ACL LCL Knee Recovery (Don's Story)

An Interview with Don Chester

Click on the play button above to listen to the interview.

Dump Truck Meets Overpass - The Start of the Problem

Don was in a huge accident. He rolled a dump truck and broke many parts of his body in the process. He was thrown from the cab of the vehicle. He was in a wheelchair for months. The X10 Knee Recovery System was able to help Don's knee and, surprisingly, his hip as well. In addition to all of his injuries Don was facing a very challenging ACL LCL Knee Recovery.

In addition to broken vertebrae and ribs, Don suffered from a number of lower extremity injuries as detailed below.

Left Knee ACL Replacement

ACL reconstruction surgery uses a graft to replace the ligament. The most common grafts are autografts using part of your own body, such as the tendon of the kneecap (patellar tendon) or one of the hamstring tendons.

Left Knee LCL Repair

The LCL is torn when the knee bends inwards excessively, and the LCL is stretched too far. LCL tears are graded similarly to other ligament tears on a scale of I to III: Grade I LCL tear: This is an incomplete tear of the LCL

Leg Muscle Atrophy

Muscle atrophy is when muscles waste away. It's usually caused by a lack of physical activity. When a disease or injury makes it difficult or impossible for you to move an arm or leg, the lack of mobility can result in muscle wasting.

Broken Hip & Impingement

Normally, the ball glides smoothly within the socket, but a problem with the ball or socket rim can interfere with smooth motion. Trauma from repetitive hip flexion damages the cartilage of the socket, leading to hip impingement.

Hip/Leg External Rotation

Your hip is a ball-and-socket joint attached to the uppermost part of your leg. The hip joint allows the leg to rotate inward or outward. Hip external rotation is when the leg rotates outward, away from the rest of your body.

In Don's Own Words  - Solving his Knee Flexion, Extension and Strength

When David first came out and set the unit up and gave us the original tutorial, I was looking at between 71º and 76º upon initial setup. When David left, he was probably at my home somewhere around an hour and a half, I was at 80º. That was with about 10 pounds of pressure. Amazing to say my pain level was recorded as about a four, when I started. And then when he left, my pain level was at zero. This is what I knew that this device was going to be so helpful for me, because it basically unlocked the knee. After about an hour, I had already begun to see of my knee kind of transform and have some representation of, you know, where I was before my accident.

After getting on the X10 unit every day, the flexion got better and better. My second day, I went to 91º  with a little more pressure until I got to 104º in four or five usages....

Combat Airborne Ranger Knee Replacement (Dusty's Story)

An Interview with Dusty Baxley

My name is Dusty Baxley. I'm a retired United States Army Airborne Ranger combat veteran. I currently work in a military veteran wellness center here in Blue Mount, Virginia. I am the executive director of Boulder Crest Retreat.

I recently went through a full right knee replacement and I was very graciously granted the use of the X10 Knee Machine in my home for both pre-work, and for recovery. And it was quite an eye-opening experience. I live rurally, on kind of “over the mountain, over the river and through the woods,” acreage with my wife.

He is the toughest guy I know, and a Navy Seal. It took about two months for him to recover from his surgery. He said, “I don't expect you to come back to work at least for two months.” And I was like, sure. However, I knew that I had to be back after surgery two and a half weeks later for our next Path Program here, which is a life-saving program for combat veterans and their families. And, so, my boss kind of freaked out because two and a half weeks later he walked in on a Saturday and here I sat. I was teaching a Warrior Path Program. No walker. No cane. Just moving around like I'd never had surgery. He was quite surprised that I had recovered in literally two and a half weeks out of surgery.

Airborne Ranger Knee Replacement and X10

It was interesting going through the process with the X10 because again, living rural and not having access to the care that I would need. My wife works full time. And so after surgery, I had I guess the luxury of having some in-home home therapy come to me for physical therapy. And it was interesting cause the lady walked in, did an evaluation, said I'll see you in a week. I came back out, she looked at me, had me do a couple of exercises that told me I was well ahead of the power curve and basically called me the third time from a phone and just said, “We're good to go, don't need to see you, how's everything going?”

