Was going to post this in my knee-replacement thread, but thought it might be a good topic for its own thread and for others to share.


I had a Stryker Mako robot assisted total knee arthroplasty on 3/7. I started some real basic exercises the day after surgery, knee slides, quad push downs, ankle pumps. First couple days weren’t too bad since the nerve block was still active. Knee was pretty stiff but able to bear weight. Once it wore off the pain did become pretty bad, Oxy made it tolerable but not by much. Days 5-9 were the worst, but noticeably better over the past couple days.

Today was my first PT session, 11 days post op. The Therapist said I am a little ahead of the curve at this point. Getting almost full extension (2 deg) and 105 deg flex. The bad news is I am walking “wrong” compensating with hip action and not in proper alignment so I need to work on that. Overall, good news as it settled my concern of whether or not I was on track.

The goal at this point is getting full extension/flexion and once I have that start focusing on building strength back. He expects I should greatly improve my range of motion within a week if I put the work in on my exercises. It amazes me how much strength/control I have lost considering the level of cycling activity I’ve been doing for the past three years.

Overall the pain is dropping, today was my last day on Oxy and I feel confident that Acetaminophen coupled with ibuprofen will keep pain in check over the coming weeks. Starting tomorrow I increase the variety and frequency of exercises. Still icing frequently and he said with increased exercise, swelling will continue and possibly increase some.


Others who have had a TKA, I’d like to hear what your recovery period was like.

If you don’t have an ice water recirculating device, GET ONE NOW! Your insurance should cover it since they are VERY common in these types of surgeries.
They are worth their weight in gold. I slept with mine on.

The numbers you stated are great! Flexion was easy on mine, extension was the bitch.
Keep doing the PT, use a pain pill to get the most out of it. The first 2 months can be hell!
You are on the right track, don’t lose focus on the main goal, walking with a normal gait - pain free.
Do the exercises and walk a bunch, (as tolerated)

Mark these words…you will want to kick your own ass for putting it off as long as you did.
I know I did after 3 months.
After exactly 3 months I was back on the fire truck with ZERO restrictions. I busted my ass in PT and with the happy pills, it was doable.
Don’t be afraid of “becoming addicted”. As long as you use them for pain and not for a buzz, it won’t happen.
My hope is you get to where you used to be before your knee went shit.

I am in the middle of this now with my wife. She had total knee replacement last Friday. She had her first at-home PT on Sunday, another will be today. She is at 5 degrees extension and 70 degrees flexion so far. Pain was not a problem until the nerve block wore off, now is barely manageable with oxycodone. PT person said days 3-5 are worst of it regarding pain, so I hope we can see the light at the end of that tunnel.
This is the fifth artificial joint between the two of us; she had a partial knee and a hip in the past, and I have had a total knee and a shoulder, so we both know the routine by now. The best advice is to do the PT with a vengeance, not by trying to do more reps of the exercises but by doing each one as well as can be done. You can go backwards if you take the approach of "PT gal says do three reps so I'll do six". Better to focus on doing the three flawlessly and on the schedule they prescribe. My two cents.

Oh, and ditto on the ice-water circulating device. It is worth it's weight in gold. We managed to borrow one so didn't have to buy it, but even if we had to buy it, it is well worth the money.

Use the ice machine but I think I was off it after 2-3 weeks, then used ice wraps.

When Therapists says do "10" you do 20

Find something to step up onto (like stairs) and step up, step down, step up..etc.

Get onto an exercise bike and ride it, the moving motion helps with everything.

Doing yard work one day 8-months post-op I was hit with realization that my knee wasn't stiff, no discomfort, and the rest is history.

I have had both my knees replaced. I have a shooting buddy that is a retired PT at a major hospital here. He gave me a list of exercises several weeks prior to my first surgery and loaned me his step up platform and ice water circulatory machine. The surgery was performed by the the top surgeon in the area. I was 79 years old. Walked out of the hospital using a walker 2 hours after surgery. Used the walker for a total of 1 1/2 days and went to a cane for an additional 3 days. Started internet based PT the day after surgery and I, too, slept all night with my "ice machine" running. After 7 days I had no trouble walking up and down stairs. I attribute my rapid recovery to an exceptional surgeon, doing PT before the surgery, using the ice machine and following the prescribed PT religiously. The 2nd knee healed just as well but took about 7-10 days longer to go through the process and I was 2 years older. The ice machine and the PT I think are most important. Worth buying the ice machine and they are available on eBay.

My Dad had both knees replaced in 2023. The most painful one first in the late winter, and the second one in late fall was the one the doc said looked worse in MRI.

Dad has a heart condition so had to stay 1 night in hospital both times. PT began at the doorway to his hospital room. The therapist met him at the doorway, got him to walk to the bed, and begin doing exercises before the nurses came in to do her spiel and ask a million questions. Second PT was in the morning was his ticket to getting released from the hospital and it was to make sure he could do the exercises the OP mentioned. However, I do see one exercise missing.

The exercise I don't see involves being on a stationary bike. He didn't actually ride the bike. Instead:

Part of it is just getting on/off bike as it's a complex movement

They had Dad slowly rotate forward as much as possible, and then rotate reverse as far as possible.

Both knee surgeries, Dad started off doing well and pain was manageable. Then out of the blue, he'd overdo it and pain would make sleep difficult for a day or two. The other thing that would happen is he'd hit a frustrating period of no progress or maybe even going backward. I mentioned the exercise bike, as both times once he could make a full rotation forward and backward everything started clicking in place. Pain would go down, swelling would go away, the incisions scars would flatten out, progress would be darn near exponential, and within 3 weeks the knee doctor was clearing him for starting to swing a golf club.

