After your operated or surgical knee has healed and after 8 to 12 months of rehabilitation, you should be able to kneel.
You may