My knee-replacement thread; comments and suggestions welcome.

[Larry Fine]

I decided to start my own thread instead of (or in addition to ) continuing to comment in other members' threads.

I'll try to keep you updated until that morning, and try to check in on my phone when I'm awake enough to remember.

I am to arrive at the hospital 8:30 am Tuesday. I won't know until after surgery whether I will come home the same day.

I set up a sofa to sleep on on the kitchen and bath level, and I'll bring my laptop down Monday night and sleep there.

I already have both a walker and cane from my previous hip replacements, and I bought a cold-water therapy system.

I plan on taking nothing stronger than Tramadol as I did with both hips. The surgeon said he will prescribe four a day.

I am doing daily showers with the antiseptic scrub, and they said five times instead of twice. I guess I'm extra germy.

So, the main thing I have to look forward to is getting those first steps out of the way while I'm still on pain-blockers.

 

[Valker]

I've had several friends have their replacements in the past month. All are doing well, even the one in Alaska who had both done at the same time.

 

[okckeith]

You should get pain medicine to have in case you need it. You don't have to take it if you don't need it. But I bet you will. I have had four surgeries on my knee. I couldn't even imagine not having something for pain! Knee replacements are no fun. But it sure was worth it.

 

[ibike2havefun]

Good luck to you!

Having already had other joints replaced, I'm sure you're well aware of the importance of doing the rehab / recovery therapy, however uncomfortable it may be. I've yet to need a joint replaced but doing the post-op work consistently and as fully as possible has been a universal constant with my friends who've gone through the process.

 

[Obo]

Short term pain, long term gain. Good luck with it all!

 

[Ned in Utah]

I'm two months into my knee replacement. Got it for my 70th birthday. No pain anymore, but it aches sometimes and still feels stiff at times. Stairs, especially down are still a challenge. I'm told the key is PT. I've done PT everyday as I really want to be able to compete on my Trials bike again and the Dr say's I will be able to. I'm now at 138 degree bend. My good knee is 140 degrees. Don't know if it will get much better than that, but maybe it will as the swelling continues to go down. Three guys in my Trials cub have had knees replaced and all are riding again, so I'm staying hopeful. Even thinking about getting a new bike. DO YOUR PT!

 

[Larry Fine]

I can bend my knee beyond 90 degrees, but I can not straighten it, even with massage and pressure.

The PT said we won't know how much of that will loosen until after surgery, but we'll find out.

The main thing about riding is that after an hour, or less, my knee starts burning. I have to dangle it or just stop and walk around. As the day progresses, it gets worse and I need to stop more often.

Now I am looking forward to the point where it feels better than it does now.

DO YOUR PT!

Yes, dear!

I asked for pre-surgery PT and went to every visit.

 

[Larry Fine]

Phone test.

 

[SMSW]

Good luck with your surgery, Larry.

Some friends have told me to take the pain meds before the pain gets a foothold - i.e. keep ahead of the pain with meds. Of course, I didn't listen to them but my surgeries have been minor compared to a knee.

 

[the Ferret]

Yep, good luck with your surgery. My wife had both of her knees done at the same time. Ortho Doc said if she did just one, she wouldn't want to do the other lol. She's also had both hips done but separately. She said the knees were much harder than the hips to recover from. SMSW is right in that you want to stay ahead of the pain with meds. Once you get behind it's hard to get ahead again. Even if you feel like you don't need em, take em!

She sets off metal detectors when flying, and they gave her a letter about the replacement parts but the TSA ignores the letter and checks her physically

My wife can no longer kneel to do garden work, and she dislikes going up and down stairs, but she still rides her 300 XMAX

 

[Weaselinsuit]

I'll add to the chorus;

1. The post op exercises are critical to getting function back and not just the first couple of months. I am 10 months out and still doing the stretches and strengthening exercises. It's not perfect yet and likely never will be but it's better than pre-op.

2. Also, don't reject the pain meds. As others have mentioned stay ahead of the pain. I knew this going in and still tried to macho it out. Dumbest thing I ever did. It's almost impossible to catch up once you fall behind. That being said, I found the cold therapy machine was the best thing for the pain.

