spoken to your ortho about it?
As I mentioned in a different post, I had very severe pain for about six weeks and it very suddenly got better! I hope the same happens to you. Are you feeling any improvement?
JK

REPLY
1 reply
JK | @contentandwell | Dec 28, 2018
In reply to @maryann1753 "I am one year out from a total knee revision. Pain is still present and no..." + (show)
@maryann1753

I am one year out from a total knee revision. Pain is still present and no better than before I had the revision although the tibial portion of my original TKR had become debonded so my knee was very unstable before the revision. It is more stable now, but I am plagued by chronic pain

Jump to this post

@maryann1753 I agree with @debbraw, it may be time to speak to your ortho again or to have a consultation with a different orthopedic surgeon. I really do not think you should be in such chronic pain.
I think if I had read all of these posts prior to my TKRs I may not have had them, I would have been too scared! I feel very thankful that my pain did not persist for that long, my only problem being a bit less flex than optimal.
JK

REPLY
hellothere | @hellothere | Dec 28, 2018
In reply to @contentandwell "@hellothere Your flex is impressive, I wish I had that much flex. That's terrible that you..." + (show)
@contentandwell

@hellothere Your flex is impressive, I wish I had that much flex. That's terrible that you have not been sleeping well though. Has that improved?
I am not at all familiar with effusion and demineralization. What causes that?
JK

Jump to this post

I contacted my ortho and he said the effusion (swelling) is common postop and demineralization would improve with increased weight bearing. Since I was having trouble sleeping, he did give me a prescription for Tramadol. I have used it for five nights now and have been getting great sleep. I plan to try 1/2 tablet tonight along with an Aleve and see if that works so I can cut back. I am doing my regular postop exercises along with walking 40-60 minutes per day and biking 30-40 minutes per day. I am doing pretty well and am sore, especially from standing, so I have to rest a lot. I take an Aleve once or twice per day and the Tramadol at night. Hopefully, I can get off of the Tramadol soon. Is this everyone else's experience? How long before I have no pain- I am 8 weeks postop now.

REPLY
2 replies
JK | @contentandwell | Dec 28, 2018
In reply to @hellothere "I contacted my ortho and he said the effusion (swelling) is common postop and demineralization would..." + (show)
@hellothere

I contacted my ortho and he said the effusion (swelling) is common postop and demineralization would improve with increased weight bearing. Since I was having trouble sleeping, he did give me a prescription for Tramadol. I have used it for five nights now and have been getting great sleep. I plan to try 1/2 tablet tonight along with an Aleve and see if that works so I can cut back. I am doing my regular postop exercises along with walking 40-60 minutes per day and biking 30-40 minutes per day. I am doing pretty well and am sore, especially from standing, so I have to rest a lot. I take an Aleve once or twice per day and the Tramadol at night. Hopefully, I can get off of the Tramadol soon. Is this everyone else's experience? How long before I have no pain- I am 8 weeks postop now.

Jump to this post

@hellothere My ortho was very conservative with drugs. He had me cutting them in half, then in quarters. I did as he suggested, as I understand Tramadol can be addictive, so that was the last thing I needed. I had the complication of not being able to take ibuprofen though because I am post-transplant. The only OTC pain reliever I can take is Tylenol and frankly, that's not worth much. It does help a bit but I have read that they are finding ibuprofen to be as effective as the prescription narcotics.
I am happy that things are slowly improving for you. I guess patience is the whole thing. As I mentioned, I was pain-free relatively quickly. I am sure you will get there too.
JK

REPLY
Debbra Williams, Alumna Mentor | @debbraw | Dec 29, 2018
In reply to @hellothere "I contacted my ortho and he said the effusion (swelling) is common postop and demineralization would..." + (show)
@hellothere

I contacted my ortho and he said the effusion (swelling) is common postop and demineralization would improve with increased weight bearing. Since I was having trouble sleeping, he did give me a prescription for Tramadol. I have used it for five nights now and have been getting great sleep. I plan to try 1/2 tablet tonight along with an Aleve and see if that works so I can cut back. I am doing my regular postop exercises along with walking 40-60 minutes per day and biking 30-40 minutes per day. I am doing pretty well and am sore, especially from standing, so I have to rest a lot. I take an Aleve once or twice per day and the Tramadol at night. Hopefully, I can get off of the Tramadol soon. Is this everyone else's experience? How long before I have no pain- I am 8 weeks postop now.

