Three Months Post Knee Replacement

Today marks three months since my July 29th  left knee replacement. I knew the risks of the procedure on a severely arthritic and malaligned joint and waited too long to make the decision to have surgery. I don't know anyone who has had a knee replacement who felt the recovery was easy. I assisted hundreds of patients with the painful post op exercise routine during my career. Hip replacements are comparatively a "walk in the park" with greater postoperative satisfaction for the average patient. I do not regret going to a Toronto hospital that offers robotic-assisted surgery (ROSA). Humber River Hospital performs a high volume of joint replacements, and I am impressed with the excellence of their surgical pathways. My wait for surgery was very short.

I had a severe valgus deformity of my left knee and was warned that the common peroneal nerve could be damaged when the joint was realigned. Sure enough, I woke up after surgery with a complete left foot drop and sensory loss to my calf, ankle and foot. Thankfully, this is improving, but nerve recovery is slow, and it may be a few more months before I regain full strength and sensation. The new knee joint is stable and less painful than it was before surgery, and I have more range of motion than I have had for years. My struggle with postoperative pain is related to nerve recovery, and I have empathy with anyone who has chronic neuropathic pain. The prescribed medication from my surgeon did not help much, so I ended up buying a TENS machine. I am still using it at least once a day, and it provides significant pain relief for several hours. I used every bit of clinical knowledge gained from my experience as a physiotherapist.  

I am having a right knee replacement five days from now, on November 3, 2026. Day surgery is planned again, and an adductor canal nerve block will help control the pain for the first three days. I have a valgus deformity of this knee as well, but it is not as severe as the one I had on the left side. I truly hope to avoid a nerve injury this time around, but there are no guarantees. Postoperatively, my left leg is now longer than my right, and I look forward to my leg length discrepancy being corrected. I am 2.5 centimetres taller than I was before my left leg was straightened! I cannot go further with my left knee rehab until my right knee is replaced. 

I have been walking outdoors on my favourite trails with two walking poles. My pace is slow, and I have to be extra careful on uneven ground and slopes. The picture below was taken last week about five minutes before I had my first postoperative tumble. We walked about one kilometre on a groomed woodland trail. I was momentarily distracted (and tired) when going down a slight grade, and my legs gave out. I could not catch myself with the poles and did a faceplant on soft leaves and dirt, completely sparing my knees. The biggest problem was getting up from a prone position without kneeling. A young couple walking toward us saw me fall, and the man very ably assisted me to standing. Falling, even when there is no injury, leads to increased "FOF", fear of falling. I need to be careful, but I also need to keep walking. 

I have a wonderful support network and am especially grateful to my good friend for allowing me to convalesce at her Toronto condo. Her expert care was invaluable after my first surgery! I expect to have a few weeks of intensive therapy again and plan to use the remaining winter months to improve my general strength and tolerance. Maybe I will be riding my bike again by spring!

Photo Credits: First photo taken by my 8 yr old granddaughter. Last photo taken by The Becka.