MUA UPDATE - MUA determined today...ugh!

[Pheebs52]

Egads, that is certainly looks like an uncomfortable contraption! I think we may need to send some special sleeping Pixie Powder your way!




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[Bikesouth]

You have nothing to lose by giving it a try.

 

[RadioGal]

@Celle Thank you for being so diligent reminding me (more than once) that time is my best friend in order to gain ROM. I do agree. But the reason I'm trying, what some might consider, radical approaches is because my knee is "stuck," frozen almost in a bent position. I've included a couple of pics from last month to demonstrate where I was at. I say was because it's definitely gotten better since I and the PT started treating it aggressively. And yes, I admit it has been somewhat aggressive.

However...please, be honest with me. I know you can't make a medical diagnosis, but can you look @ the pics I've uploaded here and tell me if that looks like a normal post TKR knee. I was not in any way, shape or form sticking my knee out for effect on these pictures. This is me trying to stand up as straight as possible, lining up my legs side by side, pulling that knee back as far as it would go.

I'd appreciate you, and anyone else who wants to take a look, giving your opinion based off these pics. TY

 

[Celle]

Lets ask @Josephine what she thinks about your knee and its extension, @RadioGal - although to be honest I think if you could provide some photos of your bare knee it might be more helpful.
Like these, if you can:

(Yes, I now that is the opposite of your problem, but you see what I mean)

To assess accurately, we need to see the three places marked by dots in the last picture.

I'm not the expert, but at first glance your knee doesn't look beyond help.

 

[RadioGal]

I had my husband take these, hopefully they work. BTW, I was pulling that knee in as far as it would go. Thank you for taking a look.

 

[sistersinhim]

I don't think that knee looks that bad for just 3½ months. My extension was the last to come in, as it is for many others. In my opinion, you are worrying needlessly. Just relax and let your knee take care of itself.

 

[Bikesouth]

IMO your intuition is telling you something, therefore you are proceeding down the correct path for you.
Not everyone can wait 12-18 months for improvement. The brace will at least be gentle & gradual.

 

[Josephine]

I know it's sort of not advised here @ BS to have someone doing what they are doing to me. But I'm admittedly a bit torn since I'm kind of anxious to get some extension.

Yes, and that's half your trouble - you're anxious! But there really is no need to be. What that therapist is doing to you is increasing your swelling and thus blocking your extension.

Sadly your photos are not good to me because though Celle tried her hardest, you never got the anatomical points I need to properly assess the extension.

But if you can tell me your flexion, that would be helpful.

 

[RadioGal]

@Josephine Thanks for your comments, my flexion last I was measured was about 110. It's definitely gotten better since my MUA, and the steel-like vice (my best description of it) around my knee before the MUA is gone.

Just in case you're interested, I happen to have had PT today and my extension before I left was down to -5. That's the best it's been since leaving the hospital post TKR.

I'm truly trying not to be anxious, but the pictures don't accurately reflect what I'm going through. My knee is almost frozen into a bent position. I have no other way to describe it, but as @Bikesouth said above, my instincts are telling me, along with PT and the OS, that this is not normal post TKR. And I'm truly not trying to rush anything, I do believe time is my best friend right now, but this knee is not "relaxing" on its own. I'm stumped every time I come here and read stories similar to mine. But I am open to what people have said to me here too. Do know I'm trying super hard to balance the experiences and advice I get here with what the doc and PT is telling me, not to mention, yes, my instincts.

Anything to add to that, yes please.

 

[Josephine]

I do believe time is my best friend right now, but this knee is not "relaxing" on its own. I'm stumped every time I come here and read stories similar to mine. Do know I'm trying super hard to balance the experiences and advice I get here with what the doc and PT is telling me, not to mention, yes, my instincts.

Well, let me try and put it this way - you've been faithfully following the advice of your professionals and where has that got you so far? Now is the time for a new approach.

All that you've said in this thread tells me with crystal clarity that you need to stop everything and allow your knee the privilege to sort itself out. It's not rocket science but it is somewhat revolutionary. You do know that the official definition of insanity is "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results". I rest my case!