My Doctor's Appointment

When I showed up a few weeks later for my next doctor's appointment, my surgeon asked, “So how's your outpatient PT going?” And I said, “I haven't attended one single session. You haven't cleared me to drive. And my wife works full time. So there was no way for me to access outpatient physical therapy.” So he put me through the normal drills and checked my extension and flexion. And he didn't know what to say. I asked, “What's going on?” He responded, “How in the heck can you be at 130 degrees and zero degrees and have this kind of recovery? I don't understand?” And I said, “I don't know except I just use this X10 and it helps me to regain that full motion and strengthens my leg on a daily basis. It's not easy, but you have to put yourself through it and the machine guides you through the entire process, reports to you, and evaluates you. You have a beautiful therapist on the other end of the phone, you're taking pictures, you're reporting back, and you're getting encouragement.”

They actually hold you to it because they'll call you. But if you miss a session you can get one in the afternoon. And at the end of the day. I was probably the guy that disappointed those people more than anybody because I was a guy that was supposed to be doing it three times a day. I do it once, sometimes twice.

My experience with the X10 began one rainy afternoon in April, 1974. My boyfriend and I (now husband of 44 years) were riding his motorcycle when we were broadsided by a car. I remember the impact, sliding on the wet pavement towards the intersection.

In Home Knee Surgery Recovery

Sue McDonald's Recovery - 45 Years After a Motorcycle Accident

This interview was conducted by Mary Elliott. Click the Play Button above to listen to Sue and Mary's full conversation.

Prologue

When Sue was 17 years old she was in a motorcycle accident with her boyfriend at the time, now her husband. She did substantial damage to her right knee. She lived with it for nearly 45 years.

In Sue's Own Words

My experience with the X10 began one rainy afternoon in April 1974. My boyfriend and I (now husband of 44 years) were riding his motorcycle when we were broadsided by a car. I remember the impact, sliding on the wet pavement towards the intersection. People gathered around and someone brought blankets. I heard, “her leg is messed up” and “I see bones”. I knew not to look. It was my first ambulance ride (no siren) and my first hospital-stay (5 days!). Turned out, it was a compound fracture of my right tibia & fibula. I remember not wanting surgery. It was April of my SENIOR YEAR in high school. I had prom, graduation, and a whole new chapter in life to get on with. And so in the spirit of teenage invincibility, I was discharged with a full-length leg cast.

For the next 30 years, I gave little thought to my broken leg. I lived an active life. Our family did a lot of camping, hiking, and biking. Eventually, I started having ankle problems, which I lived with for the next 15 years. However, in 2016 the pain started in my right knee. The pain affected my gait and my left knee started to ache as well. By the spring of 2018, I was using a cane. I was referred to both a knee and an ankle surgeon. The X-rays revealed that for the past 45 years, I’d been walking around on a rather crooked leg.

My First Knee Replacement (Right Knee)

I got my first new knee late last year, followed by out-patient rehab three days a week for six weeks. I especially enjoyed their anti-gravity treadmill, although my right ankle and left knee still hurt. It took 10 weeks for my new knee to feel normal again. The surgery to fix my crooked leg happened late February. I have a metal, plate, a rod, and a bunch of screws holding the pieces of bone together in a straight line. Because the tibia is the slowest healing bone in adults, it probably will not be fully healed until 2020.

Home Knee Surgery Recovery (with X10)

This is where the X10 and I first became acquainted. My surgeon agreed to replace my left knee, but this time he prescribed the X10 for rehab. The machine was delivered to my home in July, and I began using it to build up my muscles in advance of the surgery. It seemed normal to resume the X10 after surgery, since I was familiar with how it worked. When I told my surgeon that I had achieved full range of motion after only three weeks post surgery, he said I’d kicked ass. He’s not very demonstrative, so I took it as high praise. At five weeks, my knee is back to normal.

Isolating the Left Knee for Rehab at Home

The X10 made it possible for me to undergo a TKR without having full use of the other leg. There is no way I would have succeeded with traditional rehab. The X10 allowed me to do my therapy at home, which in light of my still limited mobility, was a godsend.

The X10 also allowed me to take control of my rehab. I was in charge of how much I could tolerate. I enjoyed seeing my progress over the weeks and especially welcomed the encour...

In Home Knee Surgery Recovery

Sue McDonald's Recovery - 45 Years After a Motorcycle Accident

This interview was conducted by Mary Elliott. Click the Play Button above to listen to Sue and Mary's full conversation.

