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Range of motion progress

Posted , 11 users are following.

ed03050
ed03050

I had a total knee replacement (Stryker) on May 7 and have been receiving therapy 3x per week.  My range of motion has been stuck at 110 degrees and I still have some knee pain.  I'm supposed to get to 120 degrees but what happens if I can't get there?  I'm allowed 6 more therapy sessions with social security and have signed up to start working out with a gym and a trainer in 2 weeks

I still have pain but take only over the counter drugs for pain.

Are others facing the same situation as me and what are they doing?

I've been told that I'll be about 80% healed in one more month (3 months post surgery).  I'm very stiff in the mornings and have to stretch my knee before getting out of bed

What are others experiencing?

0 likes, 17 replies

17 Replies

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  • linda88757
    linda88757 ed03050

    Posted

    I had mine April 16 and had therapy 2 X weeks. I am still doing therepy. My range is 95-100% My therapist said the bend will come just keep working at it. I am back to work and can do pretty much anything I want except go down stairs the correct way. I can go up. He said when the quads get stronger i will be able to do stairs. I am very stiff in the morning and after a day of stretching and walking its good at night then back to the same thing in the morning. You seem pretty normal to me. I would love to be at 110 which is what I was before surgery. Take it easy on your self. You are doing fine I think.
  • pat99452
    pat99452 ed03050

    Posted

    Good morning.  For me, ROM hit a plateau and I had to really push to get it where it is now. Last measurement was 135. I am 4.5 months from TKR. Have you checked out Chico’s exercises? They help a lot. One of the exercises we did at my last few therapy sessions was to lay on my stomach with a band looped to your foot. You then used the loops in the band to pull your ankle to your buttocks and hold for count of 10. My hubby made me one for home use that is a looped rope with a knot at the other end to “walk” up.  I use that every day and then ice. It really helps. I hope this helps you
  • Dcweather
    Dcweather ed03050

    Posted

    Well \i had mine the day after you Ed. My bend is now 95 deg and has been stuck at that for some time. I have been doing exercises three times a day and having physio once per week. Physio hasn't said any "supposed to be" readings and says everyone's potential varies depending on pre-op knee situation and age. I hope to get more but nothing changes whatever the effort put in and my other knee which had low ROM for 20 years never got past 90. I would aim for what you had pre-op and then just hope for a bit more and ignore what other people can achieve..

     

  • nwf477
    nwf477 ed03050

    Posted

    I have been thru this too many times in fact I am now on the 6th time. If you do not get to 120 by your 3rd month the world will not come to an end you will not be burned at the stake no matter what the Dr.'s or Therapist's tell you it's not written in stone that you be able to do or bend by such and such date. No one heals the same some longer some shorter it may take you longer to get past 110 but really if it takes you 4 or 5 its still not a big deal. You wrote you still have pain but now your ok with taking over the counter that is great!! As far as being stiff and having swelling after 2years PO I still had days where I get up my knee felt like a rusted bolt very hard to move but once I got up and started moving around it felt better. If I over do it boy does my knee let me know. In my opinion your doing fine keep it up you will get there just be patient.

    • ed03050
      ed03050 nwf477

      Posted

      Thanks

      I'm trying hard.  We just got from a weekend trip and I had to climb some stairs and this was very difficult.  My operated leg muscles are weak but I keep trying

      How was your pain 2 months after the operation?

    • nwf477
      nwf477 ed03050

      Posted

      Sorry about the double post made a mistake. You may not want to read this but this is based on my average, considering this is my 6th time I can go by my average. You are going to have lots of pain and swelling the first 3 months but yet again everyone is different one I reached the 3 month mark the pain and swelling got better but that does not mean it was gone you are still going to have bad days as well. I just had my 6 th revision on June 18th currently what the Dr. told me is accurate the more surgeries you have on the same knee the more it is going to hurt the longer its going to take to recover. My ROM is fine currently at 110 considering Monday will be 3 weeks from surgery I am doing fine with ROM however pain wise none of my other surgeries hurt like this one. At 2 months your doing stairs?? wow!! even after my 5th revision stairs have always been a problem I try and avoid whenever possible. You cannot go by what anyone tells you concerning what you should be able to do by a certain time frame I gave up on that after my 2nd revision. As long as you do not over do it you will heal and hopefully you will be able to look back on this and say it was worth it. For now you have to be patient if you decide to push it to try and get better faster you will end up going backwards not to mention causing your knee to swell and the pain level to get out of hand. You cannot focus or base how your doing by anyone else it just does not work sorry. I have been to therapy numerous times just like others on this site Chico for one Oldfatguy for another in my case nobody heals the exact same way we are all different. So let me ask you a question how do you think your doing?? If I were to answer based on my experience I think considering 2 months out ROM is good your no longer on narcotics for pain ( great!! ) your going up stairs and yes I know it hurts but come on its only been 2 months you do not heal over night this surgery takes months to fully heal if not longer. I think your doing fine but that is based on what I have been thru I do not compare myself to others there is no point. I would continue with what your doing unless you start feeling extreme pain or come down with an infection I would not change anything. Keep it up!!!
    • Dcweather
      Dcweather ed03050

