post knee replacement how much exercise is ok?

[Petal]

I have a date for knee replacement- early April.  I need this to work, I do not want to wreck it after surgery.   thus I am asking if I do too much will I ruin the implant?  Just how careful do I have to be after surgery and for how many weeks?

I have hens that need twice daily care which involves walking about 200 foot round an uneven somewhat muddy garden, bending down from waist and a little light fetching and carrying.   is this ok straight after surgery or do I need to arrange help?   Its not the pain that is concerning me- its I need to know if light tasks like that will ruin surgery.   

does anyone know?

[vickster]

There are lots of protocols from various NHS hospitals, which will be similar (where is yours being done, have you looked at the hospital sire?) although, you should of course follow your surgeon’s and physios’instructions to the letter.

My mum recently had a hip replacement at a joint replacement Centre of Excellence. Their knee replacement info will give you an idea, although every one will recover at a different speed, they suggest crutch use for 6 weeks and then wean off. So you’ll need lots of help post op (for at least a month I would think)

Includes videos

https://www.eoc.nhs.uk/treatments/knee-replacement-surgery/

This hospital publishes detailed guides (I found one for hips for my mum, here’s the knee one)

https://www.royalberkshire.nhs.uk/media/1lwoxmdd/advice-and-exercises-after-total-knee-replacement-tkr_sep21.pdf

WonkeyDonkey has posted her post TKR diary (in the UK) on the forum here

https://www.kneeguru.co.uk/KNEEtalk/index.php?topic=78906.0

Good luck for your op (not too long to wait )

[Petal]

Thank you Victster,  I think you are right, having read through all that & found my hospitals guide going to have to pressgang in a bit of help. rather unkeen husband will have to sort my hens.

  I am booked into  Royal Orthopaedic Hospital Birmingham and really shocked its come round quickly as they told me in December 9-12 months- shocked and really pleased

[vickster]

Cool. Do as much prehab as you can in the next month to be as fit and strong as possible. Anything you can do in the water will be beneficial for example

Depending on your local situation, perhaps get a private physio lined up, my mum has been told 3 month wait for NHS physio (bearing in mind that’s a centre of excellence)! I’ve booked her in at the local private hospital for when she is ready (5 weeks on, she can’t get out of the house and into a car yet)

[Dave33]

I have a date for knee replacement- early April.  I need this to work, I do not want to wreck it after surgery.   thus I am asking if I do too much will I ruin the implant?  Just how careful do I have to be after surgery and for how many weeks?

I had a partial, and recovered pretty fast, but for what you describe (bending, uneven ground), I'd probably recommend you have help for at least 3-4 weeks.

Regarding damaging the implant via everyday motion - I think it's highly doubtful - you're encouraged to get moving asap even when in the hospital. Bone healing takes about 6-8 weeks to my understanding, so fall prevention would probably be the most relevant.

Hey, good, luck, and all the best! I'm sure it'll go great.

[Petal]

Thank you Dave, that is encouraging.  I am excitedly nervous over whole thing so keen to do everything right.  I have got my weight down in preparation for surgery and am not going to leave anything to chance as this knee has been giving me grief for 10 years and I am looking forward to it being better. I know it will hurt worse for a while but all that wrecked arthritic stuff will be gone and I am confident this is going to make things a lot better in the long run.

 I've tried to do everything possible to get this right, even down to getting dental check up as I know they don't like you doing teeth for a few months before and after surgery, have cut hair shorter to make it easier to manage, even have chiropodist booked for next week so feet won't give me grief!  I'm making sure I exercise every day-can't do much but do some.     Hens are a bit of a niggle as husband not keen on cleaning out 6 coops/runs every week but I suppose worse comes to worse I am sure there is some local animal loving teenager would like a couple of hours work for cash .  I know I won't be able to do that as its crouching and carrying heavy bedding.  I have been sensible though and not bred many last season so not huge numbers of birds and will delay any hatching this year until I am recovered enough to look after myself

Vickster- I think physio situation should be ok-I've had surgery at this hospital before and they were pretty hot on it but if it isn't forth coming I'll get my own as its essential-even if its just once  to give me detailed plan to follow

[Petal]

one week and one day till surgery!! cannot wait- my knee is hurting so bad right now.  and hip from walking crooked with knee. 

have been busy organising house/poultry so everything is easy care for when I am not able to do it.  have just dug out my raised padded stool for leg elevation as I suspect my normal wonky elevation over arm of sofa is not going to work so this weeks job is training the dog that the stool and my leg on it is out of bounds to loopy dogs and not to be bounced on.  she's a bright dog but I think its best to teach her this now before surgery! only a little whippet but I do not want 12kg of whippet leaping on my knee....

[Petal]

knee op done. 8 days ago now.
anaesthetic was great -had general anaesthetic and surgeon was bloody miracle worker. my knee which previously tried to knock my other knee is now straight- I have a straight leg for first time, range of motion is great, over 90 degrees already. he did super job on it.

hospital staff - loads off with covid so agency staff who frankly tried to kill me.   day after surgery I vomited dark brown with black bits in all day so no pain relief on board as threw it all up and they were not prepared to disturb a consultant to get me iv pain relief authourised.   they had been giving me 2 types of blood thinner instead of one because of some misunderstanding...  after that was too frightened to eat in case threw up further pain meds as was in agony.   physio saw me- great range of motion etc- allowed me to get up and 3 staples flew out.. blood bath.  new bandage which i then threw up over and agency staff would not change despite it being soaked, thankfully a perminent nurse changed it on the night.  day 2 of stay a woman tested covid positive in bay so after that if you pressed for help half the time no one would come or would leave it half hour as had to put on ppe to enter ward which meant spent most of time in hospital desperatley thirsty as couldn't get water jug refilled.  i was in from Monday till late Thursday and have never been so relieved to get home.

doing well at home, physios have visited- i have great range of motion, doing v well, loads of pain as expected but copeable and can see progress every day.   very pleased with the surgery not so much with agency nurses but main thing is surgeon did a brill job on my knee and I am recovering well.

ps visiting hens in garden--- no chance- I can just about make it to the kettle and toilet - too wrecked to go further. husband being a total star and doing everything

[Petal]

o and my hip and ankle pain which has bothered me for years has vanished.. amazing

[Petal]

3 weeks into knee replacement now.  still on pain meds as its still very painful although better then it was.   I actually only woke up with pain 3 times last night which is a massive improvement as had been awake at least every hour earlier in recovery.   
getting more range of motion every day.

I now understand why I was told to not walk on it much- ie don't faff in garden too much- when I walk too long it swells up and it swells too much so cannot bend knee and I have to have a knee not swollen like sausage in order to do the physio 3 times a day.  The physio is essential- its the only way to get full range of motion back before it heals stuck in restricted position so walking very limited as cannot mess up physio

[WaveyDave]

Glad to hear about your improvements. How are you doing now?

[Petal]

Thank you. doing well I think at 5 weeks.   have really decent flexation- over 115 degrees and good straight leg. only real issue is extreme swelling when weight bare which is rather painful.   Physios have started me on hydrotherapy once a week to try and reduce that but say it will go eventually anyhow.  Apparently the swelling can take some months to resolve .  mine is pretty bad as had 3 previous surgeries on that knee so it was a mess inside which takes longer to calm down.
main thing is the knee cap subluxations have stopped and so have the knee locking.