Prologue

When Sue was 17 years old she was in a motorcycle accident with her boyfriend at the time, now her husband. She did substantial damage to her right knee. She lived with it for nearly 45 years.

In Sue's Own Words

My experience with the X10 began one rainy afternoon in April, 1974. My boyfriend and I (now husband of 44 years) were riding his motorcycle when we were broadsided by a car. I remember the impact, sliding on the wet pavement towards the intersection. People gathered around and someone brought blankets. I heard, “her leg is messed up” and “I see bones”. I knew not to look. It was my first ambulance ride (no siren) and my first hospital-stay (5 days!). Turned out, it was a compound fracture of my right tibia & fibula. I remember not wanting surgery. It was April of my SENIOR YEAR of high school. I had prom, graduation and a whole new chapter in life to get on with. And so in the spirit of teenage invincibility, I was discharged with a full length leg cast.

For the next 30 years, I gave little thought to my broken leg. I lived an active life. Our family did a lot of camping, hiking and biking. Eventually, I started having ankle problems, which I lived with for the next 15 years. However, in 2016 the pain started in my right knee. The pain affected my gait and my left knee started to ache as well. By spring of 2018, I was using a cane. I was referred to both a knee and an ankle surgeon. The X-rays revealed that for the past 45 years, I’d been walking around on a rather crooked leg.

My First Knee Replacement (Right Knee)

I got my first new knee late last year, followed by out-patient rehab three days a week for six weeks. I especially enjoyed their anti-gravity treadmill, although my right ankle and left knee still hurt. It took 10 weeks for my new knee to feel normal again. The surgery to fix my crooked leg happened late February. I have a metal, plate, a rod and a bunch of screws holding the pieces of bone together in a straight line. Because the tibia is the slowest healing bone in adults, it probably will not be fully healed until 2020.

Home Knee Surgery Recovery (with X10)

This is where the X10 and I first became acquainted. My surgeon agreed to replace my left knee, but this time he prescribed the X10 for rehab. The machine was delivered to my home in July, and I began using it to build up my muscles in advance of the surgery. It seemed normal to resume the X10 after surgery, since I was familiar with how it worked. When I told my surgeon that I had achieved full range of motion after only three weeks post surgery, he said I’d kicked ass. He’s not very demonstrative, so I took it as high praise. At five weeks, my knee is back to normal.

Isolating the Left Knee for Rehab at Home

The X10 made it possible for me to undergo a TKR without having full use of the other leg. There is no way I would have succeeded with traditional rehab. The X10 allowed me to do my therapy at home, which in light of my still limited mobility, was a god send.

The X10 also allowed me to take control of my rehab. I was in charge of how much I could tolerate. I enjoyed seeing my progress over the weeks and especially welcomed the encourageme...

I went from my bedroom using a walker, walking into the room with the X10 getting up onto that machine. When I got off the machine, it felt better. Then I progressed to a cane and then to no assistive tools. It was definitely a comfort in knowing that you could go back the next day or the next afternoon and really see visible progress.

Quick Knee Surgery Recovery

Coach Dave's Total Knee Replacement

This interview was conducted by Mary Elliott. Click the Play Button above to listen to the full conversation.

My name's Dave Barrett. I am a retired school teacher. I taught for 30 years, coached many sports, including track, cross country, and golf. I am 54 years old. Within the last year, I decided to have a knee replacement. I used the X10 for about four weeks.

For years I have been a devout a workout enthusiast. I used to be a runner, and when my knee went bad, I turned to cycling. I felt healthy when I could work out three to five days a week. As my knee problems progressed, I became unable to do that.

My knee pain was prohibiting me from doing the things that I really wanted to do.

I've seen tons of friends wait too long to do their knee replacement, and their recovery was difficult. I made the decision that I wasn't going to wait until I was 60 or 70 when I was in excruciating pain. I had enough discomfort that, mentally and physically, I was ready for a full knee replacement. The doctors agreed that it was time, so I made the decision. I was really comfortable with that.

I'm a pretty active guy. I'm a fly fisherman. I like cycling. I play tennis, I ski and I wanted not to be in pain and be able to enjoy that with my family. It was really a lifestyle choice.

For Weeks Later – Post-Surgery

I had my surgery four weeks ago.

