I’m 8 weeks post op. I have gained good flexion (125) and good extension (0). But my surgery knee is still swollen and stiff. I can’t bend it to match my other knee. I’m struggling with stairs. I can walk up using my surgery knee but I cheat walking down by leading with my good knee. My question is does the ACL (I have cadaver) get locked up if you don’t regain complete ROM by 3-4 months?
I am just now (like, today) able to pretty fluidly walk upstairs, not there yet with stepping down. I always lead with the surgery leg also. My PT said we’ll get to going down steps later, that’s a strength issue (quadricep), not a flexion issue. I’m still swollen also and I’m almost 3 months post op (and about 3 weeks PO from the scar tissue removal).
I think as long as you are continuing to do exercises and work with PT, there isn’t really a time limit. My progress has been slow. PT pushed my knee to 140 at my appointment last week with them and I was 13 weeks at that appointment. I also took week 11 off from PT and just did all of my exercises 3-5 times a day because we rented a cabin(need to care for my mental health too). Week 12, the only PT who is able to push my knee hard enough for gains was on vacation, so I basically held steady at flexion of 130 from the end of week 10 until the end of week 12. I also am never able to match where they get me in PT on my own. My PT tells me that he has full confidence my bad leg with match my good eventually lol.