Experience of partial knee replacement

[Northumberlandlass]

Hi - after initially seeing a ortho consultant 4 years ago & being told I had osteoarthritis in both knees but that I was too young to do anything, I have been in awful pain for years.

I went back & saw a different consultant last week (Private through work) & after xrays/ consultation, I’m going to get partial knee replacements in both legs this year (not at the same time). I’m 51.

Has anyone got any experience?
I believe it is usual to have spinal block & sedation now rather than full GA.
How long was recovery?
Any generally useful tips?

Thank you

I had a full last May and was surprised by the pain levels afterwards they were high and I've got a good pain threshold.

A raised toilet seat was a god send as sitting and standing again are very difficult to start with due to pain and ability to control the joint.

I had to keep mine elevated for periods each day and lots of jelly ice packs really helped with the swelling and pain. A soft spare pillow in bed to cushion your knee helps for the first few weeks as turning in bed of accidentally knock legs while asleep wakes you up bloody quickly.

Consider how you will get to physio as you can't drive for a while and physio starts the day of the operation.... I was out of bed on a Zimmer frame as soon as the block wore off.

If you can get 2 sets of crutches it really helps to have an upstairs and downstairs set

I also found PJs which were shorts really helped

Thank you @MissCherryCakeyBun Really useful tips!!

I’ve only ever had abdominal surgery before so don’t know what to expect.

How are you now? Has the replacement been positive for you? I am in so much pain now & actually looking forward to it!

It’s a slow process and for a good few weeks I was saying never again ( I do need the other knee doing) however a year on and it’s been brilliant a lot less pain than before the op and my knees a lot more stable ( it kept giving way)

do you have a downstairs loo that’s in easy reach of where you will spend the first week or so during the day? If not that could be an issue. And to be brutally honest I invested in some Tena pants just for those first few days at home as getting to the loo with a very painful and mostly Immobile leg can take a while.
if you want to pm me I can share some photos of the healing process tho of course yours will be different due to it being a different op.
oh and the bruising? Blimey it’s something else

Oh and getting my legs waxed and a really nice pedicure prior to the op was really great as I spent so much time looking at my leg and foot at least it looked a bit more presentable than normal 🤣🤣🤣

I do have a downstairs loo!! but will get some tena. My capabilities of holding wee in is poor at the best of times.

did you have a GA for the op?

😂 re leg waxing!!! But I might do it.

I had a full knee replacement in 2021. It is the best thing I ever did, and I wish I'd had it done sooner (I was 51 when it was done).

I had spinal block and sedation because I don't respond well to GA. I am also allergic to opioid painkillers which makes things very tricky, but I had a local anesthetic pain pump directly into the knee for pain relief in hospital. Went home with codeine (which is the only painkiller I can tolerate) and I have to say that for the first 2-3 weeks, the pain wasn't great. I would wake at 3am with the pain and not be able to get back to sleep, so would hobble to the sofa and watch Netflix to take my mind off it. Ice packs helped, as did elevation.

Yes to toilet seat thingy to make the toilet easier to get on and off, I also had a stick with a grabber on the end of it (from a mobility aid supplier) which was really useful for reaching things and picking things up. I used Canadian crutches as recommended by the hospital physio, they are just much easier to use than the old style under the armpits type crutches. I moved from two crutches to one after about a week at home, and then from one to none after about another two weeks. Would still use a crutch if venturing out anywhere, just to be safe.

Physio is hard. Starts on day one and is painful, not going to sugar coat it. But it's painful for a reason - they need to get the joint mobile before scar tissue forms. I have a very high pain threshold but found the physio hard going. But I stuck with it because I knew it was absolutely crucial to the success of the surgery.

Four years on and I actually seldom think about the fact that I have an artificial knee. I've done a 6 week tour of Europe walking 6-7 hours daily with absolutely no issues. Can exercise as I wish, walk everywhere, and have no pain. None. It's absolutely life changing.

Best wishes for your surgery!

Thanks so much @OneTitWonder how active you are has made me quite teary as I used to love walking & adventures!!

The physio examples on this thread have made me think I underestimated it. But I am
determined!

i’m now browsing raised toilet seats!

Oh and I forgot to mention this nifty contraption - called a leg lifter I think - which was an absolute life saver - to help you get your leg on and off the bed/sofa. I didn't have one when I initially went home from hospital, so every time I wanted to get in or out of bed or onto or off from the sofa, DH or DS would have to lift my leg. So DH went and got one for me the next morning - absolute god send!

you need physio before the op and of course after. strong legs reduces the recovery time (according to the dr who operated on my mum).
my mum had both knees done 2 months apart. pain wise with the first it was better very quickly but the second took longer.

