Orthopedics:  What to Expect from a Total Knee Replacement Surgery!

By Melissa Fournier, PT and Craig Zettergren, PT Cert. MDT

 

            If your knee is severely damaged by arthritis or injury, it may be difficult for you to

perform activities such as walking or going up and down stairs. If you are one of the un-

lucky ones, you may even feel pain when you are sitting or lying down. If you have tried medications, changing your activity level and are using walking supports that are not helping, you may want to consider total knee replacement surgery. A total knee replacement can relieve your pain, correct any deformities and help to increase your functional ability. Whether you have just begun researching treatment options or have already decided to have a total knee replacement, this article will help you to understand more about this procedure and what to expect after your

total knee replacement.

             It is important first to understand how the knee joint works, as it is the largest joint

in the human body. The knee is made up of the femur bone, which rotates on the tibia

and the patella (knee cap) that sits in a groove on the end of the femur bone. Stability of

the knee is given through the ligaments that surround the knee joint and the muscles

of the knee provide strength and durability. The surfaces of the three bones that make

up the knee joint are covered with articular cartilage, which is a smooth substance that

provides cushion for the bones and aides in movement of the knee joint. In a normal

knee, all of these components work in harmony, but arthritis or trauma to the knee can

cause dysfunction, resulting in pain, muscle weakness and decreased ability to perform

functional activities.

             Some of the most common causes of knee pain and disability are arthritis or trauma to the knee.  There are different forms of arthritis but one of the most commonly known is osteoarthritis, which usually occurs after the age of 50.  The cartilage that cushions the bones of the knee wears away resulting in the bones rubbing against one another.  You begin to have pain with 1) going up  and down stairs, and getting into and out of chairs, 2) moderate or severe knee pain while resting, either during the day or at night, 3) chronic knee inflammation and swelling that doesn’t improve with rest or medication, 4) knee deformity, 5) knee stiffness and the inability to bend or straighten your knee, 6) failure to improve with other treatments such as injections, physical therapy or other surgeries. Recommendations for surgery are done on an individual basis and are based on a patient’s disability, not age.

            An important factor in deciding whether to have a total knee replacement is understanding what the procedure can and can’t do for you. A vast majority of individuals who undergo total knee replacement surgery experience a dramatic reduction in the knee pain than they experienced before their surgery. After having a total knee replacement,

it is expected that you will have post  operative pain and swelling in the knee that can last up to 6 months or 1 year.  You will stay at the hospital 3-4 days on average.  Pain management is an important part of your recovery, so talk to your surgeon if postoperative pain is an issue in your case.  Walking and knee movement are very important to your recovery and begin immediately after surgery.  Some pain should be expected when starting activities after surgery but it is important to begin as early as possible.  The physical therapist will assist you in learning how to safely get into and out of bed and walk with your walker or cane.  After being discharged from the hospital, patients are referred for outpatient physical therapy, like Physical Therapy Center of Bristol.  Know your rights as a patient, and they are simple.  You can go wherever you choose for physical therapy.   If you have any questions, you can call me personally or email me, craig@ptcbristol.com, 860-585-5800 or check out our website and read some of the success stories for our total knee population.

            Movement of the knee is very important following surgery, despite the increased pain that you may experience with it. You should expect your knee to be able to fully straighten, 0 degrees of extension and it is optimal to get about 120 degrees of flexion.  This will allow you to get up and done from a low chair in and out of the car and performing stairs which are all needed.

 

            Most knee replacements last more than 20 years but some wear out overtime.  You can speak with your physician in more detail about this issue.  It is important to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle, maintain an appropriate body weight, avoid high impact activities such as jogging and skiing, and avoid kneeling, just to name a few. Deciding to have a total knee replacement is a big decision and can be a long recovery with expected pain with the procedure and rehabilitation process. Most people describe the pain during the rehabilitation process worth

it compared to the pain and limited function they experienced before the surgery.

 

If you are going to have a knee replacement or you have had one recently, see your doctor and ask for a prescription for physical therapy to Physical Therapy Center of Bristol, LLC.   Then call our office, Bristol 585-5800, Plantsville 272-8490 or email craig@ptcbristol.com.  You can always stop by the office and we will get you on the road to recovery.                  

Physical Therapy Center of Bristol, LLC has two locations serving the communities of Bristol, Burlington, Terryville, Plainville, Southington, Plantsville, Cheshire and Meriden.  In Bristol, we are located at 135 Middle Street, 585-5800 and in Plantsville we are at 1090 Meriden Waterbury Turnpike, 272-8490.  

Physical Therapy Center of Bristol, LLC is central Connecticut’s most trusted name in Physical Therapy since 2003.  We specialize  outpatient physical therapy in orthopedics, sports, postoperative, spine, women’s health and vestibular disorders.

Tags: Add new tag, Knee pain, Total Knee Replacement

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 4th, 2009 at 11:23 pm and is filed under Bristol, Burlington, Cheshire, Knee arthritis, Knee pain, Meriden, Physical therapy, Plainville, Plantsville, Southington, Total Knee Replacement, orthopedics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.