 

[Spex10]

Erm flexion of 110 and extension of -5 doesn't sound too bad at all. Relax. I bet your knee will too!

 

[RadioGal]

@Celle This is likely info one can find on BS in a previous thread or link I'm thinking, but since I'm not aware, can you tell me how can one go about stretching and relaxing those muscles and tendons on the back of the knee? I'm extremely tight there, definitely part of my problem, and short of strap stretches and adding an ankle weight while lying face down on the bed, are there other things that can be done to elongate those muscles and get some of the flexibility back? Thank you.

 

[SusieShoes]

Here’s a link to a staff member’s page of ROM exercises. https://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/rom-and-extension-stretches.13159/. I used his extension exercise earlier in my recovery. That and walking were all I needed. Easy and effective.

 

[Celle]

short of strap stretches and adding an ankle weight while lying face down on the bed, are there other things that can be done to elongate those muscles and get some of the flexibility back?

Please don't do those. Stretching the muscles and tendons at the back of your leg has to be done gently and it takes time.

 

[RadioGal]

No weight you mean, @Celle? Not even an ankle weight?

I guess I never heard that. I thought someone here suggested that at some point since it seems, at least to me, that it's not that rough on the knee, especially if you do it in short spurts. Well, at least I should say that's my experience. Would love to hear the thinking behind that.

Thank you @SusieShoes for the link!

 

[Celle]

No. No weights at all.
Just let gravity do the work for you.
You need to stretch the muscles and tendons behind your knee gently and slowly. Try to do it too fast, and you might tear small fibres, which will cause pain.

It's not at all unusual for it to take a lot longer to achieve extension than flexion.

Extension: how to estimate it and ways to improve it

 

[Celle]

@RadioGal - I have moved several of your posts and the responses to them from patsortho's thread to your own thread.

By putting the above posts in her recovery thread, and asking questions about your own recovery, you were disrupting her thread, which should be about her recovery.
Forum etiquette: being polite when posting

Please post any updates or questions about your recovery in your own thread. We will see them there, as someone checks all the new posts every day.
If you need an urgent response to a question, just tag a member of staff.
How to tag another member; how to answer when someone tags you

If you prefer a different thread title, just post what you want and we'll get it changed for you.

Just in case you couldn't find your thread, here are the instructions on finding your thread,
How can I find my threads and posts? . Many members bookmark their thread, so they can find it when they log on.

 

[SusieShoes]

It takes time to stretch those big tendons. One thing you really don’t want to do is strain or tear the tendon. Tendons are notoriously slow to heal, and you’re already healing from a TKR. Why give yourself something else?

Weights on the knee are a bad idea because they increase the chance of straining the tendons and creating tears as Celle mentioned.

 

[sistersinhim]

You said PT said you have a -5 extension. If so, that means that your knee is completely flat. If they mean it's +5, then it's still nothing to worry about. +5 is almost flat. As you use it naturally during the day, after a while it'll be 0. I don't understand why you are so worried. You're stressing for no reason at all. Your MUA has been less than 2 months ago. That set your recovery back and your knee has to recover and get rid of the swelling from that. But, as I said, your extension is already almost perfect. I was over 6 months before I was completely flat and am fine now.

 

[Josephine]

my extension before I left was down to -5. That's the best it's been since leaving the hospital post TKR.

If it's -5 then whatever are your worrying about? -5 is hyperextension which means it's past straight. Even if it's +5, that's still extremely small and nothing to worry about and you can still get improvements in a few more months.

the pictures don't accurately reflect what I'm going through. My knee is almost frozen into a bent position

But didn't you say it was 110? That's hardly frozen. Or am is there something I'm missing?

Not even an ankle weight? I guess I never heard that. I thought someone here suggested that at some point since it seems, at least to me, that it's not that rough on the knee, especially if you do it in short spurts.

If you did hear it here, it wasn't from a member of staff because they all know that even laying on your stomach to improve extension can have a deleterious effect.