# Total Knee Replacement...Anyone?



## rideit (Jan 22, 2004)

Gonna get trick aftermarket parts installed on January 16th after a fairly catastrophic injury. 
Anyone have this done in the last five years or so? 
Would you care to share your experiences, like how long until you were on a bike, amount of atrophy, degree of pain, and other fun topics? 
I’m pretty optimistic, but I would love to hear other’s stories.


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## Ladmo (Jan 11, 2013)

https://forums.mtbr.com/fifty-years-old/anyone-knee-replacement-still-mtn-bikes-1080624.html


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## rideit (Jan 22, 2004)

Ladmo said:


> https://forums.mtbr.com/fifty-years-old/anyone-knee-replacement-still-mtn-bikes-1080624.html


Wow, just what I was looking for. Very encouraging, thanks for the link!


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## rideit (Jan 22, 2004)

Ok, so I’m 7 days out. The ‘need’ for the oxy is finally diminishing, but I’m still taking it for sleep. -3 on extension, but crappy (85) flexion. 
Gotta let my pt beat me up a bit more. 
I was to,d I would be doing three foot box jumps by now! ;-)


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## curly1 (Aug 23, 2012)

Its rough. I had mine done two years ago. At seven weeks I was able to ride and climb a bit. You'll hurt for a year.


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## Radium (Jan 11, 2019)

Hang in there and do not let up on your guided rehab at all. I've treated post knee replacement pain, and it helps, but the main thing is to regain your mobility/ strength without disturbing the implant from consolidating in your knee. Do it right, and you get some real miles out this.


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## rideit (Jan 22, 2004)

Update time for any of you interested. 
9 days out, and I am back on a bike, walking without crutches, and I am going to run the snowblower tomorrow. 
I find this absolutely astounding, like the Lois C.K. Bit on airplanes. 
Hope to see you all out and about! 
Goetz (Jackson Hole) did an AMAZING job (with the help of lasers and robots, of course).


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## ColoradoMitt (Nov 9, 2015)

Sounds like you're doing pretty good!

I had my left done on Oct. 30th followed by my right on Dec. 16th.

I was able to ride my Peloton after about 10 days each time. I haven't had an opportunity to ride any trails yet, but did a quick spin through the neighborhood last weekend. I also went snowshoeing the weekend before last, which I hadn't been able to do for the prior 2 years. 

PT is crucial. I'm done with formal PT now and back to work as of yesterday, but I still do all of the exercises I was doing in PT at home on a daily basis (along with spinning every day). I'm at -2 on extension and at last measurement ~126 on flexion (more with "Manipulation" applied by the PT - which was fun).

I'm hoping to find some dry dirt to ride this weekend... (Denver metro area - a good bit of snow and my bike isn't set up in fatbike mode).


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## rideit (Jan 22, 2004)

Good to hear, two, wow! I guess that’s one way to get it over with, and get on with your life. I probably need the other one done in 5-7 years. Friend of mine got them both done at once, which was brutal, but he skied 90 days that following season, so I can see it.


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## curly1 (Aug 23, 2012)

What?! How can you be biking already? Impressed. 
I went into my surgery in great physical shape, it still took me a few weeks before I could get on a bike. At seven weeks I was biking every day but even then I had to give 70 percent rather than 100 percent. Don't push it too hard. Let your body heal. 
Once your stitches are healed a hot bath helps that knee after a training session.


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## rideit (Jan 22, 2004)

I agree. When I say ‘biking’, I mean ‘sitting there and ever so slowly making the pedals go around 20 times’
(Stationary bike)
Hope that clarifies!


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## rockman (Jun 18, 2004)

Awesome! Glad to hear it's going well. 

After my TKR I was gently riding my mtn bike on easy trails at week 6. By week 8 I was riding Sedona. At 3 months I was skiing. In year 2 I did 4 enduro races and finished 4th in the state masters 50+ class. No regrets!

Hey, I'll be skiing in your neck of the woods next week. A couple of tram rides will be a good test!


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## rideit (Jan 22, 2004)

I’ll join you, tram line at 7!


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## rideit (Jan 22, 2004)

Week 8 I have a mountain bike/surf trip to Mexico. PT said not to cancel, so that’s my target. Probably just going to let my son surf, though.


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## rockman (Jun 18, 2004)

rideit said:


> I'll join you, tram line at 7!


Woohoo!

With regard to amount of atrophy and degree of pain the...atrophy was not that big a deal since you hit PT so soon after surgery. Same day for me but really two weeks before getting after it. Pain is real for that first week but you're already well past that. Seemed like soft tissue pain lingered in and around the joint for months.

