Regaining Knee Extension After Surgery
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- Опубликовано: 27 июл 2024
- Regaining full terminal knee extension is paramount following any knee surgery. The ability to fully extend the knee equal to the other side is usually one of the most important early goals in knee rehab. While there are a ton of knee extension exercises you can do, the most important variable for regaining full terminal knee extension is the amount of volume and time spent working on knee extension. That is undeniably the most important concept to grasp. 3 sets of 1 min of stretches for a total of 3 minutes (out of 1440 minutes in a day aka 0.2% of the day) it just not enough end range stretching to regain full knee extension! Aim for a total of 10 minutes of knee extension exercises at first, then slowly keep adding time until you're spending at least 30 minutes a day working on terminal knee extension.
Knee extension exercises, especially after surgery, are not going to be comfortable. If they are comfortable, it probably means you're not doing them correctly! Regardless of the surgery, there will be joint swelling, or effusion, in the knee that will not only cause more pain and discomfort but also limit the amount of motion available at the knee joint. Furthermore, the muscles around the knee will most likely be tense and guarded, meaning soft tissue work and stretching are also warranted.
The 2 keys for improving knee extension are:
Low load long duration passive knee extension stretching
Active knee extension exercises that work one on engaging the quadriceps at end range
Follow along in the video for more detailed tips and tricks.
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If your patient had natural knee hyperextension prior to surgery do you train TKEs to that hyperextension or 0deg ext.
compare to opposite side, we have a podcast on this!
Is it okay to feel pain on the anterior thigh doing that? I'm 2 months post femur fracture surgery
@@ThePrehabGuys How do I find the podcast?
I had a multi ligament surgery. My biggest tip is, treat it like a injury. Don’t act like it’s broken. Your leg post surgery needs to be worked, you will get through the pain. It’s a long journey, but you can do it and you’ll be glad you put in the work!
Thanks man I’m close to 6 weeks out still using crutches but my mobility is increasing
@@seba187 , keep on pushing man. I am still pushing on mine too. There will be times where you slack, we are human after all. Just remember, this is your leg for life, so get it the best you can!
Which ligament? Bro
Thanks. This lifted me. I'm 3.5 months after mensicus surgery and still sore and sometimes worry I'm broken.
@@nathanscott90 , it sucks trust me. The doctor said I wouldn’t be able to dunk. Which sucked major. I’m 5’9 and was able to dunk before. I am now able to dunk a small ball (soft ball). It’s possible. Don’t limit yourself. Trust the process. Mental barriers will be there, but it’s okay. It’s normal. Just keep working on yourself. Your future self will be proud of the work you put in.
I had that same exact question about going in hyperextension at the end of the squat. No RUclips video got into that point. But you did !! Thank you so much for that. My doubt is now cleared.
I cannot believe such a simple task of the band and hyperextending has got my quads firing. I've tried backwards on the cross trainer, TENS, knee over roller, leg extensions, weighted squats...and this band method has got them firing. Thanks so much!!!
Thanks docs. I appreciate ya’ll making these videos. It has helped me in my recovery.
Beautiful! Thank you. I've had my second tkr and this one is so much more painful and slow. Adding your exercises to my routine. They are simple but really target where I need to be.
I don’t have full extension after I hyper extending my knee while standing. I’ll give these exercise a try. Nice explanation. Thumbs up to you. Thanks
This is SO helpful. My family member is having surgery today, I’m in the waiting room educating myself for his post op recovery! THANK YOU!
Sending warm wishes for a healthy and happy recovery!
EXCELLENT video - Thank you!
Excellent! Thanks so much!
Great video! Love your channel!
Amazing video guys thank you
You're so welcome! Subscribe for our video about knee flexion following surgery coming very soon!
This therapist rocks. I’m stopping PT and will do exercises at home and at gym to save money. Great helpful video. Thanks! 🙏🏽🦾
Had to be inactive after acl and meniscus repair for 4 weeks and am struggling with straightening. This helped so much for my at home PT routine. Thank you.
