what is the optimal range of motion needed in the knee for everyday activities such as walking and climbing stairs?
This study from the Center for Hip and Knee Surgery at St. Francis Hospital in Indiana takes a look at this question. They went back and reviewed over 5,500 patient charts who had a TKR. A comparison was made between motion, pain, walking and stair-climbing ability, and knee function before and after TKR. Everyone had a posterior cruciate-retaining implant. This type of knee replacement leaves the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) intact. The PCL helps hold the knee stable and prevents too much backward motion of the tibia under the femur (thighbone). Previous studies have shown that 90-degrees of motion is needed to go up and down stairs. Getting up from a chair requires just slightly more motion (93 degrees). And lifting an object requires at least 117-degrees of flexion. These movements and activities are all that are needed by most adults in a Western culture after TKR. Adults in other cultures requiring more squatting, kneeling, and sitting cross-legged need between 111 and 165 de
