PROGRESSIVE EXERCISE-BASED REHABILITATION AND KNEE FLEXION RECOVERY FOLLOWING TOTAL KNEE ARTHROPLASTY: A CASE REPORT

Abstract

Background: Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a surgical procedure intended to improve joint function and mobility in selected patients. Postoperative rehabilitation plays an important role in restoring knee range of motion (ROM) and facilitating functional recovery. Rehabilitation may be particularly challenging in patients with a history of distal femoral fracture and internal fixation. Case Presentation: This case report describes the rehabilitation progress of a 22-year-old male patient with a documented history of right distal femoral fracture and subsequent plate-and-screw fixation, who later underwent right total knee arthroplasty. Serial clinical assessments recorded progressive changes in knee range of motion during the rehabilitation period from 26 July to 10 October 2025. Results: Knee flexion improved from 50° at the initial documented assessment on 26 July 2025 to 125° on 10 October 2025, representing an overall gain of 75°. The recorded knee extension measurements also showed progressive improvement, reaching 0° at the final assessment, subject to verification of the original measurement notation. These findings indicate substantial improvement in the documented knee range of motion over the observation period. Conclusion: This case highlights the importance of serial range-of-motion assessment in monitoring postoperative rehabilitation following right TKA in a patient with a history of distal femoral fracture and internal fixation. Although the observed improvements suggest favourable changes in knee mobility, conclusions regarding overall functional recovery and treatment effectiveness are limited by the absence of additional standardized outcome measures and detailed rehabilitation protocol data.