Knee elevation after TKR.

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barry2013
barry2013 Member Posts: 151
edited 21. Feb 2013, 14:58 in Living with Arthritis archive
Any tips on elevating my knee, my physio yesterday suggested making up a wedge of pillows and while knee is elevated get other half to massage thigh to aid blood flow black to heart. I am doing 3 sessions of 30 min per day, what have other folk done

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  • stickywicket
    stickywicket Member Posts: 27,716
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    I was always told never to put a pillow under a TKR, Barry as it encourages it not to straighten properly. I've always elevated mine on a buffet, coffee table :oops: , dining chair or the bed. Or just a recliner.

    30 mins of what? Thigh massage? I never did any. No-one ever suggested it. If, however, you mean quads, I was told to do them hourly at first. I rarely did but I managed 20 mins up to 6 times a day.
    If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.
    Steven Wright
  • elainebadknee
    elainebadknee Bots Posts: 3,703
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Barry

    Was never told any rules about elevating leg...Its got to be higher...Sticky is saying about not to put pillow under leg but I thought that was a no-no with sleeping but i still did it for a bit, whatever's comfy...I had anti dvt meds for 10days post op..

    Keep up the good work!

    Elainexx
    barry2013 wrote:
    Any tips on elevating my knee, my physio yesterday suggested making up a wedge of pillows and while knee is elevated get other half to massage thigh to aid blood flow black to heart. I am doing 3 sessions of 30 min per day, what have other folk done
  • barry2013
    barry2013 Member Posts: 151
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    I was also told not to use pillow under TKR while sleeping, but to use pillow wedge while laying down on bed, so leg was higher than my heart.
    I can see a little blood underneath wound dressing, should I be concernced, am due to take dressing off this Friday.
  • elainebadknee
    elainebadknee Bots Posts: 3,703
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Barry

    Higher than your heart eh? That's a new phrase to me :-)..I used pillow for a while as couldn't get comfy..My leg bends really well in bed letting me sleep in foetal position but im not so great with doing knee bends or tryoing to hold my new knee's foot with opposite hand, I fall over!
    I wouldn't be unduly concerned about blood under dressing it will be old blood and it is bound to weep slightly...If its bothering you give district nurse a call or doc's?

    Elainexx
    barry2013 wrote:
    I was also told not to use pillow under TKR while sleeping, but to use pillow wedge while laying down on bed, so leg was higher than my heart.
    I can see a little blood underneath wound dressing, should I be concernced, am due to take dressing off this Friday.
  • stickywicket
    stickywicket Member Posts: 27,716
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    elainebadknee wrote:
    Was never told any rules about elevating leg...Its got to be higher...Sticky is saying about not to put pillow under leg but I thought that was a no-no with sleeping but i still did it for a bit, whatever's comfy.

    Not just when sleeping. The ligaments, tendons, muscles or whatever don't know the difference. I simply wasn't allowed to put a pillow under my knee at any time. This was tough way back for my first two TKRs as I was resting for 10 days. All I was allowed was a rolled towel under the ankle. For my revision, 3 years ago, I still wasn't allowed any pillow but at least I was up and walking next day.
    If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.
    Steven Wright
  • elnafinn
    elnafinn Member Posts: 7,412
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Our bed can be elevated at the head and or feet end and this was of great benefit to me post op TKRs.

    I also used to lie on the floor with my ankles resting on the settee so they were raised higher than my heart

    To be more comfortable in the early days I lay flat on the three seater settee with my legs elevated in the same way with ankles on the arm rest at the other end. I hope that makes sense!

    Elna x
    The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything.

    If you can lay down at night knowing in your heart that you made someone's day just a little bit better, you know you had a good day.
  • babytiger
    babytiger Member Posts: 360
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    That's the way I lie on sofa Elna, lie flat with leg up on arm rest or on recliner bit which is higher ,also with a cushion under foot as well. I was told to pull toes up and let leg pull own into empty space.
  • elnafinn
    elnafinn Member Posts: 7,412
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Hi Eileen, Elna likes this :D

    I hope you have had a good day and sleep well tonight. :)

    Hugs
    Elna x
    The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything.

    If you can lay down at night knowing in your heart that you made someone's day just a little bit better, you know you had a good day.
  • chookgate
    chookgate Member Posts: 146
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    The elevation is to help with the swelling. The knee doesn't have to be higher than your heart, unless you're lying flat! As high as or higher than the hip it should be.

