Surgeon thinks I may have a tear 2 months after TKR

I called the surgeon’s office and learned that the possible tear I have is called a quadricep tendon tear.

I am sorry to hear you may have a tear. I do not have a tear that I know of but lots of thigh/shin pain. The shin pain is really bad at times and most likely overdo. Have you had PT? I know that I was told to make sure and do the exercises correctly and not do squats for several weeks. I hope that you get answers and feel better soon. I will say that a range of motion of 95 won't really get you where you would like to be. I am at 115 at 16 weeks and overpressure gets me to 120. They usually say 120 you can do almost whatever you would like to do and that is considered functional. Best of luck.

Thanks! I’m going to continue to work on ROM and hope I can get number up to at least 115. I will not get a manipulation and just think my progress is slow because of prior injuries. What I thought was going to be a relatively easy procedure has been terrible all the way around. Hope it gets better soon. Thanks so much for sharing your experience!

I don’t remember why I didn’t have a manipulation back 15 years ago but when I went back for my one year checkup he wanted me to go through 6 more weeks of rehab. I’m a Vietnam Vet and the 6 weeks of rehab was worse pain. A friend of mine who was once a PTA had TKR and just couldn’t get the bend he wanted. He said it was the best thing he has ever done. I’m stuck with a knee that won’t bend enough for me to drive our gator, sit in the stands at a basketball game without being in terrible pain even get up from a chair without pushing off. Oh how I wish I had been put to sleep and not followed the Surgeon’s thought I could break the scar tissue loose myself.

Good for you I think 95 is great after only 2 months ……if you have not tried water therapy and myofascial release, is great therapies to help get you further along with your bend… keep up the good work… slow and steady I feel does work

Thanks! I would really like to try water therapy. Has not been mentioned to me as a possibility.

Thank you for sharing your experience. Do you by any chance remember what your ROM was when you decided not to do the manipulation?

If memory serves me correctly about 110. The Dr. wanted me to continue rehab at home by sitting in a straight chair with my knee bent and my toe of affected knee up against the baseboard and then scoot the chair closer to the wall and remain there for a certain amount of time. Tears would roll down my cheeks. I had very improvement of my flexion. I had a TKR on my other knee about 18months ago. Rehab was tough but I got to 128. I hope everyone finds some way to get to at least 120 to me that is functional. I would pray about your next step and do all the research. Years later I guarantee you will be thankful. Keep pushing yourself to not tap out in PT and realize during the first four months it is essential.

Thanks for the info! I will keep working on it and try to be patient. It is really a painful process.

Definitely, my experience relating to PT the degree of pain to get to their goal of functionally for you is highest with knees and rotator cuff. I’m having a revision on my rotator cuff Friday. Then starts the road to functionally, Lord willing!