They used a spinal block and sedative for me as opposed to general anaesthetic. It worked reasonably well till the spinal block wore off....see take your pain meds above.

Best of luck!

 

[wjbertrand]

I had my left knee done about 2.5 years ago (May ‘22) and just had the right one done almost 3 weeks ago. The left knee was so bad I could not sit with it bent for more than a few minutes and walking any distance at all was challenging. Now it’s pain free most of the time walking or riding my bike is no issue. I stalled on flexion at 118° but that’s enough to do most everything I need. I made 0° on extension, but that took months to reach.

Working through the PT for the right knee as I write. This one wasn’t as bad as the left, but I didn’t want to let it get that bad, or be much older before taking care of it. I’ve reached about 95° flexion so far, so I have a ways to go. I think I’m at 104-105° extension.

Good luck with everything!

 

[Larry Fine]

Good luck with your surgery, Larry.

Danke!

Some friends have told me to take the pain meds before the pain gets a foothold - i.e. keep ahead of the pain with meds.

I didn't mean to give you the impression that I planned to do without meds. My experience with Tramadol, basically a synthetic opioid, is no side effects or withdrawal, and you can drive while taking it.

 

[Larry Fine]

Yep, good luck with your surgery.

Thanx.

My wife had both of her knees done at the same time. Ortho Doc said if she did just one, she wouldn't want to do the other lol.

That was true with my mom, but she did no therapy or exercises afterward.

She's also had both hips done but separately.

Same for me. Right one 14 years ago, left one 2.5 years ago.

She said the knees were much harder than the hips to recover from. SMSW is right in that you want to stay ahead of the pain with meds. Once you get behind it's hard to get ahead again. Even if you feel like you don't need em, take em!

Oh, I plan to. Tramadol takes about a day to work, and about a day to wear off.

The surgeon said he would prescribe four per day; I know to take them regularly.

She sets off metal detectors when flying, and they gave her a letter about the replacement parts but the TSA ignores the letter and checks her physically

I'm not planning on flying anywhere. It's much more dangerous than riding.

My wife can no longer kneel to do garden work, and she dislikes going up and down stairs, but she still rides her 300 XMAX

That's excellent. I hope that walking, stairs, ladders, etc. improve greatly, but riding is paramount.

 

[Larry Fine]

1. The post op exercises are critical to getting function back and not just the first couple of months. I am 10 months out and still doing the stretches and strengthening exercises. It's not perfect yet and likely never will be but it's better than pre-op.

That's my goal. How long after surgery did you first ride?

2. Also, don't reject the pain meds. As others have mentioned stay ahead of the pain. I knew this going in and still tried to macho it out. Dumbest thing I ever did. It's almost impossible to catch up once you fall behind. That being said, I found the cold therapy machine was the best thing for the pain.

I made it clear I want to start the Tramadol right away so it's in full effect when the pain blockers subside.

They used a spinal block and sedative for me as opposed to general anaesthetic. It worked reasonably well till the spinal block wore off....see take your pain meds above.

I want to be knocked out 100% out for this. I especially don't want to hear "Oops!"

Best of luck!

Thank you!

 

[Larry Fine]

I had my left knee done about 2.5 years ago (May ‘22) and just had the right one done almost 3 weeks ago. The left knee was so bad I could not sit with it bent for more than a few minutes and walking any distance at all was challenging. Now it’s pain free most of the time walking or riding my bike is no issue. I stalled on flexion at 118° but that’s enough to do most everything I need. I made 0° on extension, but that took months to reach.

How long between the first one and riding, and how is the new one so far, and compared to before?

I waited way too long for my second (left) hip, and I have permanent limited range of motion.

Before it, I could not straighten my left leg. I can now, but not get my left ankle on my right knee.

Working through the PT for the right knee as I write. This one wasn’t as bad as the left, but I didn’t want to let it get that bad, or be much older before taking care of it. I’ve reached about 95° flexion so far, so I have a ways to go. I think I’m at 104-105° extension.

