i had a tkr on my right knee on may 10. After three knee scopes I finally found a doctor that I could trust and who would listen to me. I had a 26% flexion contracture so bad it was effecting my hip, back, legs and feet and I was in pain 24/7. My current doctor told me that I should never have had three scopes because it's what lead to the severity of my contracture and I needed my tkr done years ago even though I was only 55. I'm finally at about 6-8% extension at ten weeks and getting better slowly with the help of a hinge type brace I use three times a day for thirty minutes to work on both my extension and my flexion but it is so painful. I'm concerned about going back to work even though I sit about 60% of my shift because of the stiffness, pain and lack of sleep. Has anyone else had a flexion contracture or used the brace to help? I'm also quite depressed.
Read the Post-Op Depression section...
https://patient.info/forums/discuss/the-tkr-experience-or-wish-i-had-another-kidney-stone--524499
Totally normal for ALL joint replacement patients. Problem: The docs NEVER talk about it. Now that you know what it is, kick it out the door. Drugs are NOT needed. Jedi Mind Trick...really...
Back to work...posted this elsewhere but here it is again...
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Less than 4 months? Maybe not such a good idea...maybe. After reading "billions and billions" (Carl Sagan) of posts, here are some thoughts...
1. It's all very individual...some people can handle it at 4 months, most have problems.
2. Depends on the job. Desk work, although difficult sitting in one position for hours, is doable but still painful. Nurses running the hallways is near impossible. "I will b on my feet for 7 hrs" puts you in the latter category. Teachers have the same issue. Construction and factory workers...not a chance...maybe...there are individual exceptions.
3. The mandatory requirements for returning to work are: 1. You are off the opioids; 2. You have done the PT to get your 0 / +120 ROM back; 3. You've done a significant amount of exercise to restrengthen your quads, core and glutes to support the new knee; 4. You are mentally strong enough to handle your workload.
4. Those who go back to work too early report a lot of problems with pain and especially swelling. Their work pushes the knee beyond what it can take at that point in their recovery. So they report waking up, going to work, having increasing pain and swelling throughout the day, getting home in a lot of pain, icing and elevating as best they can and then having trouble sleeping because of the pain. THEN, they wake up the next day and have to repeat the cycle all over again. Not a pretty picture.
5. The majority of people report returning to work around six months, some a bit sooner. At that point, pain and swelling don't occur as frequently.
Again...all individual. We have had some people on the Forum who have gone back to work in the 3-4 month range, deal with their issues and get past it...they are not the majority who have tried it at that point in their recovery.
For you, be prepared for the worst and hope for the best. I'd be exercising my butt off right now to be as strong as possible.
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These might also help...
https://patient.info/forums/discuss/the-tkr-recovery-bell-curve--563756
https://patient.info/forums/discuss/tkr-and-ptsd-569521
Click on my picture and the "See All Discussions"...lots out there...
Hi Kathryn -- I use a brace for my bend and extension. I use the DynaSplint brace. I do ok with the one for the straightening the leg, but the one to bend the knee it makes my knee hurt more. However, I had my TKR 9 months ago and been having problems with the bend. I exercise my leg everyday- not the same exercise, but still can bend it no more than 105-110. I am going to continue to use the brace for another week or so and if my knee continues to hurt I am stopping it. This is after I see my surgeon and seek his advice. Hope you feel better. Your concern about returning to work -- it takes a while for the knee to heal. There are people on this forum that have done extremely well and back to work in a couple of months. I am still dealing with my knee and the pain. For me I still use ice even though it doesn't swell too much. Please keep us posted. Good luck. J-21370
To be at 6 to 8 is brilliant, especially bearing in mind how things were pre op. I do feel for you. I had a 10 degree flexion contractor pre op. I limped a lot of the time, and it affected hips and foot. Much less in degrees than yours even.
So remind yourself that even though this experience presently is still very hard, you are on a road to improvement now. Just beginning. I would have thought you have a lot of anger about the past...I certainly did, and still deal with some at 5 months post op. Counselling may be a good idea, or journaling, something to help with coming to terms with things. Not being listened to when in pain and disabled is very distressing. When are you due to go back to work? Are you in UK? Maybe going back part time is an option?
