[Closed] Total knee replacement imminent...

Watching with interest...not a total knee replacement but major knee surgery coming up.
OP did the need for a replacement come out of the blue or have you had knee problems for a while?
A friend who works outdoors says his one regret is he didn't get a knee replacement earlier in life.

I had a partial knee replacement last July, 48, at Golden Jubilee in Glasgow. Went in went down I wasn't quite sure if it would be a full or partial.

The hospital were ace. I was sedated with a spinal block so didn't know a thing, just had a good bike packing dream and woke up while I was looking for an white magnum in a freezer cabinet! I was told I could be awake and watch it on a monitor, but sod that!

Had the op on a Tuesday morning, was home by Thursday lunchtime which inided a 1 hour flight.

Do your physio! And take your painkillers to make sure your can do physio. Do your physio! Ice and elevate. Really, it will not be fun, the first week is the worst, but its essential. Take strongest Painkillers for bed.

But, try not to over do it. I did and ended up with a massive flare up of tendons at 10 weeks after that set me back. Ended up off work for 4 months rather than the expected 3 months.

I was walking several tomes a day, building up turbo and then tried swimming. In think the swimming was the last straw.

Now I can cycle, have done 12km hikes on rough moor, can fully squat (body weight). I can't run, not even a bit. Its gets tired and is weirdly numb still, but fantastically better, and not even a year yet. The bugger been my other knee is heading that way now.

Feel free to PM if want to

Kevin

If you're on FB there is a closed UK knee replacement group that I found quite helpful and supportive initially (not on it now). It was largely women, but some blokes and there were other active/sporty people on there to share notes with.

I'd avoid any USA forums personally. Just not relation to the UK experience and lots of drama.

Had mine done two years ago today!!!!
Just wonderful.
Before the OP everyone at the hospital stressed the need to do my exercises. They were most insistent.
They had me walking on crutches the day after the OP but would only let me go home when I could show that I could get up and down stairs. I suggest you practice this before you go in. Learn the technique.

Then the exercises. Vital. I started doing them the morning after I got home. And they were hard. No pain, just hard to do. The one with a pillow under the knee and lift the heel was a killer. But I'm a stubborn cuss. I did four sessions the first day, and they took me 40 mins each time. But I could go nowhere else!

Second day the same routine, but they were all easier. I even went for a walk up the road...with just one crutch.

And so it went on. Every day. Four sessions of exercises and ever lengthening walks outside. In a week I had ditched crutches. In two weeks I went for a walk in the local sand dunes. I was on the bike after about 4/6 weeks. Cant quite remember, but it was only gentle rides.

My surgeon and physio are impressed that I now have 135 degrees of bend. Apparently they seldom see more than 90. Two days ago I did an 80 mile ride at average of 19mph.

From others that I have seen since my OP the secret is just what I was told. Do your exercises as soon as you can. Even try some in hospital. You have to get your knee moving quickly or it never will.

At the end of the day getting full fitness back is a mental thing. How much do you want it, and how hard are you prepared to work for your goals.

It can he done....if you want to do it.

PM me if you feel the need.

The knee op is similar to the shoulder capsule release that I had five weeks ago for a frozen shoulder; the surgeon does a lot of damage to the surrounding tissue and you've got to keep stretching the joint so that it doesn't seize up as everything heals. He laughingly said to me before the op: "If you think broken ribs were bad, just wait for this!" In fact it wasn't as bad a broken ribs especially getting out of bed with broken ribs but it certainly hurt. I saw him last Friday and he was also quite impressed and has discharged me. But I reckon that it will be easily 6 months before the shoulder feels anything like normal as the joint keeps settling with a pop that sends a shockwave of pain through me.

super strict physio regime and good painkillers will see you right mate.

had 2 joint replacements myself, always been strict with physio. always been quickly back doing exercise.

good luck with it. hope you have a good outcome.

get up and moving asap - follow the physio recovery programme exactly. But also don't do more than you have been told to do even if you feel alright to do more

I had my left knee replaced last August. As others have said, your recovery depends on getting it moving asap and doing the exercises from the early days, including the seemingly boring easy ones you think don't apply to you, and the achey tricky ones that you don't like. It's easy to get despondent in the boring empty fortnight after the op but if you focus on the exercises, the RICE, and keeping up the painkillers you will find that you're surprisingly busy. After that it's a steady road to recovery. As soon as the swelling/stiffness allows, get on a turbo, the movement will help your recovery, for me this was after a fortnight and I was back riding on smooth surfaces at 6 weeks. Since then I've been gradually building up and started riding my fave techy Peak trails since Feb. It's still a bit numb and achey,bigger and heavier than my old knee and doesn't move as smoothly, but the stability it's given me is a major plus, for walking but also for biking. Feel free to message me for more info

No @handbar not out of the blue. I have had a catalogue of surgeries over the past 20 years having first hurt it traumatically playing rugby many moons ago. Since then I have had an ACL, ACL revision, many arthroscopic interventions, MPFL... you name it.