Glad it helped! You're most welcome!
Going through the same. Should I start working on the knee extension right away or wait until the meniscus is fully healed?
I had the same surgery 7 week back
Struggling too with this
After how much time did you regain full extension??
@@kaival5did u get complete extension now ?
@@Balkii16 yes my non affected leg was -4°
That is hyperextended
My surgery knee is now -2° passive and 0° active
I had a mpfl reconstruction and a lateral release on My left knee 5 years ago and I finally just started to try and fix it, took months of doing the low load stretching and quad exercises to get my left leg as strong as my right but totally worth jt
Amazing Landon keep with it! Consistency is key! We are rooting for you!
Thank you 👍🙏
Thanks for this
yes! glad you enjoyed
Thankyou so much for this , i am having a lag for more than 3 years now and i was looking for some exercise tgat can help me improve it. May be this can help
I'm doing these today.
Tried the first exercise and really felt the stretch then I tried to extend my knee and felt the difference immediately. 👍
great to hear!
Great video as always guys! Quick question. I have brookbush HMS, Reinold C-PS and CSCS and am wondering where I could work? Any suggestions? thanks guys!
Thanks for this video, I'm 6 months post op and have not been working on this element and my knee is constantly bent , leaving me thinking its to late to affect the knee extensions as result left me feeling a bit low
Hi guys Thanks so much for your content. Please just one question after a Complete tear of ACL.
High grade 2 partial tear of MCL and Peripheral 'red-zone' tear of medial meniscus can I do TKEs with the band?
Thanks so much
Thankyou
You’re welcome 😊
I am a home care PT and love your videos. I have a surgeon who performed medial meniscal root repair on a patient and protocol lists non-weightbearing but then says to work on TKE. I assume he really means quad sets or short arc quads, but I only think of TKE in wt bearing and closed chain. Is that correct? The surgeon doesn't want to change protocol but all the outpt PTs and home PTs find it contradictory. Thanks!!!
Thank you for this!! I’m 5 months post acl surgery and had to stop PT. When I first got surgery, I didn’t have any issues with extension but I recently noticed my knee started to stiffen up. Hope this helps 🤞🏼
You're welcome!! Best of luck with your recovery!!!
Did it help? I’m having the same issue
@@benjaminbabyjohnson any update?
@@TopBoi93 better now. Physiotherapy only can help.
Are you talking about the day after surgery here? LOL There was no timeline mentioned here. I have been lifting weights for 33 years. 3 major knee injuries in the past 3 years, including ACL and one where I broke the plateau, I race dirt bikes. Each time, I was literally in the gym 3 days after surgery or injury, on crutches, mostly training upper body and my other leg heavy as I normally would. At the end of that first week I would get the bad leg moving, and every time I've done assisted leg extensions. It hurt like heck in the beginning, but I pushed it as much as I could bear. You will hear crackling and grinding, that's natural. Mostly that sound is scar tissue breaking up. It forms quickly. If you don't start exercising and moving that joint, it's going to make recovery take so much longer. That's why PT is so painful for most people. Everyone comments how quickly I heal after all these mishaps, and I'm telling you it's because of the gym. BTW, I skipped PT each time, as I found the PT guys were just making me do what I was already doing the gym at a much easier level. It's just not for me. BTW, just blew out my other leg ACL last Sunday in another crash. Surgery upcoming. So my ACL is completely detached now, meniscus is torn as well, but I trained both legs for an hour and a half today, even did 400 lb leg presses with NO ACL. People looking at me shaking their head, but you need to keep the quads strong. That is the key to recovery. After surgery, I'll be right back in there getting to work. My business isn't gonna wait for me to heal the long way.
Thanks for this. I’m nervous to train my knee after an acl tear and my surgeon has said no to surgery. So I have to push through and work on hyper extension myself. It would be really appreciated if you could suggest some exercises that helped you get back in shape.
Hi there - thank you for this … very succinct! How many times a day/week should I do this if I’m 4 months post tibia plateau fracture and only at 10 degrees extension?
