Knee replacement . Can you do everything with a knew knee?

[NannyCat]

Hi, I wondered if anyone can help please.

Can you move "normally" after knee replacement? Eg dance, kneel, run etc???

Thanks in advance

[castro]

Hi Nanny Cat. I have had my right knee replaced just over a year ago , and I am to have the left knee replaced in a few weeks time, the results so far are excellent, absolutely no pain at all walking is spot on, I see no problem relating to dancing, but I would think my old pastime of running would be ok but it is likely to shorten the life of the replacement joint. As for kneeling I do kneel on mine occasionally but I always have it well cushioned, go for it unless you are unlucky you will not regret it.

[NannyCat in reply to castro]

Thanks for that and good luck with the left knee replacement :).

[flow4]

... Though I would add, if you can still run and dance, then you are probably not at the point of needing a replacement yet. The surgery is apparently HARD - I've had a hip replacement and everyone tells me knees are harder - and I know it takes months and months to recover, and you need to work at it. And there are risks and complicaitons, of course. I have noticed that people who were in a bad state before surgery appreciate the benefits, but people who were still quite mobile find they get worse before they get better, and that can be demoralising.

[NannyCat in reply to flow4]

Unfortunately I haven't been able to run or walk for a number of years and I have just come out of a wheelchair to "hobble" around. Unfortunately the psoriatic arthritis has ruined several joints including my knees. I can just about put up with the pain but would love to be more mobile so that I could keep relatively fit. Walking would be my main aim but how lovely to be able to dance again? Thanks for the heads up about the op

[flow4 in reply to NannyCat]

In which case, unless you are very unlucky, you will be better off after the op than you are now. Before my hip replacement, I couldn't walk 100 yards; after it, I built up to as much as 2 miles! Until my own inflammatory arthritis damaged my feet too much...

[NannyCat in reply to flow4]

That's a shame :(. Get rid of one problem and another round the corner.

[flow4 in reply to NannyCat]

Yes, unfortunately. But I wasn't diagnosed or treated then; you are, so hopefully you'll go from strength to strength

[Hidden]

G'day NannyCat,

On 6 Nov 2015 I had a partial knee replacement. Medial (Right Knee) Compartment. I have never been told I cannot dance or kneel or run again but reading up on the matter and getting a cross section of opinion I have decided not to do either. Ever. ( BUT, my partner reckoned I couldn't dance anyway even when I had two good knees - so no great loss !!! )

Fact is, knee replacements are a much more demanding piece of surgery than hip replacements and the body cops a far greater bit of trauma as a consequence. My need stemmed from osteoarthritis in part of the knee arising from a knee injury some 20 years earlier. As opposed to osteoarthritis which is genetically engineered into my body from birth. My surgeon gave me the options of a partial or a total knee replacement with the proviso that if when he got in he found more knee damage than appears in X-Rays then he would go straight away and do a total knee replacement. It ended up a partial.

So, although now 71, I still work 3 days a week driving a bus, a mini bus on a shuttle service between an airport and a railway station and handling passengers baggage and I returned to work 11 weeks after surgery.

The point is this anything that puts pressure on your new knee joint after surgery is best avoided and the issue with dancing is the inherent danger/risk of twisting the new joint when dancing - something that you think won't happen, but you'll inevitably do it subconsciously. They reckon new joints are good for a 15 year life - if taken care of. I would do nothing that involves high impact or twisting. The surgery as far as you are concerned is a walk in the park. The rehabilitation process is a painful and torturous process BUT YOU MUST DO THE EXERCISES, 3 or 4 times a day or whatever your surgeon tells you. The PT people have two different schools of thought, one when doing your exercises you get into pain and stay there, and the other getting up to the point when pain starts, then back off and then repeat. You need to familiarise yourself with knee bends and knee flexion and also straightening the knee - suggest you go onto YouTube and look at some videos, well worth the time.

I went in on 6 Nov and sent home in the afternoon of 9 Nov, the day of surgery they will have you doing exercises as soon as they can and walking on crutches. The next two days they crank up the exercise programme the aim being to get your operated knee to bend at least 90 degrees and to have you climbing steps. Then you can go home. You will need to maintain your pain killers and keep to the dose 24/7. You need this to cope with your exercises.