Stage 4 osteoarthritis and I had been told by my surgeon of 18 years he would not operate unless I changed jobs as I would wear my knee out too quickly! I wouldn’t accept that and got a second then third opinion. Both of the surgeons agreed to do the surgery as and when I wanted it.

This last year I have just thought that why wait until I am in my 50’s For a better knee, let’s go for it. This last couple of months have been really bad to the point where I can hardly get out on the bike so I now think it was the right decision.

Some great helpful posts I will properly read and reply to when I finish work! Thanks!!

I was supposed to get my right knee fully replaced 2 years ago but it was cancelled twice, so left it. Been getting steroid injections every 6 months which eases every day pain.
Can still cycle with little pain, just swelling, but attempts at running cause pain.
It's inevitable it will be done at some point but right now it can wait.

Then the exercises. Vital. I started doing them the morning after I got home. And they were hard. No pain, just hard to do. The one with a pillow under the knee and lift the heel was a killer. But I’m a stubborn cuss. I did four sessions the first day, and they took me 40 mins each time. But I could go nowhere else!

I’ve done those exercises, I have osteoarthritis in two places under my left kneecap, after a very hard knock on my knee coming off my bike, at walking pace, no less!
It’s worse when it’s cold and wet, but with the really warm weather it’s not too bad.
I’m not good at doing the exercises, tbh, but I walk five or six miles a day, and ibuprofen and Zapain keep discomfort to a minimum.
There’s a family history of arthritis on my mum’s side of the family, and I’m now getting pain in my other knee, so at some point I can see surgery being a serious consideration, so this thread is of great interest.
I have read about a possible new technology involving replacing the damaged cartilage with a 3D printed replica using a type of porous but resilient plastic that allows the body’s own cartilage to regrow through the plastic - how successful this will be is anyone’s guess, but the principle looks good.

I have read about a possible new technology involving replacing the damaged cartilage with a 3D printed replica using a type of porous but resilient plastic that allows the body’s own cartilage to regrow through the plastic – how successful this will be is anyone’s guess, but the principle looks good.

I finished up with bone on bone, and the only solution was a knee replacement. If they could just insert cartilage substitute then that could solve a lots of people's problems and be a much less invasive and traumatic procedure.

Only a hundred years ago, the average expectancy was so low, our bodies weren't made to last as long as 45 plus years - especially knees.
Never met a poor knee surgeon.

It might be worth bearing in mind the advantages of short cranks. A mate had the TKR operation and found that they really helped. Interestingly it was Mike Burrows (Boardman Lotus Bike) who re-threaded his 15mm shorter. I think he had a relative who needed the same so is quite in tune with the possibilities.

I really hope the op. goes well for you and you have a full recovery.

Talking of short cranks...a guy I know has some form of auxiliary crank on one of his crank arms. Looks effing odd! It seems to be another short crank that screws into the pedal slot, but rotates around that fixing. In some strange way his leg is spinning twice for one complete circuit. Hard to explain, and I've no idea what they are called, but he says it helps his knee problem. He is more of an Audaxer than anything else so power transmission is of less importance to him.

I've tried googling but I have no idea what they may be called so am getting nowhere. Anyone know what i'm talking about?

Before my replacement I had bone on bone, felt quite loose, and bandy legs. Since the op has straightened my leg and tightened the joint up, my leg is a bit longer than the other one. I've considered different length cranks but true to my CBA mentality I'm just getting on with it. It's also altered the alignment of my hips and affects my lower back

Slight (very big) self promotion coming up.....yesterday I got my first ever KOM on Strava. A 23 mile segment at 20 mph!!!
Not too stiff in the knee today. Rest of my body is tired. Just proves that if you are bloody minded enough then you can get back to a decent level of fitness.
(P.S. my last birthday started with a 7!!!)

Seventeen? Good on you.