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Flexibility and Range of Motion after TKR

Joint Replacements | Last Active: Mar 13, 2022 | Replies (23)

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@glidefloss

Hi @4russcoll, today's my 7th week after RTKR and apart from the dreaded "get up from bed" super tight band feeling around the knee and minor swelling, the knee has been pain free, stable, and much stronger than before. I now have pretty good ROM on the knee, though quite a ways from being able to do a yoga "baby's pose" ... but I'm slowly working my way there.

Here's something I do nightly in bed right before turning in ... which you might consider - on my back, I raise my right (surgical) leg straight up (perpendicular with my body) and then slowly lower the lower leg into a bend - just letting gravity work its magic. I use my left arm to guide the lower leg gradually down, letting gravity do the work. At some point the knee'd come to a near standstill but gravity will continue to exert its force and the knee will start to hurt due to the bend. I'd use my left arm to continue to prop the lower leg up at that position and I'd try to hold it for a minute (not always possible), getting the knee used to the deeper bend ... then gradually straighten the leg up. Straightening the leg up always cause an interesting sensation as the blood from the lower leg rush downward. After a few seconds of the leg up, I'd repeat the gravity bend. After a few repetitions, I'd call it a night.

Good luck with rehab!

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Replies to "Hi @4russcoll, today's my 7th week after RTKR and apart from the dreaded "get up from..."

Thank you so much!! I will definitely start doing that every night!! Tomorrow I am seeing a massage fascist therapist. Hoping that can help with scar tissue. Have a great week! Brenda

@glidefloss : I think your exercise sounds great. Anything that can get the knee used to more flex is helpful. Around the same time after TKR that you are in right now I also invented a wrinkle on the standard heel slides that seemed to speed up flexibility: at the last heel slide of the series I would pause at the fully bent position, gently lift the TKR leg, point my toes, and put the ball of the foot where the heel was. Then very slowly lower the foot to rest flat an floor and just hold for 30 to 60 seconds. The tension or mild pain will subside, and the knee will get to know the tighter bend.
As far as child’s pose is concerned, I never got there. Almost. Official last flex measurement was 135 degrees, but perhaps my butt is too small to make that work for a full “touchdown”?