The first week after knee replacement you will develop swelling in your leg and some possible bruising or redness around the incision site which is normal and there may also be some slight drainage from the incision.
Full recovery from knee surgery can take up to 6 weeks although you should begin to be partially recovered from the knee surgery within around 3 to 4 weeks.
The most commonly reported problem after knee replacement surgery is knee stiffness.
The down time for knee surgery is 2 weeks to 3 weeks and a partial knee replacement can take 3 weeks to 6 weeks to recover from and a total knee replacement takes around 6 weeks to recover fully.
You can go home the same day after knee surgery as most people go home within 3 hours to 5 hours after the knee surgery.
You should have someone drive you home after knee surgery and avoid driving for at least 4 weeks after the knee surgery.
You can drive after 4 weeks after knee surgery once you've healed up.
The least invasive surgery for knee replacement is subvastus or midvastus which uses small incisions that are made in the muscle but are also less invasive than traditional knee replacement.
The most painful time after knee replacement surgery is the week after the knee replacement surgery.
After knee replacement surgery you will need to stay in the hospital for several days and during this time it's the most painful.
However the good news is that your doctor will prescribe you some power pain medications to lower and manage your pain levels.
The bed rest for knee surgery is 7 days.
Following the knee surgery your doctor will recommend that you have bed rest for at least 7 days following the knee surgery.
After knee surgery you will also begin rehabilitation during the 7 day bed rest period with the goal of promoting normal leg control, promoting normal gait with an assistive device, increasing ROM and decreasing swelling.
The best age to have knee surgery is when you're at least 60 to 65 years old.
If you're under age 60 years old then it's recommended that you wait to undergo any knee surgery or knee replacement surgery because the artificial joints only last around 15 to 20 years.
If you're younger and get knee surgery or knee replacement surgery done then you will likely need to have knee surgery done again to replace the joint.
The knee surgery that has the shortest recovery time is a knee arthroscopy knee surgery which is minimally invasive day surgery.
The recovery time for knee arthroscopy is around 6 weeks.
To recover from simple knee surgery takes around 6 weeks.
If the surgeon repaired damaged tissue then the recovery may take a bit longer.
The simplest knee surgery is arthroscopic knee surgery that is minimally invasive.
The arthroscopic knee surgery involves the making of multiple incisions in order to view and repair the knee.
And arthroscopic knee surgery has many advantages such as faster recovery, less damage to the surrounding tissue and lower complication rate.
The amount of incisions that are done for arthroscopic knee surgery are 2 to 3 tiny incisions which allows the surgeon to insert a pencil sized instrument into the knee to look into the knee.
The pencil sized instruments have a small lens and lighting system that magnifies and illuminates the structures inside your joint.
You should wear a knee brace after arthroscopy if the surgery involves more than just the removal of meniscus or torn cartilage or if you have a meniscal repair then your knee will usually be placed in a brace.
However for most arthroscopy procedures knee braces are rarely needed or used.
When sleeping after arthroscopic knee surgery you should sleep with your knee raised although not bent.
Then put a pillow under your foot and keep your leg raised up as much as possible for at least the first couple of days following the arthroscopic knee surgery.
Then you may also shower 24 to 48 hours after the arthroscopic knee surgery.
It takes around 2 weeks to walk without crutches after the arthroscopic knee surgery although you can begin walking immediately after the arthroscopic knee surgery with the use of crutches.
Two common reasons that a person would need arthroscopic knee surgery are.
Torn or damaged anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) or posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) or a knee cap that is out of position.
Other common reasons you would need arthroscopic knee surgery are swollen or damaged lining of the joint, small pieces of broken cartilage in the knee joint or removal of Baker's Cyst.
You can climb stairs after arthroscopic knee surgery and immediately after arthroscopic knee surgery you will learn to climb stairs using crutches safely.
And then as recovery from the arthroscopic knee surgery continues and you work on flexion and extension of the new knee, then you will also be able to climb stairs without the use of crutches.
You can drive after a knee arthroscopy but you should wait up to 1 week after the knee arthroscopy before driving and until the swelling reduces and the knee motion improves.
After a knee arthroscopy you will have to be off work for up to 1 to 2 weeks if you have a low impact job and for heavy work you will have to be off work for 3 months to 6 months after the knee arthroscopy.
Most times you're not put to sleep for knee arthroscopy and the surgeon uses local anesthesia which means your knee is only numb.
However you can ask for general anesthesia where you're put to sleep for the knee arthroscopy if you prefer. .
You can also be numb from the waist down by being given regional anesthesia.
The average age for knee arthroscopy is around 65 years of age.
Most knee replacement surgery is performed in elders who have severe arthritis and those under the age of 50 are considered young and are asked to wait until the age of 65 to have knee arthroscopy done.
A Knee arthroscopy is a type of surgery that is done to check for problems, using a tiny camera to see inside your knee.
Other medical instruments may also be inserted to repair your knee during the knee arthroscopy.
The knee is a complex joint made up of the distal end of the femur (femoral condyles) and the proximal end of the tibia (tibial plateau).
The recovery from knee arthroscopy takes on average of 6 weeks.
If your doctor repaired damaged tissue, recovery will take longer.
You may have to limit your activity until your knee strength and movement are back to normal.
You may also be in a physical rehabilitation (rehab) program.
Common arthroscopic procedures for the knee include: Partial meniscectomy (removal of the meniscus), repair of a torn meniscus, or meniscus transplantation.
Reconstruction of a torn anterior cruciate ligament or posterior cruciate ligament. Removal of inflamed synovial tissue.
The knee arthroscopy is a minor surgery and is done on an outpatient basis, which means you can go home the same day.
Your doctor may recommend it if you have inflammation in a joint, have injured a joint, or have damaged a joint over time.
After the knee arthroscopy you can start with some gentle exercise, such as walking.
This may feel a little uncomfortable at first.
After a week or two, you may be able to go for longer walks, swim or have a gentle cycle.
Don't do any high-impact exercises, such as running, for at least six weeks.