Riding After Knee Replacement

[BikerG]

Anyone have a total knee replacement? If so, how long did you wait before riding again? Was it difficult to shift? I ride a Harley Tri Glide with a heel-toe shifter. I realize everyone is different; I’m just trying to manage my expectation for getting back in the saddle.

 

[pwhoever]

If you are only doing 1 knee, it will still probably be about 2-1/2 to 3 mos I would assume. And especially since you are on a trike, it will be easier I would say. I would leave the decision up to your doctor and physical therapist though. Make sure to do everything they tell you in PT and that will help a lot and get you healed up a lot quicker. I would also practice bending my knee a lot in bed before going to sleep. That really helped with range of motion. I would bend it as far as I could and hold it for a bit and do that several times. I never quite fully got back the full range but enough to what I needed.

My situation was a bit unique but because of the knee replacements, I switched to a trike and have been happy ever since.

I had my right knee done Oct 21, 2015 and left knee Dec 1 of same year. Bad mistake but because of insurance, I had to get 2nd done before end of year. 6 weeks was way too close and my right knee was not quite ready yet. And I had some complications so they had to do a manipulation procedure to right leg when I was under anesthesia for left leg.

At the time, I was still on 2 wheels. IIRC, I did take a few local rides by April. In May, I retired and after turning in all my work stuff in a.m., I was on my bike heading towards Arkansas by early afternoon. I was going to visit a buddy who lives in boonies. Unfortunately the last mile or so before his house runs along a river and the road has river rock instead of gravel. I was doing ok until the last 100 yards and then lost it. Bike came all the way over onto my right leg and I completely fractured my tibia. It needed surgery and I now have a permanent rod in there.

I was back on my bike for another road trip out west by mid July though. But it was a bit of a struggle and that made up my mind to have my bike triked which was done shortly after getting back home. The rest is history.

 

[Notgrownup]

My wife made sure she did all the PT religiously and did great, for her it was the mobility to get on and off the bike and once she got cleared from PT the DR said she could ride again.

 

[ISP-FL]

My wife also had Her's done several years ago. After each one she was diligent about doing all the PT sessions. It didn't take her very many weeks to have full range of motion back and zero discomfort.

 

[ol' school]

Had my right knee replaced... as has been said follow your doctor and your physical therapist instructions and you will get your range of motion and strength back in no time and be back riding again.

 

[Sheriff42]

I had a bit of a different experience. A small percentage of people develop stiffness in the knee and I’m the unlucky guy. No therapy or exercise would help my knee. I tried them all! My condition prompted my switch to a Tri Glide as my balance was also compromised a bit and didn’t want to risk riding two up with my wife. I still ride my two wheel bikes one up.

Overall, I was over a year before my return to riding. A very long year! I think my experience is the exception to the rule. Most people I know that had replacement surgery were riding again in the three month range.

 

[pwhoever]

I had a bit of a different experience. A small percentage of people develop stiffness in the knee and I’m the unlucky guy. No therapy or exercise would help my knee. I tried them all! ...

That's kind of what I experienced in my right leg. That was the first one to get done. What they ended up doing was a manipulation procedure 6 weeks later while I was under anesthesia and having the left leg done. I was told that they manually bended my knee back and forth a bunch of times. I think part of it was some scarring had built up and by bending the knee, it may have helped break it up. It's still not perfect and I get a bunch of "crunching" when bending especially if I am lifting something. Not really a lot of pain but it sounds funky. Those around me can actually hear it. Luckily for the most part it works ok.

 

[Sheriff42]

I had that manipulation done under anesthesia also. I didn’t really experience good results from it.

Ultimately, after my first replacement I had revision surgery where they replaced the replacement. The revision surgery gave me the limited bend I have in my knee now. It is nowhere near 90 degrees. I can straighten my leg now which I couldn’t do after the first surgery.

The problem is because I have to take blood thinners due to a metallic heart valve. The knee would bleed terribly after surgery even though all precautions regarding blood thinners were taken. That blood in my knee hastened the development of scar tissue prior to physical therapy. All these problems happened in my early fifties.

I had the best doctors in the nation doing the procedures. (Mayo Clinic) I’ve just come to accept my situation. Jogging and deep knee bends are overrated!!!. I can still do most things I want to. I’m really glad I can still ride a motorcycle! Certainly something to be thankful for.

 

[Zammy]

My knees are ok but the wife has had both of hers replaced at different times, follow up the PT religiously, she was on the back of the bike in 8 weeks.