Besides boring stories of getting back to normal activities and such, the one thing that happened was a crash at month 8 or so. I was riding a rather technical trail that had a log rollover. I hit it at an angle after overnight rain so it was greasy. Front tire washed out and I went down hard with my leg and foot underneath me. For the first time I had achieved full extension and then some. Hurt like hell and I was worried I had torn something. Finished the ride with a sore knee and then called my ortho. He said I was lucky in that I got a full manipulation for free. They have to put folks under anesthesia for that procedure. There's also the risk of tearing the quad tendon in that scenario.

Anyway, I wear knee pads full time as the knee cap is at risk to shattering as it sits over metal. Sometimes it still hurts in a minimal way but it goes away quickly once warmed up. I don't telemark ski anymore but some still do. And you do get some audible clicking just walking around.


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## Radium (Jan 11, 2019)

Sounds like you guys are doing much better with your knees than just 10 years ago. 
Them laser robots must really do it right.


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## rockman (Jun 18, 2004)

Radium said:


> Sounds like you guys are doing much better with your knees than just 10 years ago.
> Them laser robots must really do it right.


My surgeon does 8 or 10 a day. I asked to be #2 so warmed up but not at the end of the line when fatigue sets in. All the cuts were done by hand but using lasers as guides. Or something like that.


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## curly1 (Aug 23, 2012)

Its a strange sensation to have a chunk of metal precisely placed in your knee. I'm at about two years now. At about 60 miles of road work it gets a bit sore but that number is slowly growing back to the century mark.


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## rideit (Jan 22, 2004)

An hour on the Wahoo Kickr today, go me! First time I have worked up a sweat in two months without surfing midget porn. 
Felt SO good.


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## rockman (Jun 18, 2004)

rideit said:


> I'll join you, tram line at 7!


3 trams today but mainly skied the upper mountain. Wow, your hood is for reals!


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## rideit (Jan 22, 2004)

rockman said:


> 3 trams today but mainly skied the upper mountain. Wow, your hood is for reals!


I forget, have you ridden much here In The summer? 
The trails deliver just as well.


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## rockman (Jun 18, 2004)

rideit said:


> I forget, have you ridden much here In The summer?
> The trails deliver just as well.


Yeah, I was up last summer. Pimped you for beta and possibly a ride on Mail Cabin-MikeSell but you were busy I think. Been mainly hitting the Teton Valley side the last two summers but also try and make it to SW Montana and the Lionhead. So much good riding here.

I did the Targhee enduro at month #10 on the TKR in 2018. Not sure I was quite ready to hang it out there on the new knee at that point.

Anyhow, shoulder season in another two months. If you get the itch to ride bikes before the mud dries come on down to AZ and we'll hit Sedona.


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## rideit (Jan 22, 2004)

Update
Went for my first outdoor (road) ride yesterday, 
and I was able to put down an average of 175 watts for an hour and a half. 
Not winning any KOM’s, but I Still consider that a huge accomplishment. 
I attribute it all to the Wahoo Kickr and solid PT. 
Anyone else bouncing back from injury this spring?


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## BujiBiker (Jun 7, 2019)

Had to replace my acl, stitch/trim/move my miniscus back in place,grind the underside of my patella and a cracked tibia last May. Went through pt for 4 months. To this day I can’t stand up on the pedals, let alone pedal or absorb hits. Last fall I could ride about 10 miles in the saddle. With the wet winter no riding at all. 

Our trails opened up last week rain permitting. 3.5-6 miles and I’m toast. Strength/endurance/aerobic. Smoked. I need strength building exercises without a gym due to the virus. I live in flat land Ohio. Climbing would be great if we had hills.


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## Nerostarr (Nov 30, 2019)

I had both mine replaced 15 weeks ago, it was rough at first but slowly I started getting around ok. The first 3 weeks were hell but after that the swelling was going away and life began again. Now I am fine and I can do almost anything except kneel on my knees, steps are easy and I can bike again with no problem at all. Honestly it's the best thing I could have ever done as I was in pain for 25 years, and I was denying it and hiding it. I'm 61 and have a new lease on life, thank you God!


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## Racecar (Oct 10, 2019)

You are doing great, back on the bike in 5 months. you rock. I had a knee replacement three years ago and took longer to recover. Bought a mtn bike last fall and went on a few rides, no problem with the knee. They both feel the same after a ride.


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## flipnidaho (Aug 10, 2004)

Sorry to revive an old thread but for those that have had TKR or PKR done, any long term updates on your recovery?


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## rideit (Jan 22, 2004)

Yes, aftermarket replaced knee is vastly, vastly better than the OEM version !


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## flipnidaho (Aug 10, 2004)

By now, I was hoping there will be an AXS version of TKR.


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## rideit (Jan 22, 2004)

Well, mine was done with robots, so that has to count for something.


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## flipnidaho (Aug 10, 2004)

Can I pay out of pockets for Fembots to help with the surgery? Yes, I'm 57 and still acting like a 12 year old.


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## kosmo (Oct 27, 2004)

rideit said:


> Well, mine was done with robots, so that has to count for something.


I'm sorry Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that........ 🙃


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