How long before swelling subsides?

[cocheese]

Yes, things are going well.  I am still getting some swelling when I push it, so I am just listening to things and acting accordingly.  I'll have to try some of that cream.  I'll ask my PT about it.  I've had a weeks off of PT.  I have been doing the at home stuff but no office visits.  I'll be back at it this week again.  I think things are still getting better but the progress is slow.  It has been a little over 6 weeks and a retired surgeon friend of mine told me that the swelling generally peaks at 6 weeks.  Hopefully I am on the downhill slide now.  The icing and elevting feels good as does the twice daily bike rides.  The bike actually feels really good, probably the best thing I could do for it.  I'm looking forward to the bike fit at the end of the month.

[austinknee]

That sounds great!  If it is just swelling when you push it and then it recovers with some RICE then I think that is normal. I would worry only if you were swelling for no good reason.  I know that it can take a long time for the subtle last parts of swelling to end...  So jealous on the bike!  Good for you!  The sports cream I use is listed in that link below. They sell it at the major grocery stores here.  Take care!!  laura

http://www.herbalremedies.com/argelar275oz.html

[suhcmf]

Plica removal huh?  Sounds familiar, me too!  I'm 3.5 weeks post-op.  I was wondering about your swelling...  Mine is almost down to normal, with lots of atrophy.  There is some small swelling right around the patella still.  My question:  In some of my exercises, I have felt some fluid moving around.  It doesn't hurt, just feels a little weird, which leads me to believe it is normal.  Anyone else experience the movement of some fluid in the knee? 

[OldCoot]

"I am riding my bike to get the paper and doing a full suite of PT 2x a day."  Sounds about the same as what I was doing and IMO, that's twice as much PT as you required. I'm about 103 days out from a TKR and month ago had a follow up visit and asked why it gets so warm to the touch, swelling, aching and pain because, like you, I was attacking the PT with a vengeance. OS said I was hitting the PT way to hard and back off to about half of what I was doing and put me on prednisone to ease the irritation from overworking it and by golly it sure did help. Swelling not nearly as bad unless I'm on it all day and I ice it down and elevate it if it swells to much. Don't forget the RICE and I do my regular PT and no more and I give it Sundays off with just a few stretches but nothing vigorous. I know it may be hard to believe but you can carry PT to far and irritate it big time. As the old adage goes, . . . "all things in moderation."  Understand, you will have swelling and aching for some time to come normal for a TKR and from what I gather knees commonly swell and get hot during the healing process.

[believev]

hey cocheese.  Believev here.  haven't talked to ya in a few weeks.  I have been really pushing it at PT too.  after my pt sessions I get some minor swelling around my front of the knee.  Its' not real bad and seems to go down at night or when I ice it.  I'm not sure if this is comletely normal or not.

I had my 6 week follow up with my surgeon and he said he couldn't ask for anything more with my recovery and in another 6 weeks if I can still continue to strengthen my quad and have no major pain or swellign he will release me.

However, as I do research about what was done in my leg I think I might consult a specialist.  My doctor found some worn articular cartlidge in my Medial femor area.  he said it was 15mm by 5 mm.. which I think is rather small but he called it big.  so I'm going to get an appoitnment with a specialist and see what my lifestyle should be like.  most normal knee surgeons dont treat this type of cartlidge wear, I guess i might need another treatment in the future if it still bothers me. Its actually really scary and I have been having some problems sleeping, eating, the thought of a major surgery like that has me very worried.

I need to cut back on my pt I guess I dont want to overdo it.

anybody have a some worn cartlidge that size.. he said there was a little bit of bone exposed, so i guess it was allt he way though.