    I found elevation in the early days actually quite uncomfortable, partly due to the trauma to the quad muscles, and partly because it hurt so much to straighten the knee. So I only did it when applying an ice pack (to stop the ice pack sliding down my shin!), so only for 20 minutes at a time. I used a low side table with a cushion on top to try to support the leg in as comfortable a position as possible. Despite what others have said, this must be okay, because that's what we did in hospital - sat in the chair with a stool with a pillow on top to elevate the leg whilst the cryo cuff was on.
  • Helenbothknees
    Helenbothknees Member Posts: 487
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    I just had both legs horizontal, on cushions for so slightly higher than my hips, when I was using an ice pack. So that was 20 minutes a couple of times a day. I was never given any detailed advice about this, and I would be surprised if it matters much.
  • barry2013
    barry2013 Member Posts: 151
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Helenbothknees wrote:
    I just had both legs horizontal, on cushions for so slightly higher than my hips, when I was using an ice pack. So that was 20 minutes a couple of times a day. I was never given any detailed advice about this, and I would be surprised if it matters much.

    I was told by my physio the importance of having knee's higher than heart so blood could flow back from knees, but one thing I have noticed on here is how we all get different advice. Taking dressing off tomorrow that should be fun.
  • elainebadknee
    elainebadknee Bots Posts: 3,703
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Barry

    Youv'e got dissolvable stitches in your knee haven't you? I had staples and were wary about getting them out but when it came the nurse was really good told me to take it dead easy, treated me with kid gloves....Me parents and my sister were all waiting in the living room for me and the nurse said they all looked worried, what was I doing to them? lol! So good luck with the dressing coming off...Oh and how is your anti DVT stockings doing? My legs shed like a reptiles after 4 weeks and they were a beggar to get on and off, bless my dad...You've got your Jim haven't you? His biceps will be growing by the day :-))

    Elainexx

    I was told by my physio the importance of having knee's higher than heart so blood could flow back from knees, but one thing I have noticed on here is how we all get different advice. Taking dressing off tomorrow that should be fun.[/quote]
  • babytiger
    babytiger Member Posts: 360
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Good luck with getting your dressing off tomorrow Barry. Its that big sticky waterproof plaster I'm dread getting off, is that the same as yours
  • elnafinn
    elnafinn Member Posts: 7,412
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Some websites say elevate leg above the heart and others just say elevate leg post TKR. I did the former and more than likely both are ok, better than not elevating the leg at all. ;)

    A matter of choice perhaps?

    Elna x
    The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything.

    If you can lay down at night knowing in your heart that you made someone's day just a little bit better, you know you had a good day.
  • Helenbothknees
    Helenbothknees Member Posts: 487
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Yes, Barry, we do all get different advice. It's when one person gets different advice from two 'experts' that it can be a problem. I had that happen with two physios; I pointed it out to the second one, and she flew into a temper....very childish and unprofessional, IMHO. Ditto (re differences) with dressings, stockings etc. They took off my stockings early on as they were causing my toes to go white and numb, so I never had them. One of the nurses said it was obvious I'd be so active it wouldn't matter; I was exercising like mad from the day of the op, and I gather some people don't, which I find very odd, considering I was told by my consultant that this was absolutely essential. As for dressings, my knees both bent so well that dressings wouldn't stay stuck, and they took those off too. Finally, staples removal; I had this idiot of a nurse who did them slowly and took nearly an hour over it, trying not to hurt me, despite the fact that yanking them out quickly would have hurt less, and I told her so.

    I suspect that all of the above are minor and really don't matter that much.
  • barry2013
    barry2013 Member Posts: 151
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    elainebadknee wrote:
    Barry

    Youv'e got dissolvable stitches in your knee haven't you? I had staples and were wary about getting them out but when it came the nurse was really good told me to take it dead easy, treated me with kid gloves....Me parents and my sister were all waiting in the living room for me and the nurse said they all looked worried, what was I doing to them? lol! So good luck with the dressing coming off...Oh and how is your anti DVT stockings doing? My legs shed like a reptiles after 4 weeks and they were a beggar to get on and off, bless my dad...You've got your Jim haven't you? His biceps will be growing by the day :-))

    Elainexx

    Hi Elaine..
    Yep it's dissoivable stitches for me, Jim takes my DVT stockings off every other day, for a wash and we put cream on, might try getting into bath tomorrow for quick shower, been making do with body washing, can't say am looking forward to wearing stockings for another 4 weeks, where would we be without family.
    Best wishes.
    Barry.

    I was told by my physio the importance of having knee's higher than heart so blood could flow back from knees, but one thing I have noticed on here is how we all get different advice. Taking dressing off tomorrow that should be fun.
    [/quote]
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