Connect
Total Knee Repair Revision: A Success Story
Hi all I I am 1 week out of revision today . I must say this recovery has been so different from my first. I have so much more movement in my knee …. My leg goes straight….. my flexion work in progress but I was at .70 right out of surgery ….. I was there a year after tkr…..struggling of course with inflammation which I expected….I am icing and going to my therapist to help with edema…. I started pt this week also so you know how it goes take to where you can than push little more…..the pain really sucks going through this all over again I have not forgot the pain from last time … but the difference is I know I am seeing results already….even with the pain for right now I am so glad I did revision….. good luck to others going through and might be going through this .
Like
Helpful
HugInterested in more discussions like this? Go to the Joint Replacements Support Group.
Connect
@keenem PT helps you train your body to accommodate the difference. Many people go through their lives with unequal leg lengths, my 1.25 cm (1/2 inch) difference is less than 1.5% of my leg length from hip joint to heel. On the other hand, my brother's has 3 cm difference, more than 1 inch, from a childhood disease. He has managed okay for over 60 years, but does limp when tired.
The first order from the new PT was to arrive with a worn pair of athletic shoes and a new pair of well-cushioned athletic shoes. The therapist showed me the uneven wear on my old shoes, and explained how my bad walking habits had altered the shoes, making it difficult to use them to walk properly. I used the new shoes so that uneven wear from prior to surgery did not impact therapy or recovery. She also suggested that I replace all of my every day shoes and sandals as I could afford it, so old wear patterns didn't make me backslide in my recovery.
In PT I was coached to maintain an erect posture, not to turn my toes in or thrust my hip, strengthen and improve flexibility in the entire pelvic girdle as well as glutes & quads. In well-cushioned shoes, if one uses good posture, the shoes wear in to provide proper support.
Several years ago, I figured out that for me a lift is only necessary in hard-soled, uncushioned shoes.
The discrepancy between my legs still exists, and always will. The revision surgeon tried to correct it when he redid my hip, but it made the muscles and tendons loose because they had been stretched for a long time. Even with extra precautions, this resulted in dislocation while I was simply sitting in a chair. So he had to do another revision and return it close to the original length.
Thank you for the encouragement as I face my 7th surgeon in 6 months, trying to figure out what is causing this pain. Rare condition called recurrent hemarthrosis, internal bleeding into knee socket. Anybody have any suggestions?