Hier ist meine Splint-Geschichte... Bei meiner 6-Wochen-Nachuntersuchung war mein Beugungswinkel in Ordnung, aber mein Bein war nicht gerade genug. Es war -8. Ich weinte, als der Arzt mir sagte, dass ich einen Splint brauche, und ich weinte, als der Vertreter zu meinem Haus kam, um ihn an meinem Bein anzupassen. Der Arzt sagte: „In sechs Wochen möchte ich Ihr Bein bei null haben“ und „tragen Sie es einfach sechs Stunden am Tag, während Sie schlafen“... ja...... riichtig. Was hat ihn denken lassen, dass ich schlafe??!! Aber ich begann, es auf einer niedrigen Einstellung zu tragen. Ich führte ein Tagebuch und trug es jeden Tag zwischen 1-4 Stunden, verteilt über Tag und Nacht. Das war alles, was ich tun konnte. Meine Physiotherapeutin sagte, sie spüre einen positiven Unterschied, dass meine Sehnen und Narbengewebe weicher seien. Also war gestern meine 11-Wochen-Nachuntersuchung. Mein Bein lässt sich auf etwa -5 strecken. (-4 an einem guten Tag).
Ich trage immer noch die Schiene. Der Arzt sagte, ich solle sie noch einen Monat lang tragen und Physiotherapie für einen weiteren Monat. Und ich gehe morgen wieder zur Arbeit!! Ich weiß nicht, ob ich es jemals schaffe, mein Bein auf null zu bekommen. Ich versuche, mir keine Sorgen zu machen. Aber ich muss sagen, dass ich gestern drei Fluchten von Treppen ohne Doppeltreppen, Anhalten oder Hinken erklommen habe! Nicht mehr weinend und etwas besser schlafend. (nur nicht mit dem Splint an).
Viel Glück euch allen!!
😆
Contracture!
One idea may be to try a sauna! Just mentioning because nice moist and warm heat. I used to go in the sauna pre op and do quad sets...pushing knee down as flat as I could and this did improve things a bit...relaxed all muscles well. I still stretch and bend my leg in the sauna after doing some exercises in the pool and jphaving a bit of a swim. If you have access to one, I highly recommend!
I had my last therapy session Monday and my therapist wasn't happy with my extension since I got the brace..she said when I go in next month for my next post op visit he'll most likely want to do a surgery called "manipulation under anesthesia." It sounds perfect for my situation. Has anyone else ever had one? If so, how were the results?
How are you doing now? My knee isn't responding well with the brace with my extension but my flexion is getting much better.
sounds lovely but I'm still not cleared for a pool, sauna, hot tub or bath.
I have a lot of anger at my first orthopedic surgeon and the fact that he just kept doing scopes and ignored the problem with the flexion contracture and still wanted me to wait five more years.
Yes, I can understand that. 😕
Is that because incision not closed up?
Hallo Kathryn. Ich wurde gestern wieder beim PT gemessen. Ich lag bei -4 auf der Extension und 116 auf der Beugung. Ich wünschte, es wäre besser.
Mein Arzt sagte, dass eine Extension zwischen 0-5 funktional ist, daher empfahl er keine MUA. Was sind Ihre Messwerte für Beugung und Extension?
Please note: These "measurements" are NOT objective. They are strictly subjective because the person doing them has to "eyeball" the number on the gauge. Ten people can measure you and you'll get 10 different sets of numbers. Which one is dead-on? No way of telling. -4 / +116 ain't bad; still more PT to go to get it better but those numbers are a great baseline to work from. Remember... I started at -14 / +84 and finished 10 weeks later at -1 / +123. At 16+ months, I'm 0 / +133 from more work after PT. Just keep going...the numbers will come in time.
Danke Chico. Es ist toll zu hören, dass sich meine Messwerte auch noch im Laufe der Zeit und ohne Physiotherapie verbessern können. Ich habe gerade meine erste Arbeitswoche hinter mir. Ich unterrichte die 4. Klasse. War jeden Tag etwas geschwollen und sehr müde, aber habe abends weiter gekühlt und hochgelagert. Ich hoffe, dass sich meine Messwerte mit der Zeit verbessern, genau wie deine. Ich habe noch sechs Physiotherapie-Sitzungen und dann bin ich auf mich allein gestellt. (Na ja, nicht wirklich! Ich habe ja euch alle!!! 😉
Danke!
This is for after PT...need to get your leg and core strength back...
https://patient.info/forums/discuss/post-tkr-exercising-565527