Point to remember is you are not a 'sick person' as such. You have a condition that needs addressing to restore quality of life. That quality of life is associated with movement that means using your knees and legs.

For me, I have had no problems, apart from getting my brain around the exercises. I live in Cornwall and so can now explore lovely countryside and I get out on the rough and tumble Coastal Paths walking. I feel that my knee is not like my birth knee, I feel the implant is there, I still have stiffness, irrespective of activity levels I still elevate and ice at the end of each day (well as needs must, some days I need to more than others). I am told because of the trauma of the surgery it can be up to 12 months before the knee feels normal again.

There is plenty of advice on line - google TKR and UKR. There are some websites which actually describe the amount of knee bends needed to achieve certain levels of activity.

Pre op I spent 8 weeks with a PT working on my knee and leg getting it as strong as possible, and even now, post op, every 3 or 4 weeks I return for more treatment on the incision line and minimise the impact of scar tissue.

End result, I'm fine - not perfect - but can do all I want AND I AM PAIN FREE.

May the force be with you.

John

[NannyCat in reply to Hidden]

That's really helpful and answers the question about dancing!

Not sure that it is for me as there would be so many disadvantages to stopping my Anti TNF injections to have the surgery. It's a really hard decision but I always say if I'm not sure the answer is no.

Thanks for your reply

[knaus]

Hi NannyCat I had a knee replacement 2 years ago and have never looked back.

The opp is fine and you have plenty of pain relief,it is hard work afterwards but but the more you exercise the quicker you get better.We went to Greece on a road trip 4 months after and all was fine.I now need a new left knee and hip but that's another story,all the best let us know how you get on.Simi

[NannyCat in reply to knaus]

Brilliant. So pleased it's worked well for you. Will let you know when I make a decision. Thanks

[syltownsend]

I had my right knee replaced 2 1/2 years ago. Yes it's a fairly difficult surgery but you won't know a thing! The rehab is challenging and one of those "no pain, no gain" things, but remember no one can make you do anything that is too painful if you don't want to. The trick is to break up the scar tissue so that you can bend and straighten you knee as normally as possible. If you can't do that, then your gait will be affected and may cause back pain and other problems when walking. The antidote to that is to be put under and have your knee flexed and straightened by the surgeon. I didn't have to do that, but pt's said it a lot more painful than doing it yourself. You'll have lots of help and advice and should consider taking advantage so you're as well informed as possible, before making the decision as well as during rehab if you decide to do it.

As to dancing, I wouldn't think it would be a problem if you wait until you are well healed, which can take about a year and a half for maximum benefit. I'm not into dancing so haven't tried it, but I do Silver Sneakers exercise classes, including adapted yoga, without problems. I have been told that running is not recommended, because of the impact on the implant which may cause it to loosen prematurely. Then you might have to have a "revision," and each time you have surgery you lose more bone and the result is probably going to be less satisfactory.

I was not told not to kneel, but wouldn't do so on a hard surface (too painful especially since I still have a "bad" left knee), nor very often even on carpet, because getting up is difficult and I need to have a chair, bed etc. to pull myself up. Still, it's easier and more doable than before surgery (I have since had both hips replaced). I have a friend who had a knee replacement and was told to never kneel, because she has a plastic kneecap, which might break from the weight. As far as I know I still have my natural kneecap.

Good luck and I hope that helps to answer your questions.

[NannyCat in reply to syltownsend]

Thank you that does answer a few questions. I am struggling to weigh everything up and the more info I get from people who have the experience of the op helps me towards a decision.

[Trishandandy1624]

Cannot kneel. Knew replacement is not same as having your own knee. Think hard and long before having one. I had one last March. Very painful. And I'm still in pain. Keeps me awake hence why up now.

[NannyCat in reply to Trishandandy1624]

That's helpful as , although I am in pain now , there is no point in going for it if I am not going to be much better. Thanks for the reply .