Originally Posted by
NewMexicoGardne
Hello, am now 8-weeks post right TKR, it really was the right thing to do, no more pain with walking, in the morning, etc. I am 68-years old, female, and we were biking 50-100 miles a week and did PT exercises for 8-months prior to the surgery (because I was headstrong and didn't want to accept that I really needed surgery.) Today on the road bike I noticed that my pedal strokes were pushing my knee medially, it was not comfortable, a simple 12-mile ride. It is like my leg is not pushing straight down, I have to consciously try to move it a little laterally with each pedal. Any suggestions for this? I am still doing all my post-surgery exercises twice a day, the surgeons are amazed at my progress. Am I pushing it to get on the outside bike (should I just stick with stationary biking for now)? Should I just stick with it and keep trying to correct this while biking? Thanks for any help! My knee is straight with my upper leg, but my lower leg is curved a little bit.
So, my wife did both knees at 64, got in the stationary bike as quickly as possible, went for her normal bike as soon as the Dr. allowed. What he Dr.s are worried about with outdoor bike is emergency stops putting the foot down and flexing the knee backward. That is particularly dangerous for someone in TKR recovery. I think, and this is not a scientific opinion, that clipless are a potential problem if you ride them exclusively. You want lots of float while you are healing. My wife has always used pinned pedals, so not problem. I have noticed that her leg motion seems more under-pronated, or knees-out, after the surgery..but she's not complaining.
But I switch off from clipless to platforms cause I think riding clipless all the time isn't particularly good for old knees and ankles. Since I am more of a running enthusiast than cyclist I will always switch off between clipless and different platforms, I do not want to subject my knees and lower legs to an overly restrictive motion for hours. Just my 2 cents.