Hi Cindi,

Well I'm glad you found the information useful. I actually hired a very good trainer with a degree in kinesiology, told him exactly what I needed, and he showed me the right exercises - and not just for my legs. We worked on core and upper body as well.

He was aware of the condition of my knees. so to your point, he'd always ask if I could tolerate a certain exercise without a lot of pain. That's why good trainers are so valuable. They know different exercises that accomplish the same thing.

That said, by the time I had my second TKR I walked with a noticeable limp. My knee was bone-on-bone. Still, I had exercised enough to help with the recovery.

And keep in mind that surgeons need to make a slight cut in the quad muscle to release the patella. That hurts a little after surgery if you push on it slightly but it makes the muscle weaker. Just something to keep in mind. That cut has to heal too. It won't interfere with the post-op exercises though.

One other thing done during a TKR is the application of a tourniquet on the thigh. Makes sense to slow blood flow to the knee, but no one told me. Three days after surgery my inner thigh turned a very dark red/black. It was a bruise from the tourniquet but scared the hell out of me!

Good luck to you Cindi and stay strong!

Joe