Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is an orthopaedic operation that improves quality of life and reduces pain in patients with disabling arthritis of the knee. One commonly recognized complication is flexion contracture of the knee. Early physical therapy helps prevent flexion contracture and improve range of motion (ROM) postoperatively. This study evaluated postoperative sleeping position and its effect on terminal knee extension and ROM following primary TKA. We hypothesized that patients who slept in the supine position would achieve earlier knee extension and greater ROM when compared to those in the lateral recumbent position. A total of 150 consecutive primary TKAs were performed by a single surgeon (J.M.C.) from April 2014 to December 2014. The data were collected prospectively to determine preoperative ROM, postoperative ROM, and sleeping position. Mean postoperative terminal extension ROM at 1 month was 2.9 degrees in the supine group versus 6.0 degrees (p< .001) in the lateral group. No significant demographic differences between the two groups at baseline were found. Our results demonstrate that sleeping position affects initial postoperative terminal extension, however, not overall ROM. We found a statistically significant difference in extension when comparing patients in the supine versus lateral group. Patients who slept in the lateral position lacked 6 degrees of extension which is greater than the 5 degrees needed for normal gait mechanics. Those in the supine group lacked 2.9 degrees of extension, allowing for normal gait mechanics. This study identifies an easy, effective means of increasing patients initial ability to achieve knee extension and satisfaction following TKA.
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