Lack of strength in the muscles around the knee could have been the cause of the knee injury to begin with. Strengthening is also important for keeping the injury from happening again. 2017 12(1): 33-37.Whenever you have a knee injury-whether it’s caused by something you did during your everyday activities, a sports injury, or from knee surgery (such as a knee replacement or arthroscopy) -stretching and strengthening the muscles can help you get over your injury more quickly. Target range of motion for rehabilitation after total knee arthroplasty. Mutsuzaki H, Takeuchi R, Mataki Y, Wadano Y.

Knee joint kinematics in gait and other functional activities measured using flexible electrogoniometry: how much knee motion is sufficient for normal daily life? Gait Posture. for the American Physical Therapy Association, Physical Therapist Management of Total Knee Arthroplasty. Knee flexion and daily activities in patients following total knee replacement: a comparison with ISO Standard 14243. Wimmer MA, Nechtow W, Schwenke T, Moisio KC. Want to stay up to date with the latest patient resources? Follow OneStep on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram!ġ. We recommend you make sure your physical therapist has experience with musculoskeletal disorders and post-op treatment plans. The best way to ensure you have a holistic recovery program after a total knee replacement that will help you regain full ROM and strength is to regularly check in with a physical therapist and assess your progress. What steps can I take to improve my knee ROM post surgery? Performing ROM exercises early on can help reduce swelling around the joint and decrease the formation of scar tissue, both of which will help the knee to move with greater comfort and allow for increased range of motion so that you can get back to doing the things you love sooner. In addition, scar tissue formation as part of the healing process can cause the knee joint to become stiff or “stuck” in a position that negatively impacts range of motion. Why is early ROM important after a total knee replacement?Īfter surgery, you will likely experience some degree of pain and swelling surrounding the knee joint. Don’t worry, just breathe, take it one step at a time, and know you are on your way to getting better. Your physical therapist will guide you through exercises that are safe for you to perform in order to increase ROM, even if you feel some soreness. Contrary to what you might think, early movement is essential for recovery and will decrease pain and stiffness in the long run. Be patient with yourself - your knee just underwent a surgical procedure and the surrounding tissues are healing. While total knee replacements are routine surgeries with great outcomes, there’s no denying that movement during the recovery process is likely to be painful. Imagine displaying knee in flexion and extension I feel pain when performing ROM exercises. Weeks 6+: the goal is to focus on strengthening the lower extremity muscles with functional range of motion at the knee joint. Weeks 4-6: you should be approaching or have already achieved 110-120° of full knee flexion. Weeks 2-3: the goal is to achieve at least 100° knee flexion and full knee extension. While everyone’s recovery process will look very different based on their overall health status, age, and other personal factors, there are some key milestones your physical therapist will look for as indicators of ROM progress.Įnd of week 1: the goal is to reach at least 90° of knee flexion and be working towards full knee extension. ‍ What are important ROM milestones during the recovery process? Sit and stand from a low chair: 90-115°.Sit and stand from a regular chair: 90-95°.However, some activities may require even more knee flexion for optimal performance and comfort. After a total knee replacement, at the very least 100-110° of knee flexion is needed to perform basic ADLs such as sitting, walking, and stair climbing. In order to complete your normal activities of daily living (ADLs) with ease, your knee has to be able to move freely. For a more in depth look at ROM, see our post titled “ The Importance of Range of Motion.” ‍ What is considered a functional ROM? In this blog post we will cover what functional ROM is, some common TKR goals and questions, and what you can do to maximize your ROM after surgery.

Regaining range of motion after surgery is a common struggle amongst many patients, but there are ways to set yourself up for success. Functional range of motion simply means that you are able to move your knee enough to perform your day to day activities with comfort and ease.

After a total knee replacement (TKR), one of the most important goals is to achieve a functional range of motion at the knee joint.

Knee passive range of motion