Thanks for any tips!
Great video! Thanks! One question:
How soon after surgery is one supposed to attempt these exercises?
I’m currently 10 days after. All I could realistically do is the first one.
I am 4 months out of acl revision and medial meniscus bucket handle tear repair.. can I do low load long duration stretch?
Thank you for the tips!!!!!
I just recently had tibial plateau and miniscus surgery.
My knee has a slight bend and I cannot straighten fully.
This is causing a limp.
We gotchu! theprehabguys.com/product/knee-extension-overhaul/ Be sure to be cleared by surgeon first based on your specific recovery timeline but this could be a solid program for you!
What is the average time to reach full extension after partial meniscus surgery?
Great info I’ve had TKR do you have info on flexion improvement.. thank you
Yes we do! theprehabguys.com/improving-knee-flexion-after-surgery/#:~:text=Knee%20Flexion%20On%20Wall%20Exercise%20After%20Knee%20Surgery%20%E2%80%93%20PROM&text=Slowly%20let%20gravity%20slide%20your,Repeat.
Great video! However, I wish you had explained what prevents the knee from straightening. I've had TKR surgery. My flexion is 140-145, but my extension is 3%.
Hey I had a ACL surgery then 2 months later I had a 2nd surgery for manipulation so does post-ACL surgery count after the first or second surgery, because I am 129 degrees 2 months after my manipulation, thank you
thanks for the advice, coach. i’m ~4 months post acl and meniscus surgery. having trouble with this aspect.
i’ve been doing the TKE, foam rolling, and knee hang. but i will start to hang it even more at work. i got lazy because it is so time consuming.
This program takes the guesswork out of what you should be doing to improve that extension. Check it out! theprehabguys.com/program-knee-extension-overhaul/
Did you regain full extension?
@@kaival5 yes i did, but i re-tore it playing soccer again. im 3 months out this go around and i have full extension and bend already
After how much time did you regain extension back
I am 10 weeks post acl and meniscus repair surgery
Still struggling with extension
@@kaival5 maybe like 3 months or so for me.
Will tjis help with knee contracture
I think this actually caused long-term pain for me. Forcing did not justice. But that's me. I finally told my PT that no more of this. I went to a massage therapist and with Myofascial Release my lack of extension and flexion with strengthening resolved all issues. This was after a TKR.
Glad to hear that you are feeling better!
How does cupping help knee extension, where are the cups placed? Thanks!
Thank you great video! Had knee surgery last year, but never got advised to do exercises for extension and now lifting has caused my knee to swell up and get really tight and stiff. Any advice/video for getting the stiffness/ bending mobility to normal levels?
Consistency is key with mobility work! Focusing on working your knee into flexion and extension daily is important here! We have a really great program targeted towards knee extension specifically - check it out in our mobility programs through the app! bit.ly/tryprehabYT
4:44 I would like to think him brushing the air away with his hand is to remove the text on his head lol
Lol!
What are symptoms of lacking knee extension?
😂 if you are post knee surgery, the foam rolling on the floor will end up with wondering how to get up afterwards. Great tips, though. What helpes me with the stretching is thinking foot up in comparison to knee down.
would you say the Short Arc Quads are also a Terminal Knee Extension exercise?
Where can I get this same exact band? Not sure which resistance to get even if I find one.
Hi
I'm about 3.5months post lateral anterior mensicus root repair. Normal to experience soreness still?
Hello brother ik it's been two long years since you posted this video hopefully you read this
I unfortunately had to face stroke few years back which made my hamstring muscle cause spasticity so looking the issue last year i under went i hamstring lengthening surgery which was successful but still i haven't got my hypertension of the knee it feels like quadracipes muscle locks the extension of knee (left leg only)
Can you help me with this to solve it????
dont need to pelvis tuck or hyperextend at the top. the movement/force is in the Y axis and you're doing a movement in the X axis, the force is vertically not horisontally, so you're basically doing nothing
🔥 🔥 🔥
I had acl surgery 10 months ago and I still don't have full knee flexion and extension. Is it too late to fix it now?
