OT New Knee

Organicfarmer1972 · Jun 10, 2012

It's been about three and a half weeks since the new knee was put in and I'm curious how others fared to this this point. Doc said we waited way too long to do this because the femur bone had worn into the tibua causing a crater that the bones were in so he had to do a lot of extra cutting p>Right now I'm still hurting like heck and taking pain meds every 4hours. I have about a 95 degree bend but almost 180 on straightening it.

Am I about were others we're at three weeks, behind or ahead. How long will this severe pain last?

Patsdeere · Jun 10, 2012

A friend had his done and said he would take a hip or two anyday over a knee. He was down and out for a month or two and then slowly got to the point where he was using a cane. Now 5 months later he is just about as good as new. He still has therapy as the bend isn't quite the right number of degrees.

Just remember it is better than the alternative.

CTucker · Jun 11, 2012

Give it a couple more months and keep up with therapy.
I don't remember that much pain after my surgery but I had been through all hell before with almost 2 years of not being able to walk because of damage to both of my legs in a car accident. What I do remember is a LOT of hard work to be able to bend my leg straight and a lot more to get 90 degrees out of it.
I had a huge amount of scar tissue removed and since I hadn't been able to bend my knee for the last 2 years, I had no muscle left to do the bending. I worked hard at therapy for 6 months before I could actually walk without a limp. I still limp after I am up on my feet for more than a half hour at a time but that has to do with left-overs from the car accident, not my knee.
My new knew was the best thing to happen to me in the last 4 years. Don't give up on it and keep up the therapy.

Jim Broughton · Jun 11, 2012

My wife had both of her knees replaced in February, and I passed along a tip shared by a friend while working on a Habitat House. Get you an old office chair with good casters.Sit down and scoot that chair all over the house to limber up that new knee...then therapy will be so much easier and faster. My wife is up and about, walking just fine and only has occasional pain in her knee if she "overdoes it".
Best of luck and happy walking !! Jim B.

RAW in · Jun 11, 2012

I had left one done March 27th. I put the cane and walker away in two weeks, but culd not bend past 90 for 4 weeks. It is bending lot easier now, but still feels a little stiff. I went back to work at just 6 weeks, and I am on my feet 10 hrs a day. Worst problem was when I started walking any distance I found out how much the body ges down hill in a month.Hips, etc were koind of sore for a few days. After a few days at home I only took pain medicine about an hour before therapy. Other than that I didn't realy need it.

showcrop · Jun 11, 2012

Keep working it. I had a little infection problem that set me back a few days, and caused a lot of pain but I improved rapidly after that. I was off the Oxycontin after 12 days, and puttering in my shop after 2-1/2 weeks. I did a lot of stairs and steps, and was at about 90% after about 6 weeks. I would talk to the doc about the pain, make sure you don't have an infection. Any redness?

Anonymous-0 · Jun 11, 2012

(quoted from post at 20:45:59 06/10/12) It's been about three and a half weeks since the new knee was put in and I'm curious how others fared to this this point. Doc said we waited way too long to do this because the femur bone had worn into the tibua causing a crater that the bones were in so he had to do a lot of extra cutting p>Right now I'm still hurting like heck and taking pain meds every 4hours. I have about a 95 degree bend but almost 180 on straightening it.

Am I about were others we're at three weeks, behind or ahead. How long will this severe pain last?

Chimney sweep was just here. Today was the boss, I guess late 50's to mid 60's..... Asked him if his young guys were on vacation and he said he had a knee replaced 6 months ago and was just trying to catch up on the years he had missed out on.... Up and down a ladder just like the younger guys and he parks at an intersection and hits all the houses on those streets on foot.
Guess it depends a lot on the doc that does it and the individual...

Good Luck.

greygoat · Jun 11, 2012

My Doctor said:"nine out of 10 knee replacements
were sucessful", I was #10. I had SEVERE pain, for almost a year, and was on narcotic pain
medications for 3 or 4 years. The Doctor said
that"He may have pinched a nerve", and offered to
go in again, at no cost to me to check it out,
No thanks. 10 years later I still have bad days and good days. I can"t walk through any big store
or at any "Mall" without pain, but can drive a
riding mower, tractor, drive truck with no
problems. I just went to my grandsons graduation
near Omaha..425 miles one way..no problems, but
could hardly walk when I got out at rest stops.
I still have pain pills, TRAMODOL, 3 a day.

hanovertom · Jun 11, 2012

Mine is about 4 years old. I remember that after about 1 month, was wondering if I had done the right thing, BUT physical therapy and hard work things are good. I have found out that riding a bicycle helps me a lot plus has helped me loose some weight which is a plus!
Good luck!!