I can not straighten my right knee all the way, but I can bend it greater than 90 degrees.

The problem, besides motion aggravation, is keeping it bent during longer bike rides.

I start out okay, but the stops get closer as the day progresses. One hour, then less and less.

Good luck with everything!

Thank you, too.

 

[Daboo]

I was told several times that I was the "Poster Child for Total Knee Replacements". I thought they were just being encouraging. What I found out later in comparing my experience with others, was that if nothing more, I did some things right.

You will have no clue of how much pain you're experiencing till the pain pills wear off and you get behind on the pain pills. I had a bag of some kind of drip narcotics in it. Surgery I think was on a Friday. Sunday night late the bag was empty. I tried to get ready for my first PT on Monday morning and by the time I got to PT, I was ready to cry. I learned my lesson.

You can take full dose of Tylenol and a full dose of Ibuprofen at the same time. Some say it is as good as narcotics. Tylenol is processed by your liver, and Ibuprofen by your kidneys, so you're not overdosing your organs.

Range of motion is key in the beginning. I knew one man who didn't push himself. I think he had about a 40 degree range of motion months later. I've heard that the surgeon will put you under and then forcibly stretch those muscles, ligaments and tendons ...basically tearing everything lose to start over again. Of course you can always elect to be a cripple for the rest of your life.

Pain is good. My PT sessions were Monday and Thursday mornings. I'd push myself so far on Monday morning that I'd be in pain till Wednesday evening...then I'd go back the next morning and repeat the whole process again.



Some encouragement. Surgery was in mid-November 2015. By about the 10th or so of December, I was riding my motorcycle to PT. By January, I was back to work and commuting 37 miles each way. My knee would begin to cramp up on me, and I'd just hang it out and wiggle it around till I could get it on the footpeg again. That March, my future son-in-law took me hiking around Palo Alto. A short level trip he promised. Well, we started at the same elevation that we finished at, but it was anything but level. Eight miles of up and down. I did it though.

A couple years later, I went to Zion National Park. I ended up hiking to the top of the East Observation Point. 39,000 steps that day. That tiny little squiggly line is where I started from. I could never have done that without the knee replacement.




Question...do you have someone who will be watching over you for the first week or so? I suspect you do, but you didn't mention it.


Last thought. I don't know if this was just me, or if everyone gets it. Months later, I'd be laying on the love seat watching TV and I'd get a sharp shooting pain like someone just jabbed me with a needle. My wife thinks that was the two ends of the nerves meeting up and saying "Hi!". It'll go away. It did make life interesting for awhile though.

Chris

 

[Weaselinsuit]

I had my surgery on January 24th and I think I did my first ride towards the middle/end of April.

I was driving the car before I expected to; after my first post-op check in at 2 weeks. I was shocked to be honest that the ortho said go ahead. It wasn't without pain but it sure was a morale boost to be able to get out and get to post op physio visits on my own. I did only short trips at first but slowly increased as the knee tolerated more.

With the ST, I would say there was still pain in the right knee for at least a month after I began riding again. The knee didn't like being flexed so I would occasionally have to extend it out as I rode to get some relief.

I would also add that even with stretches, I find my leg muscles still get tight so the stretching is key. I've also had more charley horses in the past 10 months than I think I had in my life.

 

[Daboo]

P.S. Range of motion. I think I had 110 degrees of motion at my first PT. I don't know what it is now, but I can get down on my knees to pray with the heels of my feet touching my rear. I feel comfortable riding with the balls of my feet on the footpegs for hours at a time. But then, I'm a young pup at 72.

Combining things like riding and getting the balls of your feet onto the footpegs eventually combines something you love, with the "exercise". You'll push yourself more to do something you love than just doing a stretching exercise on the floor.

I can't stress enough...push yourself. Your knee joint is solid. It was that way when you got off the operating table. The pain is from the horrific abuse your muscles, ligaments and tendons took. They just want to curl up and be left alone. The trouble is, you can't let them.

Chris

 

[SMSW]

I want to be knocked out 100% out for this. I especially don't want to hear "Oops!"

Or the other colorful incantations they mutter as they work.