Case 21: Post-Knee Replacement Disability and Rapid Standing Recovery

A 64-year-old Indigenous man presented using a wheeled walker, accompanied by his carer. He had undergone knee reconstruction surgery three years earlier but remained unable to stand or walk independently. Prior to surgery, he had lived with severe knee pain for five years. Despite multiple hospital-based rehabilitation programs, there had been no meaningful functional improvement.

Regaining independent standing after years of post-knee replacement difficulty through targeted functional assessment and balance retraining.

Initial assessment showed profound lower-limb deconditioning, poor weight transfer, and severely compromised standing balance. After several minutes of targeted treatment and functional activation, he was reassessed and was able to stand up steadily for the first time in years.

Both the patient and his carer became emotional on witnessing this change. Further balance testing confirmed stable standing, and during assisted gait trials he was able to take several controlled, independent steps. One week later, the patient called to report that his leg strength had remained stable and that he continued to feel confident standing and walking short distances.

This case highlights how unresolved neuromuscular control and load-bearing capacity can persist long after joint reconstruction, and how restoring basic functional coordination can lead to rapid improvements even years post-surgery.

Clinical Practice: Heal Young Massage

Evidence-based remedial massage and movement rehabilitation services.