MUA 10 weeks out and low ROM<

[rtkneeandy]

RTKR.... 3 weeks and 3 days ago now with only 65 flexion. Anybody else have this problem?

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[Celle]

Andy, - @rtkneeandy - a flexion of 65 at 3+ weeks is not a problem. Don't let anyone tell you it is.
Did you read what I posted to you just 2 posts ago, in Post #59? Please go back and read it again.

We have had many, many people here with flexion less than 65 degrees at your stage of recovery and, with time and patience, they have done well and achieved good ROM.

In spite of what your impatient surgeon told you, there is no need to rush to get good ROM, because it can keep on improving for a year, or even more. There is no magic window of opportunity within which you have to get ROM, or all is lost. That's a hoary old myth that should have died long ago.
Myth busting: the "window of opportunity" in TKR

 

[rtkneeandy]

Celle, thank you yes I did read that and I appreciate very much the feedback. It's so hard when your surgeon is telling you what has to be done by when.... and I completely believe what everybody on the forms the saying as well. I guess in the back your mind there's always something telling you that you could end up with your leg never bending properly again

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[rtkneeandy]

I'm sure there are a lot of people out there that have had their surgeons tell them that they have to get a manipulation under anesthetic and turn it down and their knee still turns out okay.

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[kneeper]

I was around where you are at 3 weeks. Gradually as the swelling came down and with lots of icing and elevating and minimal exercises I hit 90 at 6 weeks--and then continued to gain bend.

 

[Celle]

Have you seen bertschb's experience with his ROM? It might encourage you, Andy.

"I'm 12 months out from my surgery and have some advice based on my experience:
1- Stop going to PT (all it will do is make your knee swell and reduce ROM)
2- Don't worry about your ROM
3- Be patient - VERY patient!!!

Here is my ROM history (more or less):
1 month - 60 degrees
2 months - 80 degrees
3 months - 85 degrees
4 months - 90 degrees
5 months - 90 degrees
6 months - 110 degrees
7 months - 120 degrees
8 months - 125 degrees
9 months - 130 degrees
10 months - 135 degrees
11 months - 140 degrees
12 months - 140 degrees

I spent waaaaay too much time worrying about ROM. I thought I'd be riding my bike a couple months after surgery but it took SIX months! Looking back on my surgery, if I knew then what I know now, I wouldn't have wasted my time with PT and I wouldn't have worried about ROM."

 

[jaschembra]

I really like the chart Celle posted above. It shows how ROM continues. I know there are those who do PT and those who don’t. If it were me, I would go and learn what they have in mind. They may do some massage that could make your knee/leg feel good. You just have to be firm with them that you will not tolerate aggressive PT or pain. Tell them you want to work on getting the swelling down and at the end - let them ice your leg and put the stim on it (like a TENs unit). That made my knee feel good.

At my 1st appointment, 1 month, my OS said he wanted to see me in 4 weeks to make sure my ROM was coming along or else he would be able to put me under and “help it”. Well... I knew what that meant and I knew there was no way that a manipulation would be happening on me at only 8 weeks of recovery (I swell big time, so my ROM was slow coming). Anyway, it worked out, he was satisfied when I returned. Im now around 126 on average and I know it will gain a few more as well. My challenge is still to get zero extension.

Hang in there. Make sure you’re elevating toes above nose!!

 

[donebyme25]

Take care

 

[rtkneeandy]

Kneeper, celle, jaschembra, donebyme25... Thank you, thank you. This all makes perfect sence and im going to go to a... One PT session at end of this week or beginning of next ro see what they have on mind. I'm going to work on my ROM, but I'm going to be patient and go slow, great chart above makes me feel like I'm not as far behind as the doctor's office says I am. Thanks again to all of you for your support, what a great forum makes me feel like I should start throwing cash some direction to help support this project as this is the only place that seems to give good solid advice.

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[Jockette]

At PT don’t let them push your bend to measure, at all! There is no need for that, and it can/will have a negative effect. Early on I did not know that.

At one week post op my therapist pushed my leg so far the pain was bad and the only way I could handle it was to hang on to the table for dear life. Holding the table so tightly was the final straw that gave me acute tendinitis in my shoulder which actually hurt more than my one week old knee.

 

[jaschembra]

And for accurate readings, they shouldn't be pushing to get a measurement anyway. The measurement should be based on what you can do with your own muscles, etc. I think it's good to get some guidance from PT. They can make you copies of the exercises. They would tell me 1-3 reps, 3 x per day... There is no way I could have done that as I would have been a swollen mess! "You can't BEND a FULL Garden hose!" So, I would shoot for some of the exercises 2 x (stretching) and others, 1 x a day, oh, and 1 rep. I refused some exercises as they would hurt, so I would just say.... "Oh, I'm not ready for that yet". This recovery moves slow and can easily take you a step backwards by overdoing it.

 

[sistersinhim]

I'm going to work on my ROM

You don't have to work on getting ROM, doing so will have the opposite effect. ROM comes naturally as the swelling comes down. Very gentle stretches as you're going about your daily activities is enough to rehab that baby knee of yours!

 

[Kayaknlady]

Try going toPT early in the morning, as most of us swell as the day progresses. Are you icing and elevating at night? I slept with my polar care ice machines on with legs elevated. It helped a lot to reduce swelling. You can’t flex if swollen. I had Dr Wright also and he was discontinuing the polar care ice machines when I had my surgery 11 weeks ago. Luckily the hospital PT gave me them anyway ( I’m bilateral) . The constant cooling worked better than ice packs, especially at night. I’m grateful I had these ice machines. I didn’t use a recliner because my legs weren’t high enough. Laying on sofa with legs up worked better to reduce swelling and pain

 

[rtkneeandy]

Yes ma'am I'm probably icing about 12 to 15 hours a day I bought one of those little ice machines that I put the water bottles in rap that on the top and put an ice pack underneath the back of the knee and Elevate the knee above my chin. Things are going okay doing a little bit of stretching and walking more. Still taking pain medicine every 6 hours a couple of pills with some codeine. The new kind of feels like somebody's got a blood pressure cuff around it with it pumped up just generally tight but still do my stretches just a little bit try to keep things moving. Got one sick kitty Bobcat has a respiratory infection so him and I lay on the bed together. Thank you all again for your help and thoughts I'm just coming up on 4 weeks out if anybody has any questions for me I will be glad to try to help for whatever I'm worth.

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[rtkneeandy]

Oh yeah I forgot, tomorrow I have a CPAP machine coming to be delivered when it rains it pours. Diagnosed with sleep apnea before surgery

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[jaschembra]

yep, that's a good description for it: a blood pressure cuff. Later it could feel like a vise grip or claw. Good job on the icing and elevating. It will get better and as your swelling decreases, your flex will get better.

 

[rtkneeandy]

Well not gaining any bend. The entire knee is tight and hard. Like its swelled in deep. Worried about arthrofibrosis. Anyone out there have any experience with this?

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[sistersinhim]

Are you resting, icing and elevating almost all the time? You aren't quite a month out and need to be very gentle with that knee.

 

[rtkneeandy]

Yes gotnone of the blue wedges and elevate and ice 75% of the time. Evev at night. Am only up for short stents maybe 15 to 25 mins at a time. Some of that sitting on the couch. Bathe every day and microwave my meals. So I am mobile and when I put full weight on it with my walker it feels good, almost strong. Of course I have the pounding as it hangs bit its tolerable. Walking with the walker is ok. Just don't have any bend. Stuck at 65. I could post pics of both leg's if it would help.
Thanks.........

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[rtkneeandy]

Surgery 11/24/17

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