I am 3 weeks post op with a partial outside right knee replacement. Doing well. I have physical therapy 3 times a week and I also have home exercises 2 times a day. The issue I am having is when I walk my entire knee from the inside across the front pulls to the outside making it very uncomfortable walking. It is very tight across the center of my knee. After a couple of minutes it begins to pull across the back of my knee. Is this normal? I have 127 degrees of bending and I can fully extend my leg. I only feel this walking not during my exercises.
Hola Vanessa, parece que lo estás haciendo muy bien. Aún estás en las primeras etapas. Tendrás dolor durante mucho tiempo mientras se cura el interior de tu rodilla tras la operación. Te sugiero que continúes con el ejercicio, pero menciona esto a tu cirujano cuando vayas a tu revisión de seis semanas si todavía te sigue molestando. Yo estoy 11 meses después de la operación, con una prótesis parcial lateral (externa) en mi pierna izquierda. Nunca he encontrado a nadie más que haya tenido una prótesis parcial lateral, ya que se supone que es bastante rara. Espero que tengas éxito a largo plazo. X.
Three weeks is very early doors, and it sounds like you are doing fine. I'm 12 wks post PKR, inside right knee. I have always had good ROM, but I've always felt as though the straightening was more of a problem. The physio (last seen 4 weeks ago) wasn't concerned, however, I, like you, feel a similar pulling when I walk which causes me to limp slightly, if I'm not paying attention.
My new knee doesn't hyperflex like the old one, it may never do, I'm hoping in time it will because that will help with the walking business. Also, because there was a lot of movement in my old knee where the joint had worn out and my leg had bowed ever so slightly, now my knee is solid and there is no movement, that feels a bit weird. So, I'm wondering if these two issues together are causing the pulling I'm feeling.
I'm going to visit my physio again next week and see what she says, but actually I think this is all just part of the healing process.
People talk about the 'magic' that happens at 6 weeks, we're all different and mine happened at 7! That moment when you know you've turned the corner in recovery. My expectations of what my new knee will be able to do are quite high and I may have to adjust them, but for now I'll keep going to the gym and doing the exercises and the yoga.
Good luck with your healing, talk to your surgeon and physio, keep doing the exercises!
Thank you for your words of encouragement. I think some of it is the swelling. When I first get up I don't have the pull at all but when the swelling starts I begin to feel the pull. Everything else is going very well. I am looking forward to the final healing. Have had so much pain before the surgery. Can't wait till all is done and can feel pain free again.
Good luck also in your healing my friend. You have been a big help.
Thank you for your words of encouragement. I have got to wrap my head around the fact that this is a long healing process. I don't like the pulling sensation when I walk and it keeps me from walking normally. But it is early. Will keep up my exercises. I know how important they are. I had a joint removed at the base of my thumb in 2011. I thought I would never get the use of my thumb again but I do. All because I was faithfull with my exercises. I don't have 100% there but it is about 98%. I am happy with that.
Very thankful I found this forum to talk with people that have had this surgery. Just 2 replies so far and I already am feeling so much better about the surgery.
\u003cp\u003eMantén tus ejercicios, podría ser que el tendón (que controla el movimiento de la rótula) necesite acostumbrarse a la forma en que opera ahora tu rodilla. Concentrarte en los cuádriceps y todo debería encajar\u003c/p\u003e
wow what a bend your so lucky and a perfect straight leg to go with it your a very lucky girl ,id say the pull your feeling is all that healing going on in there ligaments tendons take a battering during the op ,it will improve just keep doing your excersises and maybe if you have a bike that you can sit on to pedel would help if not just do your walking it dosent mean that you have to do miles even if its a very short distance just do it often and ice after it also dont forget to rest up at 3 wks you will still be very tired which is to be expected and maybe you have reduced meds and thats why you feel the tightness more if so upt the meds for awhile its way too soon to reduce them good luck your doing fantastic
Estás haciendo un trabajo excelente. Trata de recordar cómo caminabas antes de la cirugía. Todo el cojera y la postura que adoptaste para evitar más dolor de lo necesario ha afectado tus ligamentos y músculos. Tu pierna está débil y, aunque tienes rango de movimiento, no tienes estabilidad básica. Asegúrate de dar pasos lentos y uniformes (talón, dedo del pie, flexión) en cada paso. Estás muy al principio del proceso y, a pesar de que lo estás haciendo muy bien, es posible que quieras avanzar demasiado rápido. A menudo, esa prisa puede provocar un retroceso. Simplemente tómate tu tiempo, ya que el cuerpo solo se cura a su propio ritmo y no puedes empujarlo más allá de sus capacidades. Estás muy adelantado respecto a la mayoría en tu etapa postoperatoria.
I am so appreciative of the replies back to my issue. It helps to have someone or many others to discuss what I feel when I walk. It is so hard to explain exactly how it feels. You all have been great encouragement.
Went to my physical therapist today and she did some soft tissue manipulation and that seemed to help. My Dr. wants me to wait another week before I can start therapy on the incision area to break up scar tissue under the incision.That may also help. The skin is very tight in some of the places on the incision.
Thank you all for your words from your experiences. I feel much better. I just have to give it time and healing. Don't push it and keep up with exercises.
I just wanted to add Vanessa, that if you are anything like me you will be wanting to do far more than your body will take at this stage. I learned in my second week that while I could physically walk 2 miles with my sticks (a friend was visiting and it was a lovely, sunny day and I was going a bit stir crazy) the next day I paid for it, I knew I had done too much and that day I could do very little. Now, I go to the gym 3/4 times a week, approx 1.5 hrs of cycling, treadmill and strengthening, plus, yoga 2/3 times a week, and just this week, after my 3rd yoga session, can I honestly say I feel generally strong again. But I know my quads are weak and that's what I'm working on now, building up muscle.
Keep exercising, listen to your body and get strong!
I do think I am trying to push it alittle. I feel really good but I am an overboarder sometimes but this time I just have to slow down and let it heal. I can tell I don't have the strength I had. I am going to have to build it up again. Before surgery I bicycled 15 miles a day. So this is a big slow down for me.
Fortunately I have another 4 weeks off work so hopefully by the time I go back I will be ready.
Next summer hubby and I are going cycle touring for a couple of years (we did it 2008-2010) so desperately trying to get the old muscle memory working again. I can get really fit on the road (start off with short days and gradually lenghten as I get fitter) but I'm just keen to make sure my knee is working properly before I head off into the sunset.
If you were fit before your op that will stand you in good stead for sure and once you feel the 'magic' happening you'll be off in leaps and bounds, you see
El ciclismo es una de las actividades que puedes hacer mucho antes de poder caminar cómodamente. Es de bajo impacto, aunque puede que encuentres las colinas un poco difíciles. Te da una sensación de libertad que no puedes obtener simplemente caminando. Ten cuidado, pero disfruta.
El ciclismo es muy bueno para ti (si puedes hacer pasar tu rodilla por toda la revolución), si perteneces a un gimnasio; prueba la máquina de remo. No tiene que ser una fila difícil, elige una ligera pero aumenta la velocidad y desarrolla tu cardio. Aún así, ten cuidado porque puedes excederte y sentirte un poco inestable, pero sabrás hasta dónde puedes empujarte. Otra pieza de equipo que puedes usar es la máquina de esquí. Al principio es posible que no hagas una revolución completa, pero el movimiento hacia atrás/adelante es factible, hasta que tu rodilla pueda dar la vuelta completa, entonces aumenta la tensión en cada visita. Recuperarás la fuerza en tus piernas hasta casi lo que solías tener, pero tu pierna puede estar un poco más débil que antes.