I'm 10 days out of a PKR on my left knee I can raise my leg really well and also hold it raised. The issue is the bend, my first physio is monday 13 days post op. Can anyone recommend anything I can be doing to help to get the bend back to normal, and is it normal to not have much in the way of movement at this stage ?
I had bilat pkr 27 wks ago in US. "Normal" varies everywhere but program i went to said u had six weeks to hit 90 bend or they were concerned. I walked 3hrs after surgery. Used a walker 3wks then nothing after. I was 87 degrees on left and over 90 on right 5 days after surgery which was my first PT appt. I used the bike peddler on day 3. I had had 2 arthroscopies in the past so knew the knee drill. A little all day long, drink,walk,pee. And repeat to keep some motion going wo overdoing.
Short arcs, heel slides, straight leg lifts, foot push pulls,, sit in chair-thigh supported and heels on another chair and let weight of leg bend down.
These seem small but are basis of getting going. I know of 10 good exercises. But stretch too so ur hips n back dont get tight. Hamstring,aDductor,aBductor, iliotibial band. You can google them.
Hi sitter,
So, from when you came out of surgery to now were you given any exercises to do at home ? A few hours after surgery I was on my hospital bed already starting doing the bends under PT supervision. I only saw a PT once after that, I lived and cried (with pain) 5 or 6 times a day after that - every day.
If you go onto Youtube and type in search box "exercises to do after partial knee replacement" you'll get some short videos on the exercises to do to help get ROM. My experience was gentle and often.
Once your dressing is removed and your medical team are satisfied there is no infection, get your PT or a sports injury massage therapist to massage on and around the incision line. Get shown how to do it using any recommended cream (I used Aloe Vera Gel) and do it at home. This will help prevent scar tissue from forming - if it does form then it will make exercises more and more difficult. Continue this for about 6 weeks.
John
Bending my knee just a bit was a major achievement for me....even though it was measured at 85 in hospital, when i was not on morphine and back at home it was very difficult to do heel slides. Try as much as you can do of a heel slide maybe just one each hour....but mostly don't rush things and rest it. Did they give you sone exercises to do at hospital?