My decision to have knee replacement.

[gentlearts]

Originally Posted by 2nccoast

Physical therapist here. Of the hundreds of TKR patients I have worked with, only one had complications. So the odds are very much in your favor as long as you have a good surgeon and follow the post-op procedures carefully.

As a physical therapist, do you find differences in knee procedures affecting the speediness of the therapy?
What I mean is, after my second knee replacement, I woke up with the chiller and a knee brace after surgery. From the get go, my leg was already flat, and stayed that way, so my PT was shorter (just needed to work on the bend). On my first knee, the brace was not placed right after surgery, and so the therapy to get the leg flat took a lot longer.

[2nccoast]

Originally Posted by gentlearts

As a physical therapist, do you find differences in knee procedures affecting the speediness of the therapy?

I assume by "knee procedures" you mean "rehab procedures" and not "surgical procedures" (because there are several approaches that a surgeon can use to get to your knee joint, each with its pros and cons). I don't think the rehab procedures make a lot of difference. In my opinion, how quickly you recover depends more on your comorbidities, BMI, previous fitness and physical activity level and how diligent you are with the rehab exercises.

Different hospital systems also seem to have different favorite procedures; one that I used to work with a few years ago favored a "continuous passive motion" machine (CPM) and lent one to every TKR patient. BTW there is some debate as to the effectiveness of those things. The current hospital system I am with, favors Polar Care units and gives one out to every TKR case.

In my experience, walking frequently (while observing any weight-bearing precautions stipulated by your surgeon, and stopping before you have pain) is one of the best things you can do for your new knee. And work on bending and straightening it, since it's very difficult to go through life with a stiff leg.

[gentlearts]

Originally Posted by 2nccoast

I assume by "knee procedures" you mean "rehab procedures" and not "surgical procedures" (because there are several approaches that a surgeon can use to get to your knee joint, each with its pros and cons). I don't think the rehab procedures make a lot of difference. In my opinion, how quickly you recover depends more on your comorbidities, BMI, previous fitness and physical activity level and how diligent you are with the rehab exercises.

Different hospital systems also seem to have different favorite procedures; one that I used to work with a few years ago favored a "continuous passive motion" machine (CPM) and lent one to every TKR patient. BTW there is some debate as to the effectiveness of those things. The current hospital system I am with, favors Polar Care units and gives one out to every TKR case.

In my experience, walking frequently (while observing any weight-bearing precautions stipulated by your surgeon, and stopping before you have pain) is one of the best things you can do for your new knee. And work on bending and straightening it, since it's very difficult to go through life with a stiff leg.

Thanks, I specifically was talking about knee replacement surgery. Although the same surgeon did both my knees, my recovery was quicker on the one that was cranked down straight with a brace before I woke from surgery. It cut my PT in half.