Had total knee replacement 6 months ago. Started prescribed exercises immediately. I was diligent .. if they said do it four times, I did it 5 times. Did my walking. Began physio 10 weeks post op twice a week until now. I never slacked off and don't know how I could have done more. Therapist says I have plateaud. Surgeon says the surgery is perfect. My leg from knee down is always slightly swollen, daily my ankle swells up. There is a slight difference in color between my "good" leg and my other leg. My knee is always slightly warm and sometimes quite warm. My calf muscle gets tight and sore. Once I am up and around my knee is acceptably good, but if I sit for 20 minutes it stiffens up (a lot). It hurts a lot to get up in the morning or from a chair but once up and I stretch it and work it out, I can move around with negligible discomfort. I am back to work full time now and by early afternoon I dread the thought of having to get up out of my chair and I dread going down stairs. Sometimes I do them one at a time instead of the normal left, right. I feel like there is a rubber band around my knee and another vertically behind my knee on the outside back of the leg. The tibia is sensitive to touch and slightly aches by end of day. I have various tweeks and pinches in my knee for no obvious reason. My knee is sore on the inside and outside of the leg.

-- Joan Janzen (letterperfect@on.aibn.com), October 12, 2001

Answers

The recommendation for a specific patient requires a comprehensive physician evaluation that requires a complete history, physical and often x-rays, images and laboratory tests.

-- David S. Hungerford, M.D. (dhunger@jhmi.edu), October 17, 2001.

You should be willing to give yourself more time. After knee replacement surgery in 1990 and 1997, I found it to take at least a year before my knee felt more "normal". Keep moving and try to work through the pain. Activity will help to reduce the swelling and eventually the heat and redness will go away also.. I t did with me!

-- Nancy Bienick (Bienick@aol.com), April 28, 2002.

I had tkr jan 0l, I still ice most nights, my knee still gets warm and ankles get swollen at night. Have you tried biking indoors, I do 25 mins most days. By third month walking every day even though my knee hurt but Dr.'s orders------ Long story short, Aug of 01, knee locked, had to be scoped and 5 sets of adhesions removed. Since then I do not walk for exercise but bike. I have never been able to go down steps from day one. I am 59, in great shape, I do workout 3 times a week but do not use any machines for lower body. You can get the soft ice bags at any Drugstore and keep in frig. at work, Icing is the trick for me. I stopped rehab after 10 sessions and started to feel better immediately. As far as tight calf mucscles, try going to a curb or anything with the same height and put your entire foot straight up against it with the toe pointing toward the sky or ceiling andin this position lean forward gently, you should feel your calves tingling, I do this all the time as I have the same problem. As far as the rubber bands across knee, try very gently with your thumb to go across the knee but NOT as hard as the therapist does, you are trying to longate (sp?) the adhesion inside the knee, I have the same feeling. Sorry to go and on but hope some of this info helps. Gaie

-- gaiesouder (gaiesouder@yahoo.com), April 14, 2003.

Hi Joan - Your symptoms match mine exactly and I'm now 5 months post op. and very frustrated by lack of progress. I was a very fit 52 year old and hugely disappointed by my outcome - my knee is now worse than before the TKR. I have had very little post op help but have exercised on dry land each day and in the water once a week. My surgeon now says I should not be doing leg lifts as told by the hospital physio but is referring me for cycle work. I would like to know how your knee is now ? Has the tightness and stiffness now gone ?

-- Elli Downer (ellidowner@tinyworld.co.uk), November 23, 2003.

I was just wondering if your knee and ankle are better now. I had my operation 4/01/04 and did great. I was back to work on 5/3/04. now today it is 6/18/04 and my ankle is swollen up and uncomfortable and as you said about the rubberband around the knee and both sides of my knee seem to hurt. I really need reassurance that this will eventually go away. Thanks for listening. Nancy Strain nancy241@excite.com

-- Nancy Strain (nancy241@excite.com), June 18, 2004.