Lack of knee bend after TKR

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bgould
bgould Member Posts: 10
edited 30. Jan 2017, 06:36 in Living with Arthritis archive
Hello, 8 weeks after TKR, left hospital with 65 degree knee bend, after 6 weeks had got up to 94 degree, after 8 weeks still 94, cannot seem to get any further. Am trying as hard as I can to bend more, but the pain is just too much. Can walk o.k.2-3 miles no trouble, difficult walking downstairs, one stair at a time because knee not bending enough. Does anyone have any method for increasing knee bend. Barry.

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  • hileena111
    hileena111 Member Posts: 7,099
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Hi Barry
    What does the physiotherapist say? The registrar isn't happy with my straight leg.....almost there but not quite. He and the physiotherapist are very happy with my knee bend 110 degrees.
    {I'm 10 weeks post op}
    Like I say the registrar wasn't overly happy with the straight leg but the physiotherapist said keep doing the exercises for that one but not everyone walked out with their leg perfectly straight. Not everyone had a completely straight leg when they came in :) I know its your bend you are talking about but I just thought I would tell you about the difference in opinions ......the registrar and physiotherapist.

    Love
    Hileena
  • bgould
    bgould Member Posts: 10
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    hileen :animal_busy: hha111 wrote:
    Hi Barry
    What does the physiotherapist say? The registrar isn't happy with my straight leg.....almost there but not quite. He and the physiotherapist are very happy with my knee bend 110 degrees.
    {I'm 10 weeks post op}
    Like I say the registrar wasn't overly happy with the straight leg but the physiotherapist said keep doing the exercises for that one but not everyone walked out with their leg perfectly straight. Not everyone had a completely straight leg when they came in :) I know its your bend you are talking about but I just thought I would tell you about the difference in opinions ......the registrar and physiotherapist.

    Love
    Hileena
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    I haven't had a TKR but I had a larger operation on my left knee back in 2002. They weren't going to let me leave hospital until I mastered a straight leg raise but luckily they relented because it took me 18 months, even with doing my exercises on a daily basis. This was entirely due to the damage the surgeon inflicted on my muscles (which has to be done) in order to sort out the years of solidified inflammation surrounding the joint.

    It takes our joints years to reach the point of needing replacement yet we expect everything to be radically improved in a matter of weeks. The deeper healing takes some time and progress is characterised by plateauing, the body needs a rest and time to adjust. These plateaus happen in so many areas of life but, as adults, we find them both exasperating and frustrating. Keep doing the exercises and don't become too hung up about achieving a certain degree of bend: it will happen when it happens and it will. DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • Helenbothknees
    Helenbothknees Member Posts: 487
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    My knee bend was always pretty good, but it's got better and better over the last 4+ years. The improvement has been gradual, but I haven't actually been trying at all. Dreamdaisy is right - exercise, but not to the point of extreme pain, and have patience. Things may improve over the next few months or years...I know they don't tell you that, but it's what I've found.
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