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MUA [BILATERAL TKRS] The Fun Begins

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Today at the end of therapy I was able to reach 95 active ROM on my right knee and 98 on the left! I was so excited! I still can't walk, but now I know the MUA worked and that the ROM will come. It's been a very encouraging day.
 
Hon....I'm so sorry that I just today saw your tags. I was away from the forum for a week. I'm so glad that Jo was right there to help ease your mind. And now you've made it through the MUA! Hooray!!! It sounds like you're doing just fine. Please don't hurry yourself to gain ROM. It will come in your body's own time. Just be sure you are doing lots of icing and elevating to keep the swelling at a minimum. I'm so glad to hear the joy in your posts!!!!
 
Thanks, @Jamie! I am icing a LOT. I have also enjoyed therapy and seeing progress. Today I am still at 95 to 98 on my left knee, but I only managed 85 on the right. I don't feel discouraged though.
 
2hips2knees said:
I only managed 85 on the right. I don't feel discouraged though
Click to expand...
Keep that thought because it's a good attitude :thumb: .... at just over 3 months it's still a bit of a roller coaster for most of us so checking ROM daily could be counter-productive... I think a week-by-week progress is good enough! :SUNsmile:
 
@Josephine or @Jamie, what is the best way to measure ROM? I don't have nearly the range of motion lying down doing heel slides (even using a strap to help) that I have sitting up at the side of the bed.
 
Didn't you look in the Library? ROM (range of motion) information

Even with the correct device it's almost impossible to do this yourself.
But if you post a photo of your bent knee, I can measure it for you.
Photo should look like this with the ankle and the top of the hip both showing clearly

[Bonesmart.org] [BILATERAL TKRS] The Fun Begins
 
@Josephine, yes, I have read the article. I know the pictures are shown of measuring while lying down, but I didn't know that was the only position you should use to measure. I have had therapists who say ROM measured sitting up is more meaningful than that measured lying down, which measures passive ROM. I don't know if that is because I can't get any significant ROM lying down without some sort of assistance. But I can bend my knees significantly more without assistance while sitting at the edge of a table.
 
That's the standard as laid down by the BOA and other such learned academies.
 
In the US, ROM is measured both ways and there really is no "standard" for doing the measurement. I had therapists measure me lying down; others sitting in a chair. My surgeon never measured at all but just watched me bend both sitting on the examining table and lying down on it.

it's really best not to focus on the numbers. It's more a matter of whether or not you are seeing slow improvement in the bending and straightening of your leg AND how you are able to function doing the things you want to do (walking, going up and down stairs, driving, etc.).
 
I think my PT measured both ways but like Jamie said, the key thing is improvement in bending, straightening and function. Also how easily you're bending and straightening is a sign of improvement too.
 
Thank you, @Jamie and @kneeper. The therapists here are really focusing on the numbers, and that does start to get depressing, especially on a day like today when ROM was lower... and I am much stiffer. Back in the CPM again... bleh.

On the upside, yesterday I walked in the pool because I just haven't been able to remember how to walk (correct gait) since the MUA. I finally "got it" in the water, and walking (on walker) on dry land was much better today.
 
You might want to reconsider use of that CPM. You are 3 months out and working your knee in therapy. You really don't need to add time in the CPM and it could be that is causing some additional swelling that is inhibiting your ROM. You might try resting instead of more activity.

You also need to change your signature to reflect your MUA. You'd be amazed at how frequently we refer to those dates prior to offering help and advice!
 
@Jamie, I asked my therapist to call my surgeon about the CPMs because I agree with you that I feel like my knees are being overworked. She called him, but he said he still wants me in them 4 hours a day until I see him Monday. I can see much better ROM in the CPM, but sadly in measuring in therapy, I had better ROM last weekend than now. I will get a bit of a break this weekend though.

I am glad I am in rehab because I am certainly a fall risk, and they work hard to control my pain, but my knees have very little rest time.

I have also been experiencing terrible pain when I settle into bed for the night. Just lying with my knees straight hurts my right knee something awful. I cried and cried last night. Hubby massaged my knees, and the pain disappeated though. The same pain happens in therapy when they try to slightly elevate my foot as an extension exercise. This is strange because they say my extension is 0. (But I can't extend the knee out on my own nearly that much. I get 0 when someone helps me straighten it... without pain.) Even without elevating the foot, the pain in that knee is bad when resting flat. This also always means standing up is very painful. I have to wait to let the knee settle before I can walk, but even then it is my right knee that is the main problem when I try to walk. I get shooting pains at a very specific spot on the inside (left side) middle of the knee... the same spot that has hurt since th MUA March 11. Every time I lift the knee to take a step, I have bad pain in that spot. I will ask the surgeon about this Monday also.

Thank you for your advice about updating my signature. I have now updated it to reflect the MUA as well as my left hip revision in July.
 
2hips2knees, sorry to hear that about your CPM. My doctor won't use them and I thought I might have been behind in ROM because I didn't get to use one. After your post, I'm not so sure. I even thought about renting one myself anyway???

Sorry you are having so much trouble sleeping, I can't seem to get much sleep either and it seems to be common for everyone on this forum. I hope you find something to help you sleep better soon. I know how much a good nights sleep can help. Just wanted to jump I here and say so sorry for your problems.
 
Hi, @rfricano, thank you for your post. The surgeon doesn't use the CPM following knee replacements, but he does with a manipulation under anesthesia. The idea is not to lose the ROM gained during the procedure. It's not so much that I don't like the CPMs, but in conjunction with all the therapy I am getting, it seems too much.

I am sorry you aren't getting much sleep either. You're right, it does seem to come with the territory.
 
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