With our advanced surgical technique and high flexion implants, the majority of our patients can sit cross-legged on the floor within 3-6 months of knee replacement surgery.
Squatting and sitting cross-legged are common practices in Asia. These activities are not possible following standard total knee replacement.
Keep your feet and knees pointed straight ahead, not turned in or out. Your knees should be either stretched out or bent in the way your therapist instructed. Sit in a firm chair with a straight back and armrests. After your surgery, avoid stools, sofas, soft chairs, rocking chairs, and chairs that are too low.
The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS) advises that kneeling is safe and won't harm the knee. It may, however, still feel painful or uncomfortable to kneel. Your healthcare team likely will provide you with specific instructions, training, or physical therapy about how to safely kneel.
Early on after a knee repalcement it will not be possible to kneel but once you have recovered, it is absolutely possible. Kneeling can take 8 to 12 months before it is possible and comfortable. There are 3 main factors that limit people from kneeling: 1. A loss of knee motion also called range of motion, 2.
Even though you will be able to resume most activities, you may want to avoid doing things that place excessive stress on your "new" knee, such as participating in high-impact activities like jumping, jogging, or skiing.
Don't sit in low chairs
Sitting on a low seat or sofa can make it tricky to get up again without putting undue stress on your knee. If possible, sit in firm chairs with back support and armrests until you are fully recovered.
Don't Overdo It
Signs of over-exercising include swelling of the entire leg and lingering pain that stretches into the evening or into the next day.
Can you sleep on your side after knee replacement surgery? You can, but it's wise not to do so until at least a few weeks after surgery, when you can start bending your knee. Make sure you lay on your non-operative side. Sleeping this way makes sure no pressure falls on the knee you had surgery on.
Around the 6 week mark, once your physician gives you the greenlight, you may be able to return to sleeping in your preferred position (such as on your stomach or surgical side). Until then, stick to these positions.
Risks specific to knee replacement include infection (which may result in the need for more surgery), nerve injury, the possibility that the knee may become either too stiff or too unstable to enjoy it, a chance that pain might persist (or new pains might arise), and the chance that the joint replacement might not last ...
Within 7 to 10 days after your knee replacement, you should be able to get your knee entirely straight/full extension (Fig. 1) (no space between the back of your knee and the table) and you should be able to bend/flex your knee to at least 90 degrees (Fig. 2).
After a conventional implant for Total Knee Replacement, a person can typically walk comfortably and his knee joint will have a good range ofmotion. However, sitting cross-legged and squatting is not advised.
Answer: Immediately after surgery you will learn to climb stairs safely using crutches. As recovery continues and you work on flexion and extension of the new knee, you will be able to climb without crutches. With the help of physical therapy and building up the quadriceps muscles, stair climbing will be a breeze.
Your orthopaedic surgeon and physical therapist may recommend that you exercise for 20 to 30 minutes daily, or even 2 to 3 times daily; and walk for 30 minutes, 2 to 3 times daily during your early recovery.
The biggest challenge in the early recovery of a TKR (up to 3 months postoperative) is the regaining of knee motion.
Balancing movement with getting enough rest is necessary to heal from knee replacement surgery. For the first few months, you may have some mild-to-moderate swelling of the affected knee. Getting the appropriate rest and keeping your leg elevated, as well as applying ice, can help boost healing time.
Recliners and sofas are not recommended after your knee or hip replacement because they are not supportive, difficult to get out of and can limit range of motion. Straight back chairs with arm rests are suggested for safety.
Most patients can get back to driving between 2–6 weeks after surgery. However, each person's recovery is different, so check with your surgeon before getting behind the wheel again.
Recovery is slow
While it's different for everyone and depends on the type of knee surgery you've had, many people are surprised by how long it takes to recover. The time it takes to start doing simple tasks around the home, get back to work and importantly bending your new and improved knee may catch you by surprise.
Is stationary cycling good for knee replacement? Very. In fact, one of the first recommended activities following your knee replacement is on a stationary bike.
Usually by the 6 month mark, you're about 90% recovered. 30 out of 100 patients at 6 months will say “My knee feels pretty normal like the other side,” while the other 70 will say, “It's still not quite a normal knee but it's substantially better than what I had before.”
This is normal during the early stages of recovery, as the knee experiences swelling which causes temporary stiffness. This should begin to subside within the first month or so after the operation; if it continues to feel stiff or if the stiffness gets worse, contact your surgeon.