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How long after TKR will it continue to hurt to do stairs?
Joint Replacements | Last Active: Aug 18, 2024 | Replies (31)Comment receiving replies
I'm 9 months out and stairs hurt every day, every time. I exercise 3x week at a gym and one of my exercises is the Stairmaster to get some cardio after lots of stretching and prep. The knee inflames and takes till the next morning to calm down w ice and NAB. The other 4 days I walk or bike ride & the knee inflames after either exercise so it's just a question of how much pain I'm willing to endure to maintain some fitness. FYI, I'm 5'10" 172. If I gain any weight, knee pain gets worse. Right after the TKR, the pain was so intense I couldn't eat or sleep so my weight dropped to 165 and then the pain was less. Based on my observation, weight is a major factor in pain generation from this procedure. Originally, I intended to TKR both knees but fortunately, those plans changed. The non surgical knee is being treated with Hyaluronic acid which is providing some relief but after 9 months and endless PT, I achieved NO material gain from TKR. My unofficial survey says thin people who are sedentary will benefit from TKR but if you are not thin, and/or you intend to dance or exercise, my experience has been relentless pain and remorse. Sorry.
Replies to "I'm 9 months out and stairs hurt every day, every time. I exercise 3x week at..."
I would skip the Stairmaster and use a stationary bike instead. Stairmaster can be very hard on the knees.
Update - It's now 2 years and 3 months. Progress has been slow but there has been progress. A very brilliant sports med doc concluded that scar tissue is impeding my ability to bend and surgery to remove the scar tissue could precipitate even more scar tissue and less ROM. Therefore, surgery like MUA is not an option. Instead, using UltraSound to guide him, he inserts a long needle into the TKR knee and tries to separate the scar tissue and get it to "line up". After 1 year of this procedure (every 4-5 weeks), I increased my ROM by 2-3 degrees. That doesn't sound like a lot, but every degree helps. I can walk down stairs w pain level 4 versus pain level 10. For the first time in more than 2 years, I can put pants on by lifting and bending the TKR knee. He treats my other knee, non TKR, with a steriod and Hylaronic Acid. Quite frankly, this doc has made the best out of my disastrous experience w knee surgery. FYI, I exercise 6x per week, 1.5 hrs per day, using weight machines including treadmill and bike. If I lead a sedentary life, the TKR knee probably would have worked out better.
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@mrnomad - I am not thin, or sedentary. I'm normal weight, maybe a few pounds over. I too walk and/or exercise every day. I am wondering, could the stairmaster be overtaxing your knee? Before my knee developed osteoarthritis,
I was active at the gym and used stairmaster. It was hard for me to do then, with a healthy knee. So for a knee that's still recovering from surgery, it may be too much for you right now. I've heard TKR patients say it took a year or more for their knee to really feel normal again.