I’m 12 days post acl and meniscus repair surgery and really struggling with extensions. When I do long lasting stretches with no load, I start feeling discomfort (more like pain) very very quickly. Should I keep doing that or wait a few days?
Great question! Be sure to discuss your specific rehab protocol with your PT and your surgeon! Extension is important to regain! We have this great program dedicated specifically to knee extension, if interested, be sure to get cleared by your medical team to begin! theprehabguys.com/product/knee-extension-overhaul/
Hi. Am I safe to try this? Knee can’t extend after a recent injury to ankle, tripped over barbed wire, didn’t fall, ankle saved me, bruised and inflamed for weeks. Since then knee pain down tib anterior and around fibular head, knee now can’t fully extend. Tried this and getting pain down front of tib anterior, just below knee cap, especially when dorsiflex ankle at the same time. Do I work through the pain? Thanks! Brilliant videos! ❤
Hey there! Thanks for the kind words! Definitely give some of these exercises a try as long as symptoms don't worsen and check out our latest video on knee pain. If symptoms don't resolve, we recommend chatting with a trusted healthcare professional.
Thanks a lot! I realise this might be off topic. I speculate that I have (or have had) a pinched femoral. Can the same exercise be used to regain that strength and control? Or do you have some better tips? :)
theprehabguys.com/hip-prehab-program/ check out this program and see what you think!
@@ThePrehabGuys thanks! I'll have a look.
I recently went through ACL surgery how many days or weeks it takes for hyper knee extension after surgery
Hey Rajesh, discuss with your surgeon about what appropriate rehab looks like for you based on your specific surgery and recovery. Generally, working on regaining knee extension is a skill that should be worked on daily as tolerated. theprehabguys.com/program-knee-extension-overhaul/
Yeah i had knee replacement and havi g to wear a brace on it and telling ya seems like its not moving talked to me Doc nurse and she told me to keep wearing the brace and therapy exercises at thos pont can i borrow you to sit on it lol?
Hello! Thank you for your response and question. Gaining knee extension can be challenging at times, but continue to stay consistent and positive! It usually does not happen overnight, but sticking with it and stringing those days together of working on it will continue to help go in the right direction. Best of luck to you!!
Sir I had an acl revision surgery+ medial meniscus bucket handle tear repair...patelar tendon graft is used I am 6 months post op having anterior knee pain..mri shows nothing significant but I m unable to get that TKE.. does this methods useful even after 6 months post of...contraletral side has more extension
yes! try it out and re-measure. This is the only way to truly know.
Yes sir after doing it I feel great but after some time I lost that extension..is that normal??? Does it require lot of consistency??
I hope what I am pointing to???..the amount which I gain after doing it at the moment don't stay for longer
I’m two months out from a knee injury and I still feel pain when I do these exercises. Is it common to push through it?
It's important to recognize when you can expect a little discomfort and when you should not be dealing with discomfort. I would definitely recommend checking out this program of our! theprehabguys.com/program-knee-extension-overhaul/
Should I be doing these if there's still pain from an accident? Like even on a bent knee if I press on it with my finger from several directions it hurts. Unfortunately the health system here has let me down, they did an MRI but I cant get someone to actually look at it. Accident was a month ago.
Hey Durragas, thanks for reaching out! That is a great question! Pain is a very powerful and real thing, working on improving range of motion can actually help to calm down our pain response when done appropriately. Check out this blog here and see if it provides insight for you! We are rooting for you! theprehabguys.com/knee-extension-exercises/
I had tibial plateau surgery. 4 months later and 4 weeks of PT and I still can not straighten my leg. The healthy leg is -10 when extended all the way. The surgery knee is 7 degrees when standing. After PT working on it for 45 minutes and measuring in a seated position, it's at 0. They have stopped working on it because they think 0 is ok. I want it to match the other side. I'm an athlete and this is just not acceptable to me! What more can I do?