I will need a partial replacement too in the next few years. I'm storing all of these tips away for when I finally get one

I’m curious, is it still the case with a knee replacement that after you’ve had one you can never bend your knee beyond 90 degrees due to risk of it popping out? I never understand how people says they feel like a new person as if they’d never had it done if eg you can’t crouch for the washing machine, bottom cupboards, gardening etc

Not true. I can and do kneel, crouch etc. There are certain things that aren’t recommended- eg long jump or hurdling but I’m fairly unlikely to do those as a 54 year old woman artificial knee or no artificial knee 😂

About 10-15 years ago I think you couldn’t fully bend your knee ever again?

there are patient info leaflets on the Royal College of Anaesthetists website you might find helpful if you're worried about anaesthesia: 'Anaesthetic choices for hip and knee replacement' and 'Your spinal anaesthetic'. For most people there's advantage to having a spinal for a joint replacement, but your anaesthetist will be able to make a plan with you at the time. HTH.

Thinking about my Dad (who would have been much older than you, but reasonably fit), he had both knees done at the same time - I don't think he'd have gone back for number 2. The first few weeks were brutal.
BUT, he is a year down the line now, and regularly clocking up 20,000 pain free steps a day. The only thing he hasn't gone back to (and in all fairness, dropped about 3 years ago due to pain) is playing tennis.
Highly recommended, but expect the early recovery to be grim, but worth it.
You MUST keep up the physio.

I'm currently facing a knee replacement too, but thinking I might be better with a partial replacement. I've done some reading up and a partial seems much less invasive with a quicker healing time. The only downside seems to be that they are more likely to need redoing in 20 years. As I'm 65 now, that's not an issue for me. Now I just need to find a willing surgeon as I assume it'll have to be done privately. NHS Don't seem keen on partials.

Following just been told need both knees done full....

Hey @thenightsky - I am eligible in partial for both as the cartildge on the outside of both knees is good - the inside is bone on bone (which is the part to be replaced). I’m having an MRI in a couple of weeks to check my ACL’s are intact, if they aren’t I will need full knee replacements but he thinks they feel fine.

As for having them re-done, I may have to but if partials have been done the first time, he said he’d still have bone to work with.

The consultant I saw was great, if you want a recommendation. I’m in the North East.

@Northumberlandlass Yes, I'm the same... bone on bone on the inside edges only. I'm actually not far from the NE - down the road near the Humber Bridge. I went to Leicester for a superpath hip replacement that the NHS wouldn't do, so no stranger to travelling for what I need. PM me your chap's name and contact details please!!

Have they put you on the waiting list? I understand it can be very long?

Nope in london three months wait! I put off decision for 6 months

I have had hips, not knees but I have helped family members with their knees.
It’s painful, expect that for a few weeks, then it will get better. Take the painkillers! Take anti nausea meds if you need to, plus something to prevent constipation.

The key to a good outcome with all replacements is physio, even when it hurts or you’re tired, physio is what gets your movement and mobility back so you have to make it your priority for every day. Don’t worry if you do nothing other than sleep, eat, exercise on rotation for weeks. If you can access water therapy, even better, it helps enormously.

You can use your crutch to lift your leg up in the early days. A perching stool is useful plus a knapsack to carry things around when you are on two crutches.

All the best.

Like a PP, I had a superpath hip op a couple of years ago.

I highly recommend all of the items suggested. You need to be very careful with the measurements for your raised toilet seat - you don’t want it too low. See if you can rent an ice/cooling machine.

What I found really helpful was a very heavy duty garbage bag, made of really thick plastic. If I needed to get out of a car or my bed, I slipped it under my bum. It helped with the swivel. Much cheaper than a transfer board.

I'm only early 40's, but have osteo arthritis on the inner parts of my knees too. Possibly genetic, possibly due to being an ex-dancer and being on my feet due to work- no Dr could tell me why!
I was given an off loader brace. It moves the pressure from the affected side to the other side and opens up the area which is bone on bone. It's enabled me to walk pain free, actually sleep and live a fairly normal life. 3yrs on, I have weaned myself off the brace and no longer live in agony. I WILL need a replacement in time, but am able to hold off for now. OP- this brace might be an option, even if just while waiting for your replacement. There are several styles, some fit under trousers, others less discreet and go over the top.

My mum had a partial done in her 60's. 15yrs on, hers is still doing strong and no need for a revision of it as yet. She did say that knees are worse that hips though.

https://www.healthandcare.co.uk/knee-supports-and-braces/th_23490120800151.html?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwr7ayBhAPEiwA6EIGxOqPvoLTltnF_aJAGsA677_lrg01Q0yxEnhiQdHH9cje2G9L6t3QQBoC-pIQAvD_BwE

https://comfyorthopedic.com/en-gb/products/oa-unloader-medial-or-lateral-offloading-knee-brace-l1851-l1843-new?currency=GBP&variant=43626057105589&stkn=d5a17178a4b3&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwr7ayBhAPEiwA6EIGxP8G0hJOKo1-9nKUIJPaZBcCQgCIP9W_Ko8yZv_8qkHzM_KazAbUeBoC5kwQAvD_BwE

Pressed too soon. I mention the off loader brace, because I was unaware of their existence. I saw 3 consultants in total over the years (1 private abroad) and it was only in passing that the final one mentioned an off loader, after I showed him the useless boots brace I'd been wearing. It made a massive change for me!