      Posted

      WRT pain Ed the same applies I think. Everybody has a different threshold and different amounts of trauma caused by the op depending on the surgeon and what he needed to do. There is no bog standard op. Some have to have joint smoothed and bone spurs removed, others straightened in different ways causing stretching to muscles , ligaments and tendons. For my part (op day after you) I had more pain and in different ways to my first knee during the first three weeks. After that it became similar to the other and has been more of a dull ache or very little since. I haven't really needed pain killers after first 4 weeks. I can walk over a mile on rough ground  and it just aches and is a bit stiff for a while. Swelling is present still but getting less and it doesn't feel as "hot" but still warmer than other knee. I've already mentioned the not very good ROM.

  • nwf477
    nwf477 ed03050

    Posted

    I have been thru this too many times in fact I am now on the 6th time. If you do not get to 120 by your 3rd month the world will not come to an end you will not be burned at the stake no matter what the Dr.'s or Therapist's tell you it's not written in stone that you be able to do or bend by such and such date. No one heals the same some longer some shorter it may take you longer to get past 110 but really if it takes you 4 or 5 its still not a big deal. You wrote you still have pain but now your ok with taking over the counter that is great!! As far as being stiff and having swelling after 2years PO I still had days where I get up my knee felt like a rusted bolt very hard to move but once I got up and started moving around it felt better. If I over do it boy does my knee let me know. In my opinion your doing fine keep it up you will get there just be patient.

  • Oldfatguy1
    Oldfatguy1 ed03050

    Posted

    I don't really understand that mandate. ROM can continue to improve for some time. Sometime you appear to be stuck and suddenly you'll notice a little more motion and things are looser.

    • Dcweather
      Dcweather Oldfatguy1

      Posted

      True, but also there are times when it seems to temporarily get less and stiffer before going back to where it was.
  • teela_13121
    teela_13121 ed03050

    Posted

    Just think yourself lucky. I am 10 months post tkr. Had straight leg and 155+ bend before my op which I was told was necessary due to arthritis and knee cap in wrong place die to a collapse. I was 110 at 8 months and -10 on straightness. Had mua which has increased bend but told my leg will never be straight. I am young (50's) and was very active. I wake every morning with a stiff knee and stagger. Every time I sit and try and get up it's stiff and uncomfortable. I wish I had never had it done. I'm hoping that this may improve in time. I ride, try and walk , do Pilates, gym aqua and stationery bike so no one can say I haven't tried. Sorry....having a day feeling sorry for myself. Did my sacro-iliac in a few days ago so now even worse as I can't lift my leg without using my back muscles!

  • kerrie_30523
    kerrie_30523 ed03050

    Posted

    Hi your range is really good I had my right knee tkr October 2016 and even now only get 100 had my left knee tkr March 5th this year and Rom has been stuck at 50 since 5 weeks post op despite intensive therapy,  I’m waiting to see my surgeon on the 25th this month for a date to go for an MUA.   It’s different for everyone and every knee.  It’s a really tough long recovery with lots of obstacles to overcome so please don’t worry.  Your doing well and the people on this forum are so lovely and supportive and always here when you need them.  Keep smiling and good luck 
  • avie47
    avie47 ed03050

    Posted

    It's been a yr since my right tkr and 8 months since the left. I aced the right. So I decided to do the left. Totally different. Left took forever. The PT was so painful I got gout in my foot. That set me back. I quit the PT. Slowly worked on it myself. I was told I'd always have a bend. Also, that I'd never be able to completely bend. I didnt care. But guess what? Knees do what they should. Just work on it slowly. Dont beat yourself up. The best help for me was a recumbent bike. Going backward was easiest. I thought I'd never pedal forward. One day I went completely around and that was the ice breaker. Slow steps each day. A little bit at a time.

    • jenny61596
      jenny61596 avie47

      Posted

      I agree if you do it slowly it will get there I am not keen on physios they push too hard , just cause pain and swelling and I have really good movement without going to them, didn’t use a bike but just bending and straightening all the time , and in the pool , bikes are good just never bothered . 
  • jenny61596
    jenny61596 ed03050

    Posted

    Well you will still have pain , and you will be stiff for some time yet . I don’t know about 80% healed at 3 mths think that’s a bit unrealistic , don’t overdo it , hopefully it will come , I found some days I could bend better than others depending on swelling , just keep slowly bending you leg in bed using your hands to pull it toward you , I found that best way to get movement , and also in a pool . Early days yet , good luck 
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