Limited ROM 5 years after TKR

Posted by roknrol101 @roknrol101, Sep 27, 2019

Can someone please help me! Had TKR 5 years ago, both knees! Went to PT on the first one bit it hard and it’s great, no pain excellent ROM, not so on second, went to different PT and not as aggressive on Theropy, now have limited ROM on second knee, and swelling and stiffness, is it possible to regain ROM after that long without surgery

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Profile picture for donheads @donheads

Hi l had a full knee replacement over 1 year ago. I still have swelling. But what is really a problem got me is that l cannot bend my knee St all. So getting into a car or stairs is really tricky. I am waiting for a second opinion. Other knee is painful but there is no way l will risk another operation. Feel very down and it is affecting my job.

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@donheads Scar tissue maybe?

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Profile picture for mclgracie @mclgracie

I had a knee replacement 8 years ago. Didn't know the importance of physical therapy. I had 2 weeks of home therapy that seemed too gentle. I then had 4 months of pt/ 3 and then 2 times a week, after leaving work. Usually 2 people would push and pull and force my leg to bend so much that there were finder print bruises over my leg. They would force it to get an ROM number to report to the surgeon. The best number was 93. Back to the Drs office, the P Asst had me step on the low stool to get on the couch. I stepped up with my TKR leg and she said that I the knee is fine. The Dr was busy, but came in and was reading the digital file and thought I was a different patient. He corrected himself, but I left without getting an answer to my poor ROM, which was considerable less than 93. Six 2nd opinions later, I finally found that my issue is SCAR TISSUE build-up. Two years ago, a different surgeon performed a Reconstruction and scrapped a lot of scaring. About five months of more intense therapy and now my knee is back to poor ROM. I decided to live with it, but now my other knee is bone on bone and I am afraid of SCAR TISSUE build-up again. I understand that some people are prone to haveng this issue and doctors do not really have a solution.

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@mclgracie I too have bad scar tissue issues. Had a TKR, then MU, then a scope . It started to return after the scope. My surgeon had no answers and released me.. Found a chiropractor that does shock wave and high intensity laser light therapy. It is helping and the swelling is gone and pain is so much less. My ROM should improve as time goes on.

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