Eldo case · Jun 11, 2012

Had a new left knee last Sept. and I was feeding my cows with tractor in three weeks. I don't have any pain to amount much now. I have cut,raked and baled 400 round bales. Swathed and combined 40 acres of fescue seed this summer. The only thing I can't do is kneel down on it. I need to get my right one done but don't want to not be able to kneel down on at least one knee. I need to kneel down when welding and working on equipment. I am 59 will be 60 in Sept. You will get it going. Just do your therapy and exercises. That is the only way to make it work for you. I give you my best.

1047pm · Jun 11, 2012

After falling about 20 ft to the ground and fracturing the tibial plateau in the left knee and the right ankle and jamming my back up, I was put on oxycodone for pain. A year later I could barely walk when I got out of my truck and had a hard time getting on and off the tractor. I would take the pain pill every morning and depended on it to help me through the day. I started having pain all through my body and was getting in really bad shape. I decided to ouit taking the pills and boy was I in for a fight. I went through withdrawals for about a week but was determed to get free from the pain pills. I feel so much better now and may have to have a knee replacement at some point but will be careful about the pain medication in the future.

rustyfarmall · Jun 11, 2012

You guys with the success stories are definitely the exception. I personally know several folks that have had knee, hip, and shoulder replacements, and after several years, not a single one of those folks are any better off than they were before the surgery, and a couple of them are even in worse shape than before.

Goose · Jun 11, 2012

My sister had one done last fall. After a couple of weeks, she was home and doing fine when all at once her knee began to swell up and became painful.

Her boyfriend took her to the ER and they found a blood vessel had ruptured and was bleeding inside the knee. They fixed that, and she's done good since.

Our mother had a knee replaced when she was 89, and did great right from the start. She worked hard on her therapy. If the therapist told her to do an exercise ten times a day, she did it 20. She was, though, a self-described "tough old broad", and no way would I argue that point.

The only thing that bugged Mom was she couldn't kneel down in her garden and flower beds like she was used to.

fixerupper · Jun 11, 2012

Rusty, I have a good friend who has had both knees and a shoulder replaced with great success. His wife had both knees replaced and she has been in misery ever since. She had one re-done and told the docs "that's enough". Off hand I can think of three other friends who have had good success with knee replacement. One is the same age as me, 61. I saw him walking fairly normally in three weeks. Two ladies I know got infections after joint replacements and had to have the joint removed for awhile. It depends on how the individual's body reacts to it, whether or not they make a lot of scar tissue or not, their ability to fight infection and their physical condition. Jim

Mike M · Jun 11, 2012

I have not heard of too many sucess stories either. No wonder everyone puts it off too long ! I have heard that from about all of them too,that doc said they put it off too long.

JMS/.MN · Jun 11, 2012

I disagree. I know dozens....only "failure" was a neighbor 2 decades ago who did not do correct follow-up. Climbing a silo, etc. I had a hip done 3 years ago, six years after getting hit by a truck, waiting on my second any week now, after my wife is done with cancer treatments this month, waiting 14 months now. I did my 20 daily exercises for 6 months, expect the same results on the second hip. BIL had a knee done 2 yrs ago....perfect. Friend had both hips done....on a cane within 2 weeks. Doing the exercises is most important- muscles atrophy shortly without that. That"s why they walk you within a day after surgery.

mmidlam · Jun 11, 2012

How do knees act when they are wearing out? My knees have started to crunch and pop when I set down, but with no real pain. Always stiff in the morning. They will hurt if I walk around in old shoes with the heels worn off uneven or when switching to a different kind of shoe. They seem to be too stiff to run much.Am i looking at replacement knees in a few years? I am 52

showcrop · Jun 11, 2012

(quoted from post at 12:48:30 06/11/12) How do knees act when they are wearing out? My knees have started to crunch and pop when I set down, but with no real pain. Always stiff in the morning. They will hurt if I walk around in old shoes with the heels worn off uneven or when switching to a different kind of shoe. They seem to be too stiff to run much.Am i looking at replacement knees in a few years? I am 52

You need an X-ray to tell. Basically you don't need one as long as you still have cartilage. Once the cartilage is gone you are a candidate.

RandyB(MI) · Jun 11, 2012

Not to make you feel bad but had mine done 4 yrs ago. Walking without a walker in 2 weeks , only pain I had was at PT when bending/stretching. That's the only time I took any pain pills was to go to PT. I have found it depends on your age and your Dr. as to the pain / success of these.Docs are like mechanics , they all have the liscense but they ain't all good at what they do. I have had no pain for the last 3 1/2 yrs. I was 57 at the time.

gene bender · Jun 14, 2012

I quit the pills as soon as i got out of the hosp and was walking without support in 5 days. Did a lot of excercises along with re-hab now one yr later im fine can bend knee 130 deg still do excercising.

OT New Knee

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