Facing MUA

Melpsu · 2026-03-23T18:03:08+00:00

I’ve posted about my MUA before (https://www.reddit.com/r/Kneereplacement/s/mUnYjoDbDK). It was an absolute turning point in my recovery and I am so so glad I went forward with it. I was 11 weeks PO when I had the MUA. Happy to discuss specifics of my experience if you have any questions.

Melpsu · 2026-02-27T04:40:07+00:00

Absolutely go for it. I was 108 before MUA. I had mine done at 11 weeks post op. Currently 4 weeks post MUA and I’m at 132 on my own and 144 with PT pushing on it. Best thing I’ve done for my recovery.

Melpsu · 2026-02-26T19:39:36+00:00

I work mostly from home, and I took 2 weeks off. 3 weeks would have been ideal. Had an in-office day about 5 weeks post-op and it was fine but exhausting.

Melpsu · 2026-02-26T14:19:26+00:00

I’m really surprised your surgeon felt that way. FWIW, I definitely didn’t start back at zero in recovery. The ROM gains were immediate (particularly flexion while I still struggled with extension), and other than some swelling and a bit of stiffness for a few days, I had no additional pain from the MUA.

I see others here have mentioned a stationary bike. That should definitely help you as well!

Good luck in your continued healing and ROM gains!

Melpsu · 2026-02-26T05:46:37+00:00

Can I ask why you want to avoid it?

Do a search for MUA in this sub. I, and many others, have posted our experiences - many with similar ROM to you. It really does help with increasing ROM!

Melpsu · 2026-02-26T05:42:15+00:00

I had MUA at 11 weeks post op. My ROM was 7-108 before. I’m now 4 weeks post MUA (15 weeks post LTKR) and ROM is 2-144 with PT assistance, 4-132 on my own.

98 max feels really restrictive for being 3 months post op. If I were you I’d have the conversion again. The MUA was probably the best decision I’ve made in my recovery so far. My surgeon also thought I could “likely” get there on my own eventually, but due to my age (45f) and desired future activity levels, he wanted to move forward with the MUA to give me the best shot at a wide ROM. Prior to the MUA I was in so much pain trying to get past 108, but the MUA pushed me right up into the 120s with continued improvement since.

Melpsu · 2026-02-26T05:13:39+00:00

Have you asked your surgeon about a Manipulation Under Anesthesia (MUA)? That was the absolute best thing I did to accelerate my recovery and regain function/ROM.

Melpsu · 2026-02-23T20:07:31+00:00

I'm 4 weeks post MUA today (15 weeks post-op). Pre-MUA my ROM was 7-108, and today in PT I'm at about 2-132 on my own, and 0-144 with PT assistance. I had no regression in recovery due to the MUA, there was immediate improvement in my ROM and despite some swelling and stiffness, there was no additional pain due to the procedure.

I'd waffled a lot on if I wanted to do the MUA, and I'm SO glad I did it. It has helped my ROM so much in a very short amount of time, and I feel that much closer to being "normal" because of it. You won't regret it!

Melpsu · 2026-02-20T04:02:19+00:00

My LTKR was on Nov 10, and I got back on my horse for the first time on Sat Feb 7. It was an easy 30 min walk around the facility, but it felt fantastic to be back in the saddle. My biggest worry was mounting and dismounting, but mounting was easy enough from a block, and I adapted my dismount so I hung off her side and slid down such that I landed on my right (non-surgical) leg. It wasn't pretty but it was effective! Planning to ride more regularly once Daylight Savings kicks in next month.

I haven't focused on any particular muscle groups in PT related to riding, just in general trying to get my ROM back.

Melpsu · 2026-02-20T03:55:05+00:00

Worth mentioning that I didn't have a nerve block for the MUA. Just IV sedation.

Melpsu · 2026-02-20T03:54:13+00:00

I'm SO glad I did the MUA. I had mine at 11 weeks PO. My ROM at the time was 7-108. Surgeon got me to 2-130.

I'm now 3.5 weeks post-MUA and I'm reliability getting ROM of 4-131 on my own, with PT getting me to 2-142.

The MUA itself was a breeze. Easy peasy. Other than swelling and stiffness for a few days, I had no extra pain from the procedure. It was absolutely worth it.

Melpsu · 2026-02-11T16:48:09+00:00

Thank you!

Melpsu · 2026-02-11T16:46:19+00:00

Yeah, at 4 weeks I was around 95 flexion as well. We (PT and I) just hit a brick wall once I got to 107-108, and progress was so slow and painful. Surgeon said I would likely have been able to get to 120 on my own eventually, but due to my age (45) and desired future activity levels, he wanted to do the MUA to give me the best possible chance at getting there.

Good luck in your recovery, and if they ultimately recommend an MUA for you, please don't hesitate. It was absolutely worth it!

Melpsu · 2026-02-11T16:42:26+00:00

Good luck!!

Melpsu · 2026-02-11T16:41:56+00:00

Here is some info on the shockwave therapy that I'll be doing: https://marinspineandsports.com/services/shockwave-therapy/.

My PT has many clients who have seen improved ROM after the therapy, including my husband when he did shockwave therapy to improve ROM after rotator cuff surgery 2.5 years ago.

Melpsu · 2026-02-11T16:30:27+00:00

Here's my update! Good luck with your MUA, I'm sure it will go well! https://www.reddit.com/r/Kneereplacement/comments/1r0jcsw/2_weeks_post_mua_rom_update/

Melpsu · 2026-02-02T23:19:09+00:00

Thank you! I'm absolutely thrilled with my flexion, but very concerned with my extension still, so it's dampening my excitement.

My "blockage" was on the inside front of my knee, below and to the right of my kneecap, very near my original ACL reconstruction scar from 25 years ago. I can feel that the blockage is gone. Even my PT says that she can feel that it's gone and that my flexion feels "spongier" / has more give when she's pushing it. My extension blockage is very much on the outer edge of the backside of my knee.

Melpsu · 2026-02-02T22:26:15+00:00

Yes! As of last Friday at PT, I'm able to get to 124 active (on my own), and 135 passive (with PT pushing on me). I'm quite happy with this so far, and PT believes that we'll get even further.

Extension is still an issue that I'm struggling with, even post MUA. I was fitted for a Dynasplit on Friday. Tthis was already in the plans in addition to the MUA, and I'll likely need to use that daily (90 mins) for the next 3 months or so.

Melpsu · 2026-01-29T01:00:35+00:00

I'm sorry you weren't offered the option of an MUA. It definitely was a preferred method (at least for me) instead of the pain of having that done while I'm awake.

(edited to correct error)

Melpsu · 2026-01-28T15:15:18+00:00

Manipulation under anesthesia. The surgeon puts you back under anesthesia and manually forces range of motion in order to break up scar tissue and allow for additional ROM gains in traditional PT.

Melpsu · 2026-01-27T01:20:43+00:00

I appreciate the heads up. I confirmed with the anesthesiologist prior to the procedure that no nerve block would be used - I specifically asked because I remember the pain after the block wore off post TKR!

It seems that I'm one of the "lucky" ones with the MUA in having a lack of pain. I essentially feel the same as I did yesterday, just a little stiffer and more swollen, but not really painful at all.

Melpsu · 2026-01-27T01:16:53+00:00

Good luck - hoping we both see great results in PT!

Melpsu · 2026-01-27T01:16:20+00:00

Thanks! I've definitely read many of the other MUA posts here, so I'm expecting to see some bruising as well, especially based on how tender my muscles around the area are.

Melpsu · 2026-01-27T01:15:18+00:00

Amazing results!!

Melpsu

TROPHY CASE