Concerned about knee replacement

Since this is a common but serious surgery I was wondering if any fellow members have had this done and if it has changed their riding habits or God forbid......forced them to stopped riding. Your input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I just had mine replaced 5 weeks ago. The first 4 weeks of recovery really kind of sucked, because you're pretty much confined to the house and unable to drive, but I'm pretty confident that I'll be able to pick up my bike from the storage facility within a couple of weeks and am making plans to attend the MOA Rally in June.

If you have it done follow the advise that I was given - Do EVERYTHING the Doctor and Physical Therapist tells you to do!!

Ski

I have not had it done, but I know three riders who have had it done. In each case their feelings are that having the surgery done is the reason they are still able to ride.

2 1/2 years ago total left knee replacement, 90 days later back on bike
Wore a Dr Bonz knee saver neoprene brace for six months after ok to ride
Best advice: follow 100% your physical therapist’s directions, even if it’s painful do the exercises, I have 140 degrees of movement in that knee
Only limitations is no skiing,(which got me there in first place)
Jim

Recovery

skibumwi said:

I just had mine replaced 5 weeks ago. The first 4 weeks of recovery really kind of sucked, because you're pretty much confined to the house and unable to drive, but I'm pretty confident that I'll be able to pick up my bike from the storage facility within a couple of weeks and am making plans to attend the MOA Rally in June.

If you have it done follow the advise that I was given - Do EVERYTHING the Doctor and Physical Therapist tells you to do!!

Ski

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On the brighter side if your recovery has not progressed enough to make the MOA rally in June, you have another month to get ready MOA rally in july

I had both knees replaced 3 years ago, I don’t remember when I was able to ride again but I don’t think it was more than 3 months. As others have said do your physical therapy and the exercises and you’ll be find. For me I wish I’d have done it sooner, I’m mostly pain free and can ride long distances with no problems. Good luck!

Not quite a year ago I had the right side replaced. Before surgery I told the doc that I wanted to be back on 2 wheels in 6 weeks. He snickered at me. Week and a half after surgery I was out cutting the lawn and had been on each bike on the centerstands, just to see if I could. % weeks after surgery I rode the GSA to PT, and the time after I rode the /6. As has been said, do the PT, it will help. In fact, the last few sessions I had I wore my riding boots and pants to do the exercises, just to add to the workout. Don't tell me that I can't do something, because I'll try to prove you wrong. It's all in the mind.

I didn't have knee replacement, but knee surgery. Yes the first month is tough. Cabin fever sets in at 3 weeks. Be focused on physical therapy and take it seriously, don't "cheat your body" or get lazy about it.

I ran a half marathon 6 months after my surgery (at 50). I was a moderate runner before and ran that Mini a little slower. The key was taking PT seriously and pushing yourself but not going crazy about it or stupidly. It takes time to recover and determination.

Those knee guys do knee jobs all the time. The level of a successful recovery depends upon the patient. Stay on track and be patience. You'll be back in the saddle again sooner than you think and it'll be a distant memory.

I had both knees done (separate times) & was back on the bike in 6 weeks. Do more bending & stretching than the physiotherapists tell you to.
I had 90 degrees of bend 10 days after surgery & was walking with a cane.

z3guy said:

Since this is a common but serious surgery I was wondering if any fellow members have had this done and if it has changed their riding habits or God forbid......forced them to stopped riding. Your input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

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Had the inside half of my left knee replaced about 5 yrs ago. it was a new lease on life as I was coming up lame. Recovery was faster than I expected, back in the saddle in no time <2 mo. Unfortunately, the other half is now deteriorating which makes for a more complicated operation. Do your PT and take no half measures, you'll love it.

t6pilot said:

Best advice: follow 100% your physical therapist’s directions, even if it’s painful do the exercises, I have 140 degrees of movement in that knee
Jim

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As many others have said - your physical therapy is super important to bring you back to being able to move properly, without pain.

I would also add that, just because you can't use one leg for a while, doesn't mean that you can't move other parts of your body. I can tell the clients that come to see me who have kept up some movement, as they have much less of a hole to dig out of post surgery. There has been some positive research that suggests that moving and strengthening the uninvolved limb, can transfer some of that strength to the knee that has had surgery. Also, you'll get a clean bill of health after PT, but make sure that you keep working to maintain or possibly improve your overall leg strength. Just because you're done with PT, doesn't mean that you never have to exercise again.


This should not be construed as medical advice, you and your care team know your body and situation much better than I do.

Good Article

There is a good article in this months Motorcycle Consumer News, specifically about neck surgery, that should make you feel better about most any type of limb surgery, recovery and riding.

Thanks for all the positive input, I really appreciate it. As my surgeon told me, "If you listen to me and do as your told you will be back to normal in 6-8weeks, if you ignore what I tell you to do, your going to be miserable." Without a doubt I am going to follow his advise and also that of the PT. I was just worried about getting back on a bike as its my passion but must say you guys have given me a positive view of riding again. Thanks again!

Just a thought, but you might want to consider going to a scooter. An unfortunate name for a very useful mode of transport. I have found them to be much easier to use than motorcycles. They have easy to access step through frames, and better seats than almost all motorcycles. Built in locked storage, and great weather protection. A couple of their best features: no shifting, and both brakes on the handlebars. You can flat foot all of them at stop lights. Smooth, quiet, and dependable, with inexpensive tires to boot. I'm not sure what isn't to like about them, except maybe their name.

By the time I had mine replaced, 9 years ago, I had been "bone on bone" for several years and only had about 15 degrees of flexion left. I'd reached the point where I couldn't even ride the Harley more than 30 or 40 miles before it was just too painful. How bad it is affects how long it will be to recover, so it was about 14 weeks before I was able to ride, and longer before I could ride any distance. Fast forward to today, I'm on a '16 RT, and can run the tank empty without needing to stop. And yes, do EVERYTHING the doc's and physical therapists tell you, and then do it some more. You WILL use bad language. It's OK.

I am suprised no one mentioned this but go to PT BEFORE you have your knee done.
Get it as strong as possible. After the operation do the PT and more.
I have two total knee replacements. One and a half years on the right, and five months
on the left. I walk two miles every day, rain or shine.

I had my right knee replaced mid-November 2015. I was riding my motorcycle to the physical therapist a couple weeks later. The motion of lifting the leg over the seat helped, and the forced bending of the leg helped too. For those reasons, I'd not look to a scooter just yet. It's a nice suggestion, but I'm guessing that if you could ride a motorcycle before, you still have a few more years before you have to go to the scooter.

If you can, check on your surgeon's reputation prior to the surgery. I was asked by several nurses who my surgeon was, and the reply was always "You're lucky". Finally, I asked one of them if that was what they said to everyone. She said no. She pointed out the guy in the bed next to me and how he'd been there for a day longer already and could only get to the bathroom at the end of the bed at the end of the second day. I was up and doing laps of the hospital ward the afternoon of my surgery.

Besides the physical therapy others have mentioned, make sure you get anti-biotics before doing any dental work to include even a cleaning. My surgeon was adamant that I would have to do that for all my life, not just for a couple years. The bacteria that can get into the bloodstream are attracted to metal and will cause an infection in your new knee. I've talked with others who have had infections and they have almost lost their leg.