Who here has had a MUA

If you have had one, how early did you have it and what were your results. I will be having one on aug 13 and I will be almost 8 weeks post op stuck at 95 degrees.

I was stuck at 75L/95R and had bilateral MUA at 10 weeks. That got me to 105R/115L, after which I progressed on my own to 115L/130R (last measured in March at 6 months post-op). Haven't measured myself lately, but have probably progressed a little further. It will be going for my 12-month/10,000-mile checkup and oil change next month.

I had one at 8 weeks. I was stuck at 85 and although I got to 97 afterward, I continuously lost ROM.

95 really isn't that bad. Have you hit a wall, as in, no matter what you do you're stuck at 95? Have you tried a course of rest with lots of icing and elevation to see if that allows your knee to bend more? Chuck the strengthening exercises, do gentle stretches only. Worth a shot while you're waiting for MUA.

Don't take my case as an example because I had/have arthrofibrosis which is aggressive internal scarring.

I'm stuck at 90' & had my TKR done on June 4, 2012. I see my OS on Aug. 31 to decide if I need one. I'm done with PT as they said, "There is nothing more we can do." I'm not being so (painfully) aggressive with the bending "torture" and doing more back & forth exercises. I'm riding my recumbent bike for about 30 minutes a day. I take a 4-square ball & roll my foot back & forth on it, while sitting on a rocker. I feel it, but nothing like the wrenching of it during PT. I'm also keeping it up & keeping it cold a lot more. Keep us posted, as I may end up having one too.

Mary how long ago did you have your mua? Are you still at 95

I'm scheduled for tomorrow morning so there is no turning back in my mind. I'm not willing to wait weeks for no further increase in ROM. I feel like I have done all the PT I can, 3 x week, bike at home 20-30 minutes a day for last two weeks, and exercises at home 2 x day and on top of that getting in the pool. I feel like my leg just will not bend. Not that it's sore to bend but that there is something keeping the ROM from progressing. My tkr leg is now the same size if not smaller than the other leg so I do not feel like there is still a lot of swelling. Like I have said before I really want that other leg done before I have to go on Medicare. Do not want someone else decided when and if I should do the other leg. So it is what it is. By noon tomorrow it will all be over and I can start working to keep the scar tissue from building back up.

Mary, you did eventually get past 97° didn't you? I thought I read that in one of your past post.

Sherry
ltkr June 27, 2012

I think my signature shows dates of my procedures. My MUA was Jan. '11 and my short improvement was followed by backwards ROM. The week before the arthroscopic procedure to remove the scar tissue I lost 10 degrees. After that procedure I was at 85 for a few weeks and then slowly inched my way up to 105 or so and stopped trying. I'm at 120 now. I still have scar tissue but not tissue that tethers moving parts as before.

HI Sherry,

I had MUA 3 months after LTKR. I was having issues with extension mostly, not so much with flexion. I had -15 for extension and about 105 for flexion. During MUA, OS got me to -5 and 118. He said he heard a loud pop during the procedure and said I would never have broken through the scar tissue on my own. I felt great and could feel the better extension after just a couple of days. Thats when PT started with aggressive pushing, which caused swelling, which inhibited ROM and I lost what I had gained through the MUA. Also, just because your knees look similar in size, doesn't mean the soft tissues inside the knee aren't swollen. Think about the compact nature of the joint and how just a small inflammation might cause tightness.

I encourage you to use the MUA as an opportunity to jump start your recovery. Just remember that it will be swollen and it will be sore. Ice and elevate, take it easy. You will be amazed at the better outcome. As others have said, you are not ever going to train your knee into submission, it is healing and it simply takes time. I know that patience can be hard to come by all too well. I feel your pain and can relate to any frustration you feel. I am almost one year post TKR, going in on the 14th for a revision because I am still missing extension at -15-20. I wish I had done many things differently from the beginning of this journey. Starting Tuesday, I will be doing things differently.

Good luck tomorrow and keep us posted. If you read through my thread, I have detailed notes of how I felt right after the MUA. It may help provide a little bit of insight.

Looking forward to your updates!

Be well,

Dawn

I had the MUA on Monday. Doc said he didn't think I would have broken through the scar tissue in PT. My problem on day three since this procedure is that my thigh muscle and calf muscle are sooooo sore I can hardly walk right. Is that from the pushing during the MUA. Second day at PT he stretched me to 105. Just got to get the muscles calmed down. Also, how long should the knee itself feel pain. Of course, it isn't anything like it was in the beginning but it is still uncomfortable at 7 weeks.

Your muscles will be sore for many days, it will vary. I had bruising where he was holding my legs during the MUA. The pain will subside pretty quick, within the week. Keep up the ice, control the swelling is the best thing you can do.

