Basic compounds for overall growth

[TRA]

i blew a knee out almost 2 years ago and have been doing everything i can to avoid having to get a total replacement. This has amounted to finally being able to do legs but only on plate seated press/seated or lying curls or kick backs. it has eliminated dead lifts and squats.

i think I have noticed a lot less overall growth in size and strength without those two basic exercises - seems like even my lagging back grew in the past with deadlifts, and legs grew nicely with squats and leads. Now they are just getting cut but still skinny. Hell, I even noticed better growth in forearms without doing focused wrist curls, etc.

I was curious about other's experience with these two exercises for overall growth as I don't think it's my imagination in the overall lag without them, and also curious about suggestions that are knee-sparing for size growth in quads - extensions and squats blow knee up.

edit note: compounds = compound movements, not chemical compounds.

So in summary, since the pre-edited post seemed vague:
What is your experience with muscle growth with/without deadlifts and/or squats?
What might work for developing size in quads (sweep and head of vests) without being able to squat or do extensions?

[fiddlesticks]

Absolutely nothing is greater than insulin , you can look at it almost like a multiplier of how effective everything else is. Insulin plus high-rep lactic acid building type exercise will cause some epic growth.

Whoops did not see this was for exercises not drugs, however my comment still holds merit.. High lactic acid signaling from high rep exercises is key. Light weight, lots of reps and burn

[Quester]

-Maybe you could use a hexbar?
-Maybe you could simulate deadlift type effects on thee back by using rack pulls from low or some kind of modified cable row (if the cable is long enough)?