Hi All
Does anyone have experience of Zwifting post a knee replacement?
I’m particularly interested in 3 things:
Any comments or advice is most welcomed.
Many thanks
Some discussion recently over here…
my wife has had both knees replaced. Riding the bike is highly recommended to aid recovery along with other physio. After the second knee replacement she was back on the bike in a couple of weeks. No you will not be applying full force - it takes time to build back up. No you will not get full flex for a while - it takes time. You must be patient. If it hurts back off.
I can expand on my paragraph in the other thread.
My knee had arthritis and a previous meniscus tear that was repaired. While sprinting on Zwift, the knee “popped”. Literally blew the cartilage apart. After 6-7 months living with bone-on-bone (various reasons for the long wait), the knee was replaced.
I had PT in the house the day after surgery…the first two weeks of PT were in the house. The entire goal was to increase range of motion. That hurts…no two ways about it but it helped. I iced as much as I could stand including overnight. I would wake up after 3-hours of sleeping freezing my ass off. I used one of the circulating machines that are all over Amazon. I filled water/gatorade bottles and froze them. Work much better than the ice blocks.
In the 2-3 week range I started using a cane and only used a walker at night getting out of bed. Swelling started to reduce at 3 weeks (knee to groin…thigh swelled more than the knee). Improvement all-around started daily at 3 weeks; very noticeable.
4 weeks to the day I could finally get the pedals around on my bike. I then got on a 3.5 hour flight. dumb…very sore when we landed. I did not stand and walk enough on the flight.
Started going on short walks (.5-.7 miles) at 4 weeks. By 6 weeks I could walk 2-3 miles and spin very easy on a bike for 30-40 minutes.
At 7 weeks returned home and got on Zwift…45 minutes 120 watts and less. by this time my swelling was pretty much gone except for around the knee. I had no thigh muscle being inactive for the time prior to surgery. All bone from knee to hip… That 45-minute ride expanded what muscle was left. The next two days hurt just as much as immediate post-surgery.
Started PT and they used cycling just to loosen since I was doing it on my own. After 11-months I still get a bit of stiffness around the knee. My 30-40 minute power is back to pre-knee blowout. My 60 minute power is still down 5-8% but I have been more focused on 90-minute plus zone two and have not done any racing to build that stamina strength. My top sprint wattage is down 100 watts or so but I think that is mostly reluctance on my part. I do not do “workouts”. I ride how I feel. The knee is strong but higher wattage efforts for 4-7 minute durations, the knee will start feeling “chunky”. I think the muscle and implant connectors are still building.
Range: Once I hit 120 degrees after 7 weeks, surgeon was happy. Told me to keep doing what I am doing and do not run. No problem with that. I have to concentrate on straightening the leg while I walk and I work on that while watching TV. I am bow-legged and my “straight” leg was actually past straight…I can do that on my right still, but that left leg stops straight.
Note this is all my experience…I am running 100 kg or so…my FTP is currently 218. I have had big improvement over the last three weeks as i am recovered from a shoulder scope and am pushing just a bit.
Anything else let me know. Good luck!
thanks informative, im about to have a total knee replacement next month. its currently sore to walk, but ok to cycle, on zwift and outside, although i’ve eased of the power. ( 1110kg was FTP 266)
all advice on post recovery exercise welcome.
Physical therapist here, and have treated many knee replacements to this point.
Absolutely you can return to biking, but it might be a slow, gradual process to get back to where you once were since the trauma of the surgery can take months to fully heal from (near 100% recovery isn’t expected for close to a year). Your range of motion will be the first and biggest priority following the procedure, and it will be limited compared to what it once was (general goals are getting it fully straight, and bending to about 120 degrees. These amount of motion is considered adequate for most activities of living). Strengthening your leg will also be important, and this will also take time to get its power back.
As far as exercise guidelines go, ask and listen to your physical therapist and they will guide you in how to meet your goals. It would likely be worth mentioning that you’d like to get back to cycling inside and/or outdoors, and they should be able to tailor your treatment toward that.
Get an ice machine. Ice as much as you can stand it. I went to bed with it and would awaken shivering. Freeze empty plastic bottles and use as ice blocks (gatorade, etc). Works better than store-bought re-freezable blocks.
thanks chris , thinking if getting a cryo cuff. Freezer has ice machine
anyone used one ?
into week 6 post op now.
was help up a lot by very sore bruised shin ( and rock hard calf, scan for DVT was negative)
been on bike for last week, andhave progressed from heal to instep on pedal, for 30 minutes
Changing saddle height did not help
any suggestions ? for just keep at it gradually increasing the effort (pain) by slowly moving further down the pedal ?
using Zwift with 0% and gear 14, which gives no extra resistance for climbs but enough for a good effort on my bad leg.
ROM still not enough to do a complete revolution
yes just keep at it. My wife progressed faster than that, but maybe your tighter muscles have slowed your recovery. Have you been doing physio? She went at least twice a week which was a great benefit as they worked on getting bend in the knee. Once you get a complete revolution things will go faster and easier.
Hang in there I went through a TKR in 2023. Everyone has a different journey getting back to normal. As previous poster said PT is critical to get the knee range of motion back. Don’t get frustratated and impatient, it will get better. For zwift I found that starting by pedaling backwards for a few revolutions will help you get over the top when pedaling forwards. I started one legged cycling for the first week, then was allowed 3 minutes easy spin. I had to go baerfoot, added 3 minutes a day until I was at 18 minutes. Next progressed to wearing a running shoe which by raising foot increases angle at top of pedal stroke. Within 4 weeks I started with cycling shoes though could now unclip. By seven weeks i was well over an hour and could unclip. The ortho then gave me the go ahead to start riding outdoors. I also would occasionally jump on my partners bike, it is a size 49 so I could get a good amount of knee flex for the short time I would pedal SLOW and EAZY.
First two weeks I had home PT… she was sadistic but at the end I had good ROM. I was able to pedal at 4 weeks…once. Hurt and could feel internal scar tissue stretching/tearing. Traveled and started walking as much as possible. At 6 weeks I gave up the cane and walked a couple of miles watching the air show in SF Bay (Blue Angels cancelled due to fog/low ceiling but the F-22/F-35 were incredible). I also started cycling 30 minutes around the neighborhood. Home at 7-8 weeks and back on Zwift. Muscle rebuild commenced… Now back at same power prior to destroying knee (900+ watt sprint on a arthritic knee). Not bad for just turning 64. After a hard effort the knee still feels “chunky” but getting less so… I also have to concentrate to straighten leg when I walk and I do calf stretches while sitting/laying in bed. Replacement in August 2024.