1 year update

L knee implant next to normal knee

I had my one year post-surgery check-up with Dr. Ghate on Friday, 9.9.2011. I was very excited to mark the milestone since I felt I had made tremendous progress since my previous visit 6 months out from the surgery. Ghate works very quickly so after the form filling, the xrays and the waiting, I got at-most 5 minutes with him and his trailing medical student. He asked how I was doing, wanted to see me walk across his small examining room, asked if I had any pain with the knee.

L knee bent showing 2-part implant and kneecap

For my part, I wanted to show off a bit. I told of my bicycle riding and the uphill climbing I was able to do this summer that I could not do last summer and of the many hour walking excursions every day for two weeks in London.

I am experiencing limited flexion in the L knee. I asked if that was a function of the hardware in the knee and how far I could expect to flex it after working it. On the exam table, Ghate checked my flexion estimating it at about 130 degrees. He said the hardware would allow up to 140 degrees flexion. I was released from physical therapy with 130 degrees and I know that I have made progress since then so my estimate would be higher but without an accurate measurement, I cannot refute his guess. He sees a lot of repaired knees.

I am still making progress at one year out; just today I could nearly sit back on my heels with 2 blocks under my butt. I could not get close to a sustained sitting position on my heels even one month ago. I have also noticed that I can bend my knee without assistance and grab the ankle to get a front of the thigh stretch. Definitely not the stretch I can get on the right side, but up until 3 weeks ago, I could not grab the leg without assistance.

L knee from the top

Lastly I said I had a few questions from my trainer, he rolled his eyes at the student. Tek wanted me to ask if we could do PNF stretches, a type of forced stretching with release. Ghate answered that I did not want to work through pain at this point in the rehab process. The time for painful forced bending was in the early days of rehab when the therapist would push and push to achieve more flexion and it was very painful. That was breaking up scar tissue and now pain is to be avoided. If I were to experience pain through flexion, that would be a bad sign at this point.

My bottom line: I am very happy with the knee and the functional progress that I have made since the surgery. The long and hard sessions with a trainer and on my own have been worth the effort because I have achieved great enjoyment from the ability to bicycle and walk distances that I had written off with the damaged knee. I hope I do not need to do my right knee and for now, I am satisfied.