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Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity

DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer.

I had my hip replaced in February of 2015. 3 months later it got infected and I had to have it redone. They pulled everything back out and put new parts in. I have been on Penicillin ever since. I had a PICC line put in and had to inject antibiotics in every day for about 3 weeks. I recovered from that fine but what an ordeal. I was really scared I was going to lose my leg. I prolonged having my knee replaced for as long as I could and finally had it done in July of 2022. I was very worried I would get an infection and lose my leg. I figured at 49 I didn't want to limp around in my 50's so I had it done. I didn't get an infection but I did end up with a blood clot behind my knee. I was on Eliquis for about 6 months but thankfully I was able to get off that and am doing really well now. I just started biking again this year. My knee feels the best it has in a very long time. I can walk downhill without limping. Favoring my left leg has taken a toll on that knee, but it's in good enough shape for now. Hopefully I won’t have another joint replacement for a long time. Best of luck in your recovery.

I need both my knees replaced.
When I read accounts of the pain involved in having one knee replaced I wonder how people can deal with having both knees replaced at the same time.
It would be nice to think of one trip and your done.

Replaced both knees a couple years apart. Dicked around with my right knee for years before replacing it. When I realized how good it could be I didn't hesitate to do the left knee when it started going south. I am walking proof that if you wait too long to replace a knee you will replace the hip. Years of compensating for the knee caused my hip to go south and I had to replace it a year ago.

Difficulty sleeping was my biggest single complaint post op. They tell you to avoid recliners but that was the only place I could get a decent sleep.

7 months after her knee surgeries, I had to drive the lady across the hall to the E.R. with debilitating pain.

They gave her pain pills.

A month later we called the ambulance to haul her up there.

Three months later they tested her and found out that she is allergic to the metal that they used in the joints.

Her doctor decided that moving to Utah was a good idea.

In two weeks she is having one replaced.

Oh,
And they don't make that model any more so no where near a simple replacement as the new set up has different dimensions.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: bendable,

quote:

Originally posted by armored:
I need both my knees replaced.
When I read accounts of the pain involved in having one knee replaced I wonder how people can deal with having both knees replaced at the same time.
It would be nice to think of one trip and your done.

It is very rare to do both at the same time. In my practice I have only seen it done a few times.

Had my two week post op follow up and second PT session today.

Both said I am doing great. I am healing well and ahead of the curve for range of motion, etc. PT folks cleared me for exercise bike starting tomorrow and on the real bike in two more weeks.

Looks like I will be back to work in early April. Only question left is do these titanium parts make my leg look fat?

Way to go, it sounds like you are doing great.

For perspective, I had my right hip replaced in the dark-ages of 2000. Recovery was a bitch but the pain stopped immediately and after a month of PT I slowly (in my mind at least) covered to about 80% of normal, 1000% better than immediately pre op. 2012 I had my left hip replaced, out of the hospital in two days, excellent recovery. No pain.
My wife had her left knee and hip replaced last fall about 4 months apart and was 100% mobil and pain free within a couple of weeks, Pain was gone immediately of course.

So what? I'm just saying that if the meatball surgery I had at the turn of the century did its job and has lasted 'til now then your Star Wars, Robo-Cop, plastic fantastic replacement should last you 50 years of solid activity and enjoyment, congratulations on a very positive outcome. And keep up the PT/

Do I sound jealous? Maybe a little.

Glad it is going well. I have the replacement of my left knee scheduled for April 9th. Fingers crossed.

What PT did you do pre surgery?

quote:

Originally posted by bob ramberg:
Glad it is going well. I have the replacement of my left knee scheduled for April 9th. Fingers crossed.

What PT did you do pre surgery?

Been cycling pretty steady for the past 2 1/2 years, regular 20 mile plus rides occasional 40 mile plus. 350-400 miles/month on average, sometimes more. NordicTrack indoor exercise bike when outside weather wasn’t conducive to a “real” bike so I didn’t really have any extra pre-op PT to worry about.

If you don’t already have strong legs/quads that is what you want to focus on. Leg lifts, squats, seated leg extensions with resistance, etc.

Is your doc doing the Mako robot assist? I am convinced it makes a huge difference. No cutting of tendons, much less invasive, faster recovery and better alignment.

PT after my full hip replacement was a breeze! I was already walking unaided the day of the surgery, and started PT the next day. Time spent on stationary bike, manipulating large rubber balls with my feet, stepping up and down on blocks, etc.

Easily the best and least painful surgery I've had, and I've been through quite a few!

When I see patients for the first two week post op visit I expect motion at 5-90 typically. Anything better than that is a home run. Listen to the therapists, work hard and ice is definitely your friend. I will give pain medication for up to 6 weeks post op, but most patients are off the narcotics at 3 weeks.

quote:

Originally posted by captain127:
When I see patients for the first two week post op visit I expect motion at 5-90 typically. Anything better than that is a home run. Listen to the therapists, work hard and ice is definitely your friend. I will give pain medication for up to 6 weeks post op, but most patients are off the narcotics at 3 weeks.

I have been off the Oxycodone since Tuesday (12 days post op). I mentioned pain still pretty steep in morning and causing me difficulty in sleeping at my 2 week post op appt yesterday hoping I could get a refill just for use at night. PA just said to keep using the Tylenol and it would get better over the next couple weeks. Easiest way to NOT get a script around here is to come right out and ask for one.