Partial Knee Replacement

[Runner1032]

I wanted to see if anybody else has some isight to this.

I have two surgeons that want to do a partial knee replacement on both knees. Now both doctors said that it would be a cure to the arthritis issue and it would allow for me to be able train legs hard again. This I don't doubt. I am not asking to squat 500lbs. If I could do 315 for 20 reps, my legs would be the size they need to be.

My question is, has any one had a partial knee replacement and had nicely developed legs?

 

[Bio]

how old are you?

 

[Runner1032]

I am 34 years old.

 

[TrippplePPP]

What treatments have you had so far? There Is no going back after surgery and 34 is pretty young for a surgery like this.

 

[Runner1032]

Believe me I know! It's a huge decision.

I had a lateral release done in 2012 on the left.

For years I have been battling maltracking issues in both knees. Both patellas are laterally rotated which is causing them to grind. Over time I have done hip stretching, knee rehab and it will make it better but not any better than 75%. I still have the pain and discomfort and grinding. Surgery has to be done.

Currently the two options that I have provided by doctors are:

1) partial knee replacement. Both doctors said I could return to working out. The one dr. actually done this same procedure for some powerlifters who are still squatting 600lbs.

2) Attempt to clean up the cartilage, then perform a lateral release, then move the patella tendon over a small amount to reposition the knee cap. (This will only buy time, both doctors said I will need total knee replacements in my life time.

Ultimately on starting this thread, I wanted to see if anyone else had a partial knee replacement and how that played out. Or someone that has had surgery on arthritic knees and how that played out.

 

[3BILLS]

So you had surgery done 12 years ago when you were 22?

How did you injury your need to require surgery in the first place?

How has training legs been in the last 12 years?

What are you currently doing now for legs?

 

[Runner1032]

So you had surgery done 12 years ago when you were 22?

How did you injury your need to require surgery in the first place?

How has training legs been in the last 12 years?

What are you currently doing now for legs?

That is correct.

The injury was from basketball. Shot some hoops one day and the next day I couldn't walk. I couldn't walk for about 1 week then decided to go to the Dr. and lateral release was the recommended solution.

Legs have always been a chore and there are very tedious. I am surprised they are as developed and strong as they are. I have good days and bad days when training. Some days I have a lot more pain which I work around on certain exercises.

I train lower body twice a week.

Day 1)
Light bike warmup.
Lying leg curls 5x 15-25 reps
Seated leg curls 4x15-20
TKE with band each leg, 3x50
Sled drag 3x60-70 steps
Sled push 3x60-70 steps
Leg press: 4x20-50 reps
Machine squat or pit shark 4x20-25

Day 2)
Light bike warm up
Adduction/Abduction super set. 5x20
Hip thrust with band 5x15
Leg curls 5x15-20
Hip internal/external rotation 4x15-20
banded knee raises 4x15-20
TKE with band: 4x50
Sled drag: 3x60-70 steps.

That is a typical week of legs.

As far as strength goes I wouldn't say I am weak but I am also not strong comparatively. For leg press a top set is usually 4pps for 25. Maybe if I am having good day 5pps for 20. Pit shark is usually 3pps for 20. I have been forced to actually train legs properly with slow, controlled reps, really working that time under tension.

 

[TrippplePPP]

A few things cross my mind. A partial total knee replacement only addresses the medial compartment as far as I know. If you have significant lateral patellar arthritic changes the partial total knee does not address this and the pain generated from that specific location.

I want to know if partial total knees hinder success of a potential future total knees.

The above workout sounds like a solid bigger/fasterstronger goal oriented workout but in my opinion is different than a workout with goals of being pain free. In general the more flexion and greater resistance you apply to the knee the greater the repercussion of degeneration will occur. I feel sled work has potential flare an arthritic knee. I would toss some straight leg raises into the beginning of the workout to encouraged proper patellar tracking and pre fatigue the quads allowing for the remaining quad exercises to use lesser load.

 

[Thor65]

Mine (full replacement) was done 1.5ish years ago at 43. My legs have definitely grown since then. That being said I went lots of years not training lower as I could barely walk. I have some pics on here from before ( awful atrophy) and what they are now.

 

[Runner1032]

A few things cross my mind. A partial total knee replacement only addresses the medial compartment as far as I know. If you have significant lateral patellar arthritic changes the partial total knee does not address this and the pain generated from that specific location.

I want to know if partial total knees hinder success of a potential future total knees.

The above workout sounds like a solid bigger/fasterstronger goal oriented workout but in my opinion is different than a workout with goals of being pain free. In general the more flexion and greater resistance you apply to the knee the greater the repercussion of degeneration will occur. I feel sled work has potential flare an arthritic knee. I would toss some straight leg raises into the beginning of the workout to encouraged proper patellar tracking and pre fatigue the quads allowing for the remaining quad exercises to use lesser load.

Thanks of the insight.

You can get the lateral aspect of the knee done in a partial.

I am with you and that is a huge question I will need answered.

In regards to my training, it was developed overtime to see what works and what doesn't work. Basically my indicator was how my pain was the next day. Unique observations that I have noticed in my training that also may seem counter intuitive are:

1) knees sleeves or any compression actually causes more pain.
2) Using a deep full range of motion helps the pain. I squat ass to the grass and usually pause for a second or two in the hole before finishing the rep. Anything at parallel or above hurts.
3) The sled push was something that I do because it is a very natural movement and functional. Oddly enough, these feel great. Now I am not trying to push super heavy weights, its more about distance and taking 60-70 steps.
4) All legs days I wear neoprene shorts to warm my hips up. Stack this with a lot of hip work, it usually alleviates most of the pain.

You mentioed the straight leg raise. Are you talking something with using the ankle cuff and the weight is attached at your ankle and you keep your leg straight and raise it up in front.

 

[TrippplePPP]

Thanks of the insight.

You can get the lateral aspect of the knee done in a partial.

I am with you and that is a huge question I will need answered.

In regards to my training, it was developed overtime to see what works and what doesn't work. Basically my indicator was how my pain was the next day. Unique observations that I have noticed in my training that also may seem counter intuitive are:

1) knees sleeves or any compression actually causes more pain.
2) Using a deep full range of motion helps the pain. I squat ass to the grass and usually pause for a second or two in the hole before finishing the rep. Anything at parallel or above hurts.
3) The sled push was something that I do because it is a very natural movement and functional. Oddly enough, these feel great. Now I am not trying to push super heavy weights, its more about distance and taking 60-70 steps.
4) All legs days I wear neoprene shorts to warm my hips up. Stack this with a lot of hip work, it usually alleviates most of the pain.

You mentioed the straight leg raise. Are you talking something with using the ankle cuff and the weight is attached at your ankle and you keep your leg straight and raise it up in front.

I like that you are insightful and have developed your training instinctively to what works for you with the least amount of repercussion. I feel the longer you train and older you get you have to be more calculated to continue to progress without injury. Not everyone can do this.

The straight leg raise can be both for metal cueing/alignment and also for strength/size type exercises. Keeping the leg straight so only your calf touches the floor then lifting leg straight up pivoting at the hip with the quad flexed throughout. If you do this prior to your other quad exercises it kind of teaches your patella to tract more centrally along with stressing the quadriceps which is not only a knee extensor but also a hip flexor. Doing this first would pre-exhaust the quad and help cue your central nervous system to fire your quad with greater alignment for the remainder of your workout and also allow you to use less weight yet get same stimulus. If you could do three sets of 20 without weight then I would add a couple pounds on the ankle after a while. I wouldn't think of doing weight for a little while though.