The surgeon did such a phenomenal job, but what was really different for me is when I learned about the X10 and what it provided. I'm kind of a systematic person. So I was looking forward to doing something regularly to try to rehab my knee in my home.

It wasn't just an object, it wasn't just a mechanical thing. It was a support system in addition to my physical therapist. It's really remarkable, the system that's set up around the therapy with this machine.

What it meant to me

Lisa from X10 called and said, “I'm from X10 and we're going to bring this machine into your home and you're going to do some prehab before your surgery. And then you're going to do some rehab after. I really didn't understand what that would look like or what that would feel like, but it made me feel so much better. I think it helped my mind. I absolutely, positively think that the work that I put in on the X10 helped my physical therapy. The recovery mentally and physically has been outstanding because of this machine and the system that this company has set up.

A Significant Surgery

Anyone that knows anything about knee replacement surgery knows that it's a significant surgery. The mental and physical is so hand-in-hand. The day after surgery I was on the X10 machine three times for 40 minutes. I worked out three times a day for four weeks. It was a comfort that gave me something to shoot for it, actually. Some people say, “Well I don't like working out.” I didn't view it as working out. I viewed it as an escape, to be able to rehab the knee. And lots of times I felt better coming off the machine than when I did going on the machine.

What Exactly Is it?

And the machine itself: You can go online and see it. It's a chair. It's an articulating arm that moves the knee back and forth, attached to a computer. I've told people,

Quick Knee Surgery Recovery

Coach Dave's Total Knee Replacement

This interview was conducted by Mary Elliott. Click the Play Button above to listen to the full conversation.

My name's Dave Barrett. I am a retired school teacher. I taught for 30 years, coached many sports, including track, cross country, and golf. I am 54 years old. Within the last year, I decided to have a knee replacement. I used the X10 for about four weeks.

For years I have been a devout a workout enthusiast. I used to be a runner, and when my knee went bad, I turned to cycling. I felt healthy when I could work out three to five days a week. As my knee problems progressed, I became unable to do that.

My knee pain was prohibiting me from doing the things that I really wanted to do.

I've seen tons of friends wait too long to do their knee replacement, and their recovery was difficult. I made the decision that I wasn't going to wait until I was 60 or 70 when I was in excruciating pain. I had enough discomfort that, mentally and physically, I was ready for a full knee replacement. The doctors agreed that it was time, so I made the decision. I was really comfortable with that.

I'm a pretty active guy. I'm a fly fisherman. I like cycling. I play tennis, I ski and I wanted not to be in pain and be able to enjoy that with my family. It was really a lifestyle choice.

For Weeks Later – Post-Surgery

I had my surgery four weeks ago.

The surgeon did such a phenomenal job, but what was really different for me is when I learned about the X10 and what it provided. I'm kind of a systematic person. So I was looking forward to doing something regularly to try to rehab my knee in my home.

It wasn't just an object, it wasn't just a mechanical thing. It was a support system in addition to my physical therapist. It's really remarkable, the system that's set up around the therapy with this machine.

What it meant to me

Lisa from X10 called and said, “I'm from X10 and we're going to bring this machine into your home and you're going to do some prehab before your surgery. And then you're going to do some rehab after. I really didn't understand what that would look like or what that would feel like, but it made me feel so much better. I think it helped my mind. I absolutely, positively think that the work that I put in on the X10 helped my physical therapy. The recovery mentally and physically has been outstanding because of this machine and the system that this company has set up.

A Significant Surgery

Anyone that knows anything about knee replacement surgery knows that it's a significant surgery. The mental and physical is so hand-in-hand. The day after surgery I was on the X10 machine three times for 40 minutes. I worked out three times a day for four weeks. It was a comfort that gave me something to shoot for it, actually. Some people say, “Well I don't like working out.” I didn't view it as working out. I viewed it as an escape, to be able to rehab the knee. And lots of times I felt better coming off the machine than when I did going on the machine.

What Exactly Is it?

And the machine itself: You can go online and see it. It's a chair. It's an articulating arm that moves the knee back and forth, attached to a computer. I've told people,

Getting the Most Out of a Stationary Bike After Knee Surgery

by Mike McClellan

Question: How can I maintain the gains I’ve achieved in Range of Motion and leg strength after my in-home X10 Therapy rehabilitation is complete?

