What’s the normal range of motion for a knee?
.png)
What’s the normal range of motion for a knee?
If you’re having a total or partial knee replacement – or considering one – you may have heard a lot of talk about “degrees of flexion”. Or something called “range of motion”. Or perhaps even the acronym “ROM”.
So what are these things? And why are they relevant to your recovery after surgery?
What’s the normal range of motion for a knee?
In normal circumstances, you should be able to fully straighten your leg (0°). To walk, our legs need about 60° flexion. To sit down comfortably, we need at least 90°. Sitting cross-legged requires about 120°. Most people can achieve up to about 145°. Many knee replacement patients won’t be getting the full ROM, however. That may well be one of the reasons you’re having the operation.
How does knee replacement affect flexion?
Knee flexion is a key focus of knee replacement procedures. We check it when placing the implant during the operation, and your care team will be reviewing it regularly as you recover in hospital. They’ll monitor both your active range of motion (how far you can flex your leg on your own) and your passive ROM (how far they can help you to move it). Swelling from the op will obviously reduce your flexion to begin with. But in the days and weeks to come, we will want it to increase significantly.
.png)
.png)