Hi guys, i have a natural hyper extension of 10 degrees in my good leg but my operated leg cannot even get to 0.
I got to a point a few months after my ACLr where the physio had to massage my kneecap to free up my extension a tiny bit. I can’t recreate the massage every time before I use a treadmill...
I regularly hung weights off my leg, it freed it up a bit. But after a few minutes the stiffness returns
I have lost my extension for life haven’t I?
How're you doing now? I had the exact same issue. I recently went through a scar tissue cleanup surgery and it freed up my knee a little bit more. I'm now able to get to -7 degrees, but my good leg is -15, so still missing some. I'm 8 months post ACLR.
Thank you for this....using this I was able to get the extension but still after few minutes i noticed my knee got bent again....please advise if that's normal ... Do I need to keep trying it again and again.. and with time it will come ?...please
Hey there! Hard to say without a thorough evaluation but typically with mobility work, consistency is key! We have a great Knee Extension program through our app if you really want to get after it! bit.ly/tryprehabYT
can you regain knee extension even if 5-6 years went by since the surgery ? cause i didnt do any therapy after me meniscus surgery and i still lack some range of motion
Yeah man me too.
I hate the day I decided to get surgery. I think about it everyday, it’s been over 1 year now.
can you get full knee extension post TKR 8 months later, lacking about 5 degree.
hey..did you get your extension back? if yes please tell what you did to get it back. i am 6 months out of acl surgery and struggling to get back the extension😢
I am doing the long duration streching for 30 min at a strech with 15 pounds but still i have not regained full range of motion what should i do. Should i increase the weight or the time ??
This program would be perfect for you! Definitely encourage you to check it out! theprehabguys.com/program-knee-extension-overhaul/
Does anyone know if this is possible to regain, after a couple months of surgery??
it can be! It will be important to assess whether knee extension deficits are coming from the joint itself or surrounding soft tissue to determine which interventions would work best!
Will these still help even though I’m 5 months post op?
Yep! You may have to work harder though.
Really informative video. I am 4 months post ACL recon with Meniscus repair. I am 2-3 degree short of Terminal Knee Extension. Is it too late now ? What should i do to recover from this. Pls pls pls suggest and help
Team Pls Reply
Hey how are u now
@@priyanshiarora5507 life had other plans...
Like how is your extension now?
@@priyanshiarora5507 I lost my right leg in an accident. Same leg where i had got my acl done. Below knee amputation
Oh god… I was just asking bcz I couldn’t straighten up my knee and its almost 7 months after acl surgery
I’m 7 months post ACL surgery and still struggling to straighten out my knee.
how is it going now? kinda in the same position
@@larrissahaifa6475 my knee flexion is about there. I’m 10 degrees off till a fully straight leg, unfortunately I still have knee instability but I do think that will go away overtime.
@@larrissahaifa6475it’s getting better even though I still have a long way to go. My leg is not completely straight yet and I still have swelling. Whether it’s going to be like that now I don’t know. Sorry for the late reply.
Hi fellas!
I'm 9 weeks post-op from RTKR.
I'm 10 degrees short of full kmee extension & worried. 😑
I am now doing many exercises daily to correct it.
I did 6 weeks physio & worked hard at the program.
Due to financial reasons I went back to work last week. My job has a lot of walking but I do limp. Is there still hope?
Any advice for me ?
Tfs 😊
Hiya! Thanks for reaching out! I would definitely check out our Knee Extension Overhaul program in our app followed by our Knee Rehab and Knee Prehab program! Great thing is, once a member you have access to all of the programs and workouts! Would definitely be worth looking into, just be sure to check with your care team prior to beginning a program! theprehabguys.com/july4-offer
I didn’t have surgery on my knee but my leg was in a cast up to the top of my thigh with the knee bent, for 5 months! so my knee doesnt extend all the way anymore
Are you able to straight your knee all the way now?
