Need Help - Range of Motion in Post Op Knee

Good Morning,

In mid-August, I tripped on the bottom couple of stairs in my house and fell and dislocated my patella.  I went to the ER via ambulance where they put it back manually.  Then the following Monday I went to an orthopedic surgeon and he said I needed surgery.  So on Thursday of that week, I had surgery to remove bone fragments, slightly align the patella and he also repaired a tendon.  I am currently a month out.  For the last couple of weeks I have been proping my knee up gradually and I had my first PT session yesterday.  I was given some exercises to do at home and one is a short arc quad in supine where your knee is propped up at 45 degrees and you are supposed to straighten your leg at the knee.  I can only get my leg up an inch or so, which I couldn't do yesterday, but did today.   It was sort of painful, it felt gross in my knee and I shook a little.  I am also supposed to sit in a chair and try to pull my foot in to bend at the knee and get to a point and cannot get any further.  It feels like I can't bend it farther, as it starts to hurt some.  Is this normal?  I am scared and am desperate to walk again ASAP.  Has anyone else had a hard time getting range of motion back?  Any thoughts or encouragement would be most helpful.

Thank you.

Hello There

I am new to this website. I just searched for a common medical condition and your post popped up.

I was in a car accident and did a demo on my knee. I lived through a year with zero range of motion (straight leg). After two surgeries and two years it is starting to come back ( I am at 90 degrees) but I have to fight for it everyday.

I do my workouts in the pool. I started with swiming laps with a floatation belt but now I do water areobics. I find it to be a great workout!

Sarah J

 

What you are experiencing is very normal.  I worked in a physical therapy place for several years.  You have to be patient.  You want to push yourself some but you don't want to over-do-it because that could set you back.  Your muscles around your knee are week and stiff.  The physical therapist will get  your ROM back.  That is why you are going there.  The SAQ are to help strengthen your quads.  As your quad muslces attach to the knee if they are weak then they don't hold your knee in place and you have knee problems.  Quad sets also help strengthen the quad.  It all just takes time.  Good luck

I had Orthroscopic surgery in August. The PT is tough isn't it. The good news is that I have my full range of motion back plus some. Still struggle on stairs sometimes, but walking is no problem.

Just a thought ... the gross feeling in your knee might be fluid buildup from the surgery. At my 2 week appointment I hobbled in on crutches, and after the doctor aspirated a little over a cup of fluid from my knee, I was able to walk to the car without help!!! 

Hi All,

Wow, I forgot all about this thread, it has been so long.  Since September, when I posted my message, I got stuck completely with my range of motion, around 50 degrees, and it got worse and worse.  My surgeon referred me to his partner in late October and I had a second surgery on November 1.  I had an arthroscopic surgery to perform a lysis of adhesions (LOA) as I had a lot of scar tissue built up that was not allowing my knee to bend, I also had a lateral release, and after that he did a manipulation under anesthesia.  I had just 20 degrees of flexion on the day of surgery and he got 120 degrees on the table.  Now, I am up to 134 degrees and only 4 degrees away from my other leg.  My strength is still down as my muscles were atrophied before the second surgery and I cannot yet do completely straight leg raises, or when I am sitting with my legs bent at 90 degrees, I cannot lift my calf out straight on my operated leg yet.  I guess they call it extension lag, but I am told it comes back with time.  I am just impatient is all.  It has been almost 5 months since my injury, and I am tired of dealing with it.  I was on one crutch before the second surgery, then I had two when I left the hospital the day of surgery and for a week or two because of the intense pain in trying to walk, then I was down to one for a few weeks and in mid-December, I switched to a quad cane and now walk unassisted.  I cannot go quite as fast as other people and I still have a slight limp but I am doing much better.  Sometimes, when I am in where it is warm, I don't really have the limp at all as long as I do not try to go too fast.

What does everyone think?  Am I progressing okay?  Will I be able to do SLRs soon and raise my calf out straight?  How is everyone else doing?

Yes, PT was very difficult and it hurt a lot when she pushed for ROM, but most weeks I gained 10-14 degrees.  It slowed when I got to 112-115ish, but here I am. :-)  I go up and down steps one step at a time as with the extension lag, I cannot lock my knee straight just yet and my quads are still a little weak.  I am hoping to be able to do that in a month or two.  Right now, I use elevators and ramps when I can. :-)

Sarah J, you have really been through it!  Please let me know how you are doing in the coming months!  You have had such a long struggle and I really feel for you.  Actually, I feel for anyone with knee problems too but more so for ones that have really changed a person's life.  It can be so depressing, especially of you are trapped indoors when it is nice out.

I really hope you are all doing better, and I truly appreciate your support.  It means a lot to me as I continue to rehab into the Spring.

Take care! 


Hugs to all,

Sarah

Congratulations on your recovery! Don't worry about your recovery speed. It sounds like you're progressing well. Isn't it great to simply be able to walk unaided. I almost cried with joy the day I could finally walk normal speed. I'd never wish this on anyone, but I've really learned to be thankful for the little things.

Hi There,

Yes, it definitely makes you more grateful for the simple things.  Walking even if slowly and with a slight limp due to extension lag, is still such a blessing!  I walk slow, but getting better with time.  I have an extension lag, meaning I can get full extension with my legs out straight on the floor, but cannot lift my calf out straight under gravity when sitting with legs at 90 degrees.  I have heard that comes with time.  I hope so.  I will cry tears of joy when that goes away and I can take stairs properly again.  I did nearly cry the first time I turned a revolution on the bike at PT. :-)  I still have a long way to go to complete normalcy.  I am expecting another 6-12 months for completely normal and I am trying to take it one day at a time now and not get too down that I am not completely better yet.  It is nice to know there are people out there that understand what it is like, isn't it?

Thank you for posting and I am glad to hear that you are normal again!

Take care!  Climb some stairs just for me, then tell me how glorious it is! :D

Sarah

I am glad to know you're out there.  Sounds like you are doing really well and keeping things in perspective.

I'm heading toward knee surgery soon and am hopeful. 

Linda

Hi Linda,

What kind of surgery are you having?  What was your injury and how long ago was it?  I still cannot run, but not a huge deal as I do not really like to do that anyway.....just miss it for scooting around the house quickly when playing with my kitties! :-)

I am close to normal now.  I only have trouble with going down stairs.  For the most part, though, people that do not know me, do not even notice a difference in the way I walk or anything.

I still need to build a lot more muscle, but slowly I am getting there.  My beautiful kitty passed away last month, and I have been grieving and grieving.  It is like losing a daughter.  She is my baby.  I love and miss her SO much!

Keep me posted on your surgery!

Take care,

Sarah