Only X10 Therapy monitors, records and graphs your daily rehabilitation progress in Range of Motion and Leg Strength. Here are some recommendations on how to optimize and maintain your progress.

Starting X10 Therapy prior to surgery delivers faster and better post-surgery results

Our studies show that starting X10 Therapy at least one week prior to surgery (aka “Pre-hab”) enables patients to regain lost strength before surgery and accelerates their recovery after surgery.

Post-Surgery Rehabilitation Phase: X10’s data driven approach.

Once our patients have reached acceptable levels of both Range of Motion and Strength (usually in 2-4 weeks) we recommend continuing your daily therapy until you reach a plateau over several days with no setbacks.

A Stationary Bike can help you maintain your newly gained strength and flexibility:

You are ready to go back to the activities of daily living, but how can you prevent regressing once your X10 Therapy has ended?  Several of our patients have found that a stationary bike can help patients keep the extension, flexion and strength they’ve worked so hard to achieve during X10 Therapy.

X10 Therapy and a stationary bike were a winning combination for Melissa

One of the most exciting stationary bike brands out there today is Peloton. Melissa used her Peloton both before and after bilateral knee replacement.

At age 47 she was able to take full advantage of the stationary bike for strength training, and even for knee range of motion. Melissa shares her thoughts in this video shot four weeks after surgery.

The Stationary Bike

A stationary bike is one of the most useful and convenient tools you can use, whether recovering from a knee surgery or just trying to get/stay in shape. They are so accepted as a workout staple that almost all therapy clinics and gyms have them. If you buy one you will have the luxury of owning a tool that can single-handedly build your leg strength, cardiovascular endurance, and support knee joint mobility and stability. Around 110 degrees is generally the range of motion you will need to be able to perform all common daily activities, so if you can comfortably pedal a stationary bike all the way around then you are well on your way to a full recovery. I present here how you can get the most out of a stationary bike after knee surgery.

The first step in using a stationary bike - ensuring you have a proper setup

* Seat Height: A basic stationary bike will allow you to adjust the seat height up and down. You want the seat to be at a height where when your foot is at its lowest point throughout the pedaling motion, with the balls of your feet on the pedals, there is slight bend in your knee (about 5-10 degrees).

* Some higher-end bikes will have more advanced settings you can adjust, such as seat angle, seat position (seat slides forwards or backwards), and handlebar position (up/down and forwards/backwards).

* Seat Angle: You always want the seat angle to be parallel to the floor so you aren’t having to reach too far for the handlebars or sliding off the seat while pedaling.

The Coronavirus and Total Knee Replacement

Mary Elliott and Amy Bodway (PT) discuss Total Knee Replacement, X10 Therapy, and the Coronavirus (COVID-19).

This article is intended to help us learn more about the Coronavirus, COVID-19 and knee recovery. How do those two go together? How we can protect you moving forward? How we can make you feel safe throughout your whole recovery?

Coronavirus and Total Knee Replacement - Prevention

Prevention is obviously very important. There's currently no vaccine available out there to address the Coronavirus. So the best thing you can do for yourself is to not get exposed and just not get sick in the first place. It's important to note that the people with the highest risk of having severe complications of the virus are people with chronic medical conditions such as heart or lung disease and diabetes. If you have any of those conditions, you could talk to your physician about additional steps you can take to protect yourself.

Wash Your Hands

The biggest thing you can do to help prevent your exposure is to wash your hands frequently, regularly, and with proper technique. One of the commonly missed areas is in the web spaces of our hands. When you're washing your hands, you want to kind of use your fingers in those spaces and get under your fingernails, making sure you're washing for at least 20 seconds, which is two times through the happy birthday song.

If you don't have access to soap and water, hand sanitizer is an alternative. It's important that you use sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. If your hands are visibly soiled, sanitizer is not sufficient. You really do need to wash with soap and water.

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How to Wash Your Hands - CDC Website

Avoid the Sick

Something else that you can do is just stay away from sick people that you know are sick.

If someone has an illness, whether it's confirmed to be Coronavirus or you're not sure, just stay away. You can FaceTime or talk over the phone if you're sick yourself. Make sure that you cover your cough and your sneeze and wash your hands or use sanitizer.

THE KNEE LIBRARY

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