Has anyone had a knee permanently bend back at an angle? My knees are bent back, right one at about a 30 degree deviation. I have gone through some PT but nothing seems to improve it. They are telling me a knee replacement will be my only option.
Has anyone had an success to getting some of your ROM back?
I caught a glimpse of myself in a full length mirror and it looks like I am constantly wanting to squat!
Shandi
I don't know. That's pretty severe. If the PT hasn't worked that might be your only option. What kinds of PT did they try? There are different levels and techniques depending on who is doing it. You might want to research that. For instance, did they try water therapy with you and move up the ladder?Hi Shandi,
ROM really depends on severity of the (active) disease and the severity of the damage already done, so it's an individual thing. I'd push for the PT, as far as you can take it. If you can get any ROM back without surgery it'll be worth it. Find a new PT center if this place isn't supporting you.
I have a permanently bent right knee, bent both back and twisted inward. Left knee is bent too but not as severely. Also both elbows.
I'm 38yo and I have juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, I was dx as a baby so I've had it a looong time. My docs don't even bother suggesting PT anymore.
Have you tried splints? Another member here named Katie (Code Name: ArrisColwell
I am not sure if I have what you are talking about, but... When my right knee is swelled it is stuck in what I call the sitting position. It will not bend straight nor bend all the way. When I sit down I do not have to bend my knee to conform to where I am sitting because it is already bent to that angle. When I walk it looks like I could carry a chair on my back and look like I am sitting it in while the chair is on my back. I have seen video of me walking when my body is in a flare or my meds are not working and it looks just like I have an invisible chair stuck on my back
Let me see if I can find a picture of my knee while standing and it being swelled.......................
I guess those pictures were on my old camera that died
When I was about 3-4 years old I have to wear splint casts on my legs to sleep in so I would not go to sleep in the fetal position as it would be hard for me to get the morning stiffness worked out and was not as painful when my legs were bent out straight. My mommy use to wake me up every morning before school and work my legs with her hands, you know the bending and straightening exercise they do to help build muscle on paralized people?... well she would do that to me every morning for 10 mins or until I was able to move my legs without crying... she done it for years. She would try to help my morning stiffness to go away faster.
Oh by the way I have Juvenile RA.
My ROM was worse than that before my TKR's. and yes at this point if PT has failed to improved things the only thing left is TKR. I would not put it off too long or you risk causing severe damage to your other knee, plus the resulting back aches etc.
and Lynx I was 36 when I had my knees replaced. A person with severe RA is not likely to wear the knees out. There comes a time where quality of life issues become more important than the risk of early replacement failure. The new generation of knees are lasting much longer than the previous ones and the way I figure by the time I'm ready for the next set technology will have improved even more