Late Range of Motion Improvement?

I can only tell you what my surgeon told me - that bend increases over the two years post op.  But I don't know how much.  Sorry you're having difficulty - some really do, don't they!  Good luck!

I think we need a support group for people who have stuggles with flexion and ROM as it seems a select number do but why? The "experts" tell us it is because we did not do enough exercise in the early recovery but I think that is to make it look like our fault not theirs. I have seen others who barely break a sweat with their exercise but so great - they say it hurts a lot but it was not the pain that stopped my knee bending - it was just that it would not move any further. I'm no quitter and I'm still hearing that it was my fault after an MUA to break the scar tissue.

?I always put 100 per cent into everything and no way would I shirk and end up with a stiff knee that restricts my independence this way. I'm only able to get 95 degrees even after manipulation but I had an OK bend pre op, just a permanently bent knee then, could not straighten. Now the other way around. I am at 10 weeks post op and  have found recovery challenging with pain that would not get controlled and bad reactions to meds. I have several other health issues that have not helped.

?I am a former researcher and have read everything out there about knees and scar tissue. Some of seem to be more prone to make more scarring and adhesions than others, but how to avoid it - if you overwork the knee you get more swelling and stiffness, but if you underwork it, the scarring takes hold. I have read of people making improvements for months and even up to or beyond a year, but my surgeon said you need to over 90 degrees to have any hope of futher improvement. Now the work is harder than ever to maintain it. So frustrating to kep working without a positive result. But has to be done somehow.

Both my OS and PT told me it was not my fault.  They knew that I had given PT all I had and worked hard there and at home on my exercises.  They both said that some people just make more scar tissue than others and it's not anything I did or didn't do that caused this.

I was at 78 ROM up until I did my MUA at 12 wks.  Now I am at 105, not the best but PT says I will be able to do most things in daily living.  My straightening is at 6, but OS says that it should get better with time.

I'm having 2nd knee done 6/21 and am scared that it will happen again.  It set back my recovery because of the manipulation.  But crossing my fingers and trying to stay positive.  I really do not want to do another TKR, but I also want to be pain free and get on with my life.  Good luck with your recovery and if you decide to do the manipulation, it's not the end of the world, at least you would have more ROM.

Do not be disheartened after only four months.  I think I must have had the slowest recovery ever and at one point became very depressed at failing to meet other people's expectations.  However, after a year I decided to accept it how it was and get on with life as I was fed up with life revolving around my knee.  I am now nearly 2 years post op and my bend and strength continue to improve.  My surgeon stressed that the replacement would never feel like my own knee and it doesn't, but it does feel strong and stable.  I recently visited an ancient castle in Scotland and walked up and down five flights of a stone spriral staircase, which would have been unthinkable a year ago.  Tkr is not a quick fix, just keep plodding on and eventually you will get there.