A loss of knee motion and pain are common complications. More severe complications requiring revision surgery include joint replacement infection, unexpected bleeding into the knee joint and prosthetic loosening. By Jessica D.
chills and feel shivery. oozing or pus from your wound. redness, tenderness, swelling or pain in your knee that is not getting better or is getting worse.
Start with small, manageable steps over short distances and use an assistive device whenever needed. Gradually work your way up until you can walk longer distances without discomfort. Doing too much exercise can lead to pain and swelling, hindering your recovery.
Typically, persistent pain and stiffness can be signs of implant failure. Why do knee implants fail? Infection, instability or stiffness are considered the most common causes of implant failure. Others causes can include an issue with the implant itself, like a fracture, and aseptic loosening.
The biggest challenge in the early recovery of a TKR (up to 3 months postoperative) is the regaining of knee motion.
4 – 6 weeks after surgery
You would be able to walk for 10 minutes without any assisted devices within 4 – 6 weeks of the procedure.
Your second day can begin with more pain than you experienced on post-op, day one. You probably didn't sleep great, getting to the bathroom with your walker is a fiddle, but you take your medications, ice and elevate, and work on walking.
Your body just went through a major surgery and needs time to heal. Most people can resume daily activities with reduced pain approximately three to six weeks after surgery. Full recovery can take anywhere from four months to a year.
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.
It is still possible to have arthritis after knee replacement surgery. However, people who need the surgery are less likely to experience pain from arthritis after they recover from the procedure. Osteoarthritis (OA) is a type of arthritis that affects the joints, particularly the knee joints.
You shouldn't downhill ski or play contact sports such as football and soccer. In general, avoid sports that require jerking, twisting, pulling, or running. You should be able to do lower-impact activities, such as hiking, gardening, swimming, playing tennis, and golfing.
The majority of patients expect to be able to kneel after TKR,2,4,5 however, these expectations are frequently not met,1,6 with between 50% and 80% of patients reporting that they have difficulty kneeling or do not kneel in the months and years after TKR.
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.
Furthermore, with the advent of joint prostheses coated with hydroxyapatite, which work by promoting primary bone formation to fill the gap between the prosthesis and the host bone, the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may be counterproductive.
You will want to look for increased pain, stiffness, swelling, or redness in your leg during the recovery. Your knee may feel warm to the touch if you have an infection, and you may notice drainage that's yellow, gray, or green. Fever, chills, and fatigue are also warning signs that should be evaluated by your surgeon.
Patients are usually able to walk without assistance within two weeks, and most patients can walk without a limp (or minimal limp) within two months. Most patients feel better than before surgery by 3 months, with some improvement out to 6 months.
Spring and fall offer lots of daylight and fresh air. Your physical therapy is another reason to choose spring and fall for your knee surgery. Part of your therapy will be performing exercises indoors and outside, which will be more appealing when the temperature isn't too hot or cold.
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.”
Over-the-counter medications — such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and naproxen sodium (Aleve) — may help ease knee pain. Some people find relief by rubbing the affected knee with creams containing a numbing agent, such as lidocaine, or capsaicin, the substance that makes chili peppers hot.
TKA patients begin rehabilitation during the seven-day bedrest period, with the goals of decreasing swelling, increasing ROM, promoting normal leg control and promoting normal gait with an assistive device.
A surgeon can provide instructions for using both prescription and over-the-counter NSAIDs. Those offered by prescription are meloxicam (Mobic), voltaren (Diclofenac), indomethacin (Indocin) and celecoxib (Celebrex). Over-the-counter medications are ibuprofen or naproxen (such as Advil, Motrin or Aleve).
Energy of healing
Physical therapy and exercise after surgery may push your physical activity farther than it was before surgery. For all of these reasons, you may feel more tired than normal after surgery as your body is using energy for the healing process.
Pain and Discomfort: First and foremost, whether you've had a hip or knee replacement, you're going to be in pain. This pain will last for several weeks (even months) until it's well under control again. In the meantime, it's undoubtedly affecting how well you're sleeping at night.