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TKR Athlete has a new left knee

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My PT has me doing the arc quad with a 5 pound ankle weight. Pretty easy. I am going to try it with the towel now too. My doctor said my flexion is going well but still concerned with my extension. I reminded her that my extension hasn't been below 5 in 10 years.

She mentioned MUA if it doesn't get close to 0 in 2 weeks. Anyone with experience with MUA?
 
I'd suggest that's absolute and complete stupidity. Not a man for half-opinions, me :)

If it's not been like it for 10 years, then my goodness it'll need LOTS of stretching exercise to get there. But the bone spurs which (presumably) were stopping it are now gone, and the stretching will work.

All MUA will do, surely, is to stretch the tendons beyond what they are capable of -- i.e. tear them.
 
But Roy, if that is true, then why didn't the tendons tear during surgery when they were able to get 0 and 135?
 
I agree with Roy: complete stupidity. For almost 30 years, I have been able to slip my hand under my knee when my leg is totally extended. I managed to compete in gymnastics, track and VB in HS, and VB and track in college without my knee being at 0. I even have pictures from my gymnastics days with one slightly bent knee to prove it. I know you will have patience, but will your PT?
 
asianjedi said:
But Roy, if that is true, then why didn't the tendons tear during surgery when they were able to get 0 and 135?
Click to expand...
OK I could be guessing above my pay grade here, but hey that's never stopped me before. Let's flag an expert, Josephine

My guess would be that in surgery you're unconscious so don't feel the pain; now it would be the pain which stops you. The tendons are stretching beyond that which they're used to and protesting. OK, tearing was a bit of a theatrical exaggeration :blush:

There's a good extension exercise which needs a partner.

- You sit on the floor, TKR leg out straight.
- Rest the heel on a fairly thick book or similar, to get it may 2" off the ground

- partner kneels at right angles to your leg, placing one hand about 6-9" below the knee, one about 6-9" above.
- gently pushes the leg towards the floor until you feel a good stretch through the back of the leg
- holds for about 20sec
- eases off, waits 30sec, repeats.
- repeat 3 or 4 times.

It's effectively the same as the self-performed exercise pictured in my thread on the subject, but more effective IMO.
 
I hear you guys, but if MUA will get me there faster (without a downside), I would be up for it. Not working out is killing me!

Anyway guys as an FYI my doctor (Dr. Randall Peyton) has been doing this for 30 years and is considered the foremost authority/pioneer of TKR in the Metro DC area. If he is suggesting it, then I trust him. However based on today numbers of 6 and 117, I will probably be passed his threshold of 5 and 120 before my next appointment in two weeks.

And I know guys....patience...I need to have patience. :tantrum:
 
FYI: MUA usually causes a great deal of swelling after the fact and upsets a lot of soft tissue, so basically those who have this done have to start counting recovery time from the time of the MUA. Sometimes it does wonders and other times it causes a lot of pain and misery and the person still has to take the slow easy road to recovery.

Your impatience may be a problem for you. Your knee is in charge here---not you, not the doc, not the PT----THE KNEE is calling the shots. Better listen to him or he'll make you pay!!!!!

Take care and keep us posted. We care.
 
Man the knee sure is bossy! Are you sure its a he and not a she? LOL.
 
[Bonesmart.org] Athlete has a new left knee
Well, asianjedi, now that you mention it, I suppose it might be female after all.
 
Roy Gardiner said:
All MUA will do, surely, is to stretch the tendons beyond what they are capable of -- i.e. tear them.
Click to expand...
Well, that's where S.K.I.L.L. comes in, Roy! A good surgeon can tell when enough is enough!
asianjedi said:
But Roy, if that is true, then why didn't the tendons tear during surgery when they were able to get 0 and 135?
Click to expand...
Because you were not only unconscious but paralysed as well! That means that there was no tension in your muscles at all and one can do amazing things with limbs that don't resist!
asianjedi said:
but if MUA will get me there faster (without a downside), I would be up for it. Not working out is killing me!
Click to expand...
My friend, it's YOUR decision entirely. But - and there's always a 'but'! - if you are already close to your target then your problem isn't adhesions and the MUA is unlikely to achieve any miraculous improvements.
asianjedi said:
She mentioned MUA if it doesn't get close to 0 in 2 weeks.
Click to expand...
Of course the key question here is, what is your extension now?

asianjedi said:
FYI my doctor (Dr. Randall Peyton) has been doing this for 30 years and is considered the foremost authority/pioneer of TKR in the Metro DC area.
Click to expand...
This statement always kills me! (and I am not in any way refuting what you have said because I don't know the man!) but in whose opinion is he the 'foremost'? 30 years ago (1983), most hospitals in the UK had already been doing TKRs for around 15 years and I myself scrubbed for the very first ever knee replacement in 1963! It kind of puts the 30 year guys into perspective! (no, only kidding! I'm sure he's a great chap).
 
Hey, haven't heard from you in a while. How is the extension coming along?
 
Hey Ready! Thanks for reaching out.

As of yesterday, extension was 4, flexion was 123 (+13 from pre-surgery).

Doc prescribed me another 6 weeks of PT because we knows my goals.

Which are get my heel to my butt and kneel comfortably. He said it should be no problem with hard work in the next 6 weeks.

By the way, I found through Youtube a martial artist that had his knee replaced at 50 years of age (he is 54 now). He owes a Muay Thai (kickboxing) and Jiu-Jitsu school in NC. He said after 4 months he was able to fully train and his new knee leg has more muscle than his old knee leg! WOOT!
 
Good morning. It's so great to have goals so you can stay focused, and what a cool You Tube you stumbled across. That's some great motivation and inspiration! Some day, someone will be looking at your recovery and be encouraged by what you have accomplished.

I finally got my extension to 0 yesterday. It took some warming up to get it there, but that is exactly what my first knee was like, and now I have that natural hyperextension in that one. I am confident it will return for this one, and for yours as well. Keep working smart! Have a good weekend.
 
asianjedi,
Great progress. Hopefully your extension will improve. At least you don't need the MUA.

I'm into my 5th week of PT. The strength of the TKR leg has increased from 40% to 65% of the non-TKR leg. PT will discharge me when the strength reaches 80%, so I am very close!

Roger
 
Just a quick update. Back to training Jiu-Jitsu 2 times a week. Not rolling (aka sparring) aggressively yet. Mainly warm-up, drills, and light rolling. Squats are good, limp is pretty much gone (except for first waking up in the morning), stairs are not a problem. Kneeling is back to pre-surgery level but I do have some pain on the inside of the knee, but it is getting better every day. Small victories are being achieved daily!
 
Good to hear from you and to read such a good report! They sound like big victories! It has been so long since I could kneel it didn't even cross my mind to try it. Hmmmmm? I think I will give it a try.
Keep up the good work.
 
Make sure you have padding under your knee. When I workout I am always wearing knee pads.
 
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