@@Fbitypeshit yeah im more flexible than ever i did kneesovertoesguy excersises
@@Josiah.435 that reassure me, had my surgery almost 3 weeks ago and can't staight my knee all the way
@@Fbitypeshit you got it, just stay consistent, i also did 2 weeks of physical therapy
@@Fbitypeshit I had Acl allograft and Meniscus surgery 2 and a half months ago. Im able to get 0⁰ extension but hyperextension is painful with lots of joint popping and cracks.
My physio says hyperextension is not important and that I shouldn’t be working on it, even though my legs are now uneven. I’m going to ignore her and do this as I think it’s vital
Extension certainly plays a role in rehab! Would encourage you to have a conversation with them about why they don't feel it's important.
They said it’s not necessary even though my other leg does hyperextended quite a lot. Their reasoning was that apparently it’s abnormal to have your knee hyperextend and that it puts you at a higher risk or retear, which is true for extreme cases over 5° but I can’t find any literature that states that regaining equal hyperextension is a bad thing. I’ve actually seen research that suggests that if I don’t I am at a higher risk of developing early onset osteoarthritis due to the pressure my opposite leg would be under when standing unevenly.
@@ethanclaridge1064 just fills you with confidence, doesn’t it? This rigorous discipline of orthopaedics and physiotherapy /s
😑
Great 👍 video Illustration, but the camera man did such a bad job in zooming ( full body including his feet ) more into the person who is actually doing the stretches.
Just had knee surgery more than two weeks ago. My problem is bending over my knee. I can stretch my knee, but can't bend over.
No. Contract the muscles first till they are fatigued, deeply. Ten min or more.
Only then strech.
This is silly. There are two ways to think of this. (a) quads not strong enough and (b) hamstrings too strong. Both ways equate to an imbalance between the two muscle groups. PT/OT focuses on the former. If you force the hamstring group to weaken, it makes it easier to get the quads working. Also, the medial aspect is more important than the lateral, but again PT/OT doesn't talk about that much during therapy. And, it would help if they used a real patient case, instead of a horrible example of someone 2-3 weeks post-op, since they can't do all those exercises. In the end, it comes down to brain re-learning the neural pathways bc the brain needs to learn that the knee is healed/healing and that it's OK to come out of protection mode.
I'm sorry, but I urge you to get a better camera guy. There's just so much out of frame shots.
feedback noted! thank you. Recent videos are bit more polished. Let us know what you think
Wish I seen this in the beginning lmao
Well you are here now and that's what matters! If still wanting to improve that knee extension mobility, check this out for us Amber! theprehabguys.com/product/knee-extension-overhaul/
@@ThePrehabGuys do you have anything for bending ?
❤❤❤❤❤😂
Why on earth would I want to "extend my knee"?!
Physios aren't doctors. Be serious.
We have our Doctorate of Physical Therapy giving us the clinical skills to be able to best treat our clients and patients.
Great tips. But you americans give away Dr. degrees with just about everything. Kinda waters in down for real dokters
Can anyone help me please? I have a few question for the guide of this video. I walked on broke feet for 50 days with knees bent because I had major injuries.
My thigh and calves were flexed to stand. I locked me knees to be able to stand. I can't straighten my legs anymore. My knees lost 50% flexibility.
I've came up with gravity pulling. I can feel calves and hamstrings. That's part of the issue. I feel tension on my knees. Going to physical therapy soon.
I hope I don't need surgery. I am afraid I am permanently crippled now. Xray and MRI didn't show knee damage. Hope it's muscles like I say hamstring and calves.
I'm trying to get it full flexed.
I started doing 30 minute gravity pulls. I got entire legs hurt. Pain isn't nothing. Need legs to go straight. Please help anyway possible. This video helped. I am worried about hurting myself more. Doctor said do it. He can tell I am smart even though know nothing about medical. Not graduated.
Is it advisable to do it if I had asl surgery 6 month ago and still can’t reach full knee extension ?
We advise seeing a physical therapist/communicating with your current one depending on how much extension you're missing and whether it's passive or active!