Take care,

Dawn

Hi Cflower! I had my MUA at 11 weeks, and although the surgeon told me that there were lots of adhesions popping, and showed me a photo of my heel pressed up against by tush, the very next day at PT, my ROM kept going backwards. It was awful. I wish I had listened more to the people here at Bonesmart and not worked so hard to please the surgeon, but was nicer to my knee and I would have been better off! I'm at 6 months post op and I think I'm still not as far along as the surgeon wants me to be. I think I'm at least at 100+ but I'm not comfortable when bending. I'm not comfortable anywhere, for that matter. This has been the most difficult thing I've ever gone through in my life! From reading threads here in Bonesmart, I am doing better and going for acupuncture for the pain and swelling. When I do too much, my knee lets me know and not so gently either! I believe that going about my everyday stuff and not worrying and working at my knee and its ROM, I'm actually getting somewhat better. Now, if I can get to the point when I don't think about my knee 24/7, I will be much happier!

You wrote:

At 6 months, I still have pain. Certainly not like it was in the beginning, but it's painful, stiff and very annoying. I cannot sit too long, or stand too long without having more pain.

Let us know how you're doing...

Take care, Twink

I will be 8 weeks on Thursday and hovering around 100°. That just wasn't the results I expected after doing the MUA. I have a problem guarding the knee by tightening the muscles when the PT stretches me. He says he can feel it in my knee and even my ankle. Does anyone remember if they too were at 100° at 8 weeks.

I'm still at 93 degrees & it's been since June 4th! My pre TKR was 73, so I guess I should be happy. My next OS appointment is Aug. 31, so I'm wondering if he determines a MUA is appropriate. Hmmmm?

Sherry ~ I was nowhere near 100° at 8 weeks. I still think you're in the early stages and shouldn't be so concerned with the numbers. I'm at six months and think the MUA set me back instead of helped me gain further ROM. Of course, this is all against what the surgeons and physical therapists say and/or expect, but it goes along with the Bonesmart philosophy. Yesterday when I went to acupuncture, I sat on the treatment table and bent my knee quite far (the acupuncturist tells me that it was more than 100°). It wasn't without pain, however. But, I could be at 100+ one day and then another day, less. If we could throw out those numbers and just go along doing our normal, everyday things, we'd all be better off!

I'm at 105-110 at the best and I am two years out from my LTKR. It doesn't limit me and I can do just about everything. I am a small person and very flexible and strong, so that probably helps. Sometimes I think that I should have more ROM, but I don't focus on the numbers, but the things that I can do now that I could not do before. My ROM before surgery was about 30 degrees, so I am grateful that I have some much more ROM now with a pain free, stable and strong knee.

It took my over a year to get to 100 degrees and you are only at 8 weeks so you have a plenty of time to gain more ROM. I also have the same situation as you have with your knee, when I try and push for more ROM my hamstrings really tighten up and prevent me from bending further. I'm sure my IT band also tightens. I think its from years of having such a limited ROM and the muscles tightening and shortening.

I'm not sure if I will gain anything from the MYA. I will be 9 weeks post op, 2 weeks post MUA. I hover at 100 ROM. Pt says I tighten my quad muscle so much when he tres to stretch. But even on my own when I do heel slides or bending leg under chair I reach a point that it's like hitting a brick wall. It Will not go any further. I've heard some people talk about being at 100 but is that with a stiff feeling or a eg that bend freely t00 100. If I am doomed to stay at 100 will the leg bend to 100 on its own or will I constantly be pushing/pulling on it. Why is my leg so stubborn. I do bike everyday about 15-20 min then 300 min of pool exercises

Cflower, I can hear the frustration in your post. You are only 9 weeks post op and 2 weeks out from your MUA. You haven't even healed from your TKR and you added an MUA into the pile. You have a LONG, LONG, way to go. It takes a year or more to fully recover and you are just at 2 months post-op. You CAN"T rush it and you must be patient or you will get even more frustrated than you already are.

Staying at 100 isn't such a bad thing, but you have a long time to go to gain ROM. There is no window as some think. You can gain even after a year.

In my opinion you are doing way too much activity. Biking and pool exercise (I assume you meant 30 minutes and not 300). You need to take a step back and RELAX and stop focusing on the number. ROM is all about function and what you can do and not the number.

My ROM after 2 years is 105-110 and I am in no way limited. Since you asked, yes I can bend my knee freely to that degree. I do everything I want to do and more including high intensity spin classes five days a week. I stopped focusing on the number because it would depress me. Why do I need more ROM anyway, I can do everything and more that I need to do and more. I have no idea what I would do with the extra ROM, except sit on my heels, but I haven't done that since I was 17 years old. I have a pain-free, stable and very strong knee. I focus everyday on my miracle knee and what I can do now, which is a lot more than before the surgery, a whole lot more. It took more over a year to get here, you can't recover in 9 weeks, your knee is still healing. You will get there too, but you need to take a step back and let the knee do its own thing without pushing it.

Had one at three months when I was under for my left TKR. Right knee was stuck under 100. Now at 135.