6 weeks post of and doing well. Walked around on a horse last week and it felt good to be back in the saddle but was amazed at how weak my leg was! How soon did you all get back to riding and did any of you have a fall at any point after?
My mom has had both knees replaced. I don’t remember exactly how long after surgery she rode (it was also a point where we down to one horse)… but I do know that the doctor told her “yeah, you can ride…just don’t ever fall” – to which we all laughed :lol:. I do know that getting off (the landing aspect) was hard, so my dad built my mom a mounting block with 3 steps, and like a 3’ square top platform that she could use to get on and off…she would line up Xan (the horse) with the mounting block and get off onto the mounting block instead of the ground. The riding though did help with the strength, since it is strength building for the quads but no impact…and the physical therapist did say that too. A word of wisdom having watched my mom go through this-- get a really good physical therapist. It will be horrible and painful, but in the long run it is SOOOO worth it! Good luck!!! Feel better!!!
Both knees replaced March 19; back on a horse May 8th. I have not fallen, but since the replacements have ridden 500+ miles (distance rider) -oh, and I have an artificial hip, too. When I foxhunt (I still ride first flight and jump what’s in front of me) I wear polo knee protectors --these are specific for horse riding and protect the knee in the front and on the side. Should I be kicked or fall, I have padding and metal plates in t he knee protectors that will prevent (we hope) harm. My biggest concern (and this does happen) is hitting trees with my knee at speed. Polo protectors keep that from being much of an issue. So if you are doing anything horse related, or just riding, wear knee protection (polo, not soccer or volleyball - no metal plates in those! This is a photo of me cubbing in knee pads:
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff31/foxgloveweeks/P9210020_zps26551bbd.jpg
I have two partial replacements: similar to a total knee in recovery times, just a smaller footprint.
First knee I was trail riding in five weeks, four for the second knee. I have fallen off the horse more than once since both, including a spectacular somersault over the front when the mare stepped in a hole. I’ve also been whanged with tree trunks at speed, and you know what REALLY bothers the knees? Kneeling in church, that’s what.
The replacements are titanium, and the cement they use is good stuff. Don’t know about the rest of y’all but when I fall I generally end up on my keester or my face, with NO significant impact on the knees, other than the little it takes to create road rash.
For a couple of years post replacements I continued to use the old lady slither down the horse’s neck dismount I’d perfected because the impact of a normal dismount was much too painful for my cartilage-deprived joints. Just recently I discovered I can manage dropping the last foot or so. I always use a mounting block or stump or something to get on. I weigh a tad over 200 stripped so expect lighter folks can probably manage a dismount or fall just fine.
I have both knees (total, two years ago) replaced. First knee I waited appx 9 weeks. Second knee I got back on my steady eddie at about two weeks and walked around the farm for about an hour. Best therapy ever! And, yes, I have come off a couple times. Once when a young mare just jumped sideways out from under me and the second time I went to dismount and stepped on a rock and sat down hard! Neither bothered my knees–just my butt! I did trip and fall hard on my left knee on the gravel in my driveway. Hard in like took my breath away pain! Long time laying on the ground before I could even think about getting up. X-rays showed no damage. So I guess these fake knees are pretty tough stuff.
I had a TKR done on July 8 so I’m a little over 4 months out. At 3 months, I got on and walked around. At 3 1/2 months, I started trotting but I had trouble with muscle strength. At 4 months, it felt normal. Also at 4 months, I could feel the quads finally starting to strengthen. Before then, they would go through the motions but they wouldn’t build up strength.
My surgical team told me that at 3 months, things would begin to feel normal. But the big change for me was at 4 months. I can walk down stairs now. I can do squats with weights. I can post the trot. In all, I am now on the upward slope of recovery. But I still have that leap of faith every morning when I get out of bed and take that first step. It’s an amazing surgery though, isn’t it? A total life changer for me.
Oh and to give you an idea of my personal loss of muscle strength: 2 days before surgery, I could leg press 170 lbs. 6 weeks after surgery, I could barely leg press 40 lbs. So you’re normal. And don’t forget that there’s a lot of healing still going on inside even though the outside scar has healed.
I think it goes without saying that the speed of your recovery depends on your physical condition before the surgery. I know several friends/family members who have had knee replacements. Those who were sedentary or overweight before the surgery had slow recoveries with varying degrees of satisfaction about the entire process. I’m guessing anyone on this forum is a rider, so light years ahead of the “average” knee replacement candidate.
I also think the type of knee replacement surgery is also a factor. A student of mine had the newer, minimally invasive knee replacement surgery for both knees in Chicago. It’s outpatient surgery where you literally walk out of the hospital the same day surgery is performed. Since there is no cutting of the big muscles and tendons - which causes most of the pain, swelling, weakness, stiffness - recovery is much faster. She was riding normally within 6 weeks!
I got my knee replaced in Nov and it keeps improving. I wanted to know about the Polo knee guards. What types have the inner protection? I was looking at them on Ebay, finding lots of price variations, styles to see. Are the gel padded any better than leather padded? What is under the extra padding? Better name brands than others? Other places to find them? They sound like a great idea so I want to give them a try as I return to Trail riding. Way too many trees so padded knees should help. Thanks. Foxglove I wiil use you for inspiration!