Jump to this post

Hi @hellothere - My TKR was April 2017 and I was still having some pain at 8 weeks. At 9 weeks I had my last PT visit, and by 12 weeks I was pretty much pain free. Hang in there. I think you've got better days coming right around the corner. Are you doing the walking and biking on your own or are you going to PT? Either way, I'm impressed! Keep us posted, ok?

REPLY
hellothere | @hellothere | Dec 29, 2018

Thanks for the support! I am walking outdoors, but I use a bike on a bike trainer for biking indoors. I will keep you posted Debbra!

REPLY
1 reply
JK | @contentandwell | Dec 30, 2018
In reply to @hellothere "Thanks for the support! I am walking outdoors, but I use a bike on a bike..." + (show)
@hellothere

Thanks for the support! I am walking outdoors, but I use a bike on a bike trainer for biking indoors. I will keep you posted Debbra!

Jump to this post

@hellothere If you have access to a treadmill that is better than walking outdoors on pavement because there is less impact on your knee. If you are walking on pavement make sure then that you have very good cushioning walking shoes/sneakers to absorb the impact. Initially, I definitely found that using a treadmill vs walking outdoors made a big difference, but now I am fine walking outdoors. My orthro most highly recommended water jogging, and pedaling on the recumbent bike -- both are very low impact.
I personally found the memory foam in Sketchers sneakers to be excellent. I actually purchased mine in Marshall's, on sale, for somewhere in the $35 price range, so you don't have to go into a shoe that costs upwards of $100. I did that and found when I wore them my shins hurt more than they did in the reasonably priced Sketchers.
JK

REPLY
1 reply
hellothere | @hellothere | Dec 30, 2018
In reply to @contentandwell "@hellothere If you have access to a treadmill that is better than walking outdoors on pavement..." + (show)
@contentandwell

@hellothere If you have access to a treadmill that is better than walking outdoors on pavement because there is less impact on your knee. If you are walking on pavement make sure then that you have very good cushioning walking shoes/sneakers to absorb the impact. Initially, I definitely found that using a treadmill vs walking outdoors made a big difference, but now I am fine walking outdoors. My orthro most highly recommended water jogging, and pedaling on the recumbent bike -- both are very low impact.
I personally found the memory foam in Sketchers sneakers to be excellent. I actually purchased mine in Marshall's, on sale, for somewhere in the $35 price range, so you don't have to go into a shoe that costs upwards of $100. I did that and found when I wore them my shins hurt more than they did in the reasonably priced Sketchers.
JK

Jump to this post

Thanks! Sounds like some great tips to try!

REPLY
ellerbracke | @ellerbracke | Jan 2, 2019
In reply to @contentandwell "@ellerbracke That really sounds unacceptable to have so much pain at this point that you are..." + (show)
@contentandwell

@ellerbracke That really sounds unacceptable to have so much pain at this point that you are having trouble sleeping. Have you spoken to your ortho about it?
As I mentioned in a different post, I had very severe pain for about six weeks and it very suddenly got better! I hope the same happens to you. Are you feeling any improvement?
JK

Jump to this post

What a difference 2 weeks can make! Pain much less now. Perhaps too much pre-holiday cooking, cleaning, shopping, baking and decorating. Had even started to creep into my hip on the same side. Calmed down now.
Questions: does the crunchy feeling and sound in the knee ever lessen? I know it’s here to stay, but hoping that when some joint fluid regenerates it might become better? With a BMI of 21 there’s no padding on the outside, and obviously nothing lubricating on the inside yet.
Also: how intense and how long do average TKR patients (no complications with scar tissue etc.) keep up their exercise routine? I have exercise fatigue. After arthro surgery October 2017 I kept up exercising for almost 8 months with no improvement. After 2018 September TKR PT told me at discharge that as long as I keep the major muscles strong (squats, lunges, bridges, step-ups, and do heel slides and quad sets), he leaves it up to me what I want to work on. Current routine is 15 minutes of back and knee exercises, followed by either a very brisk 30 minute walk, or, alternately, another 10 to 15 minutes of knee exercises in a pool, ending with a quarter mile swim. Most days another mini exercise session mid afternoon. Some days adding 15 minutes on recumbent bike or treadmill. Weather permitting, 1 1/2 hours of fairly strenous yard work 3 days/week in addition.
Compared to many posts on this and related sites I seem to be on the very low end. However, I definitely have at least 130 degree flexion and generally function pretty well. I did notice that the work is not done when I lugged a 2 gallon pump sprayer upslope over uneven ground to spray weeds, but that’s not something I’d do every day anyway.

REPLY
2 replies
View MoreView Less
Please sign in or register to post a reply.