Trying to improve knee bend.

I think most of us suffer with a lot of swelling and stiffness and excoriating pain in the early stages ... after all we have undergone probably the most invasive and brutal operation but I was told to exercise through this and to take painkillers about an hour before physio and I must admit it helped.

I was told by my physio that my consultant expects his patients to have a 115 ROM and walk in unaided at their 7 week check.

At 6 weeks my physio managed to get my ROM to 103 but I almost cried with the pain and never thought I'd ever reach the magic 125 which apparently means you can lead a normal life again so I decided to do my physio religiously but stopped at the point of feeling the tightness but not excruciating pain. Luckily a week later at my 7 week check my consultant was pleased with my ROM which was around 115 but said that my knee was capable of a 135!

A week later at my last physio session I had managed to get a 125 ROM ... I almost cried with happiness.

I will always remember my consultant saying to me that he would give me the best tools for a good knee but I'd have to put in all the hard work to fulfill its potential ... how right he was.

This is a long hard recovery but if you put the hard work in, albeit very painful and unpleasant at times, you reap the rewards.

Hi Saralice I am 12 weeks TKR and yes it is very painful to the point of tears when working with the PT and very stiff after she has worked on it. I am now approx 101 degrees with hard work. but also don't forget to ice ice and more ice to take down the swelling. My knee is looking better than it did before the operation using the ice. My PT also mentioned last week to use heat before PT to help the muscles expand and ice after to help with pain and swelling. I am still on tramadol using 100mg at night to help sleep but it doesnt seem to intefere with my capabilities throughout the day. One excercise my PT gave me which really helps it to sit on something high (i use the outside iron patio table) and swing the leg from the knee allowing gravity to pull it down. It seems to relieve the discomfort in my knee and really helps with the bend. Hope things improve. I am seeing my PT again on Monday so wish me luck I am hoping for her to discharge me to continue the PT on my own.

8 Months post TKR worries me. I cannot lie to you. Have you talked to a health professional? My concern is that at 8 months physical manipulation will not be able to stretch or break the scar tissue. But I have seen one other patient only having 79 degrees.

Hi Saralice -- I am sorry that you cannot bend your knee past 90 degrees. I am post 6 months after my surgery and I was able to bend my knee to 118. Then my knee became swollen and I could not bend it as well and it went back to 105 degress. The doctor wanted to do a manipulation but it was already 4 months so I opted to go back to physical therapy. I had all together 50 sessions of PT. I got to bend my knee to 110 but I am stuck at 110. I go to the gym every other day. I have been told that is not good to go to the gym everyday. I would advise you to discuss your range with your doctor because you probably have built adhesions. If you have adhesions you won't be able to bend your knee any further. Too much time has past. Please continue to do your exercices at home and use the bicycle and the NU Step when you go to the gym. Wish you lots of luck. Please let me know how it goes since we have a very similar problem with the knees after surgery. Do you have any pain? J21370.

I still have pain in my knee even  eight months later. I have been really disappointed in my recovery as I have tried to do all the exrcises as much as I could, pushing through the pain barrier. 

I will go to the gym every other day as I don't want to overdo it. 

Thank you

Saralice, I think it is important to go gently but steadily towards more bend pushing it just slightly further every day.  This is going to be the only way of increasing it to what you want from it.  I don't actually think the swelling is that relevant.  I'm five and a half weeks post op and I know I'm the exception to the rule and very unusual but am getting a bend of up to 125 but there is still a huge amount of swelling there, as I would expect there to be, since I was warned this can go on for up to a year.  I did get a pinching/cramping feeling at the back of the knee at one stage, which I suspect now was due to swelling and my physio told me to ease off for a couple of weeks but that was because my bend was already what he termed 'one in a hundred' and I'd been pushing it too much.  It is important that people work on that bend right from the start.  When the thigh muscle hurt on day two and three I was using my hands to help pull that knee up and did keep at it from the first day when the physio showed us how to slide the leg on the bed and suggested using a tray to make it easier.  I think the longer you leave it, the harder it will get.  You don't need the gym for this - the gym is for building strength more than flexibility - you can do this several times at home during the day, either on the bed, on a chair or on a recliner.  Good luck:-)))

Everyone has differing opinions.  I'm 6 mos post.  Still seeing PT.  MY leg hurts like hell after manipulation and exercises for days, then back at PT.  The kicker is I still can't get to zero.  I'm not doing PT this week to see if there is any difference.  I get around pretty well, and I've learned to work around the disability.  Yesterday I hauled, lifted and struggled getting garage and patio cleaned.  And I planted flowers.  Thought I'd be in a body cast today, but feel looser.

I guess my 2 cents is don't force it and listen to your body.

Hi Sacrilice,

I had tkr 2 & half years ago, I  was not told by my surgeon to have any physio for 7 weeks, I did as I was told, he was the specialist.

I then went to phsio (privately) for 8 months, he really tried hard to get more bend, when I started with him I only had 45 degree bend. He was horrified that I had not been told to have physio sooner.

I eventually got to 107 degree bend, although I got my leg straight &  I could walk without a limp.

I decided to have a second opinion(even though I had paid privately in the first instance)

I was told that my prosthesis had not been put in central, so I could

 never get any more bend than I already have.

I was horrified, as the surgeon had told me as I was very fit & flexible, I would get 140 degree bend , no problem.

There is nothing I can do to the surgeon, he has totally got away with it, I cannot do anything to make him responsible.

Anyway, it could have been worse I suppose, but all I am saying is, make sure it has been put in central , otherwise, you won't get the maximum bend, like me.