Abstract
Recovery of full knee extension after total knee replacement (TKR) is necessary in order to obtain a good quality in walking. One of the means for accomplishing a successful rehabilitation of this operation is by using eccentric exercises of the hamstrings for increasing tendon- muscular extensibility. The findings regarding knee extension of 30 TKR patients who exercised this muscle group 15 min/day, 5 days/week from day10 to day30 following surgery were compared with a reference group of 30 TKR patients who did not train similarly. The experimental group achieved a significantly better extension but no differences were noted vis-a-vis RoM in flexion and quadriceps and hamstrings strength. Training was well tolerated without inflammatory reaction or hamstrings muscle pain. Therefore this technique may be prescribed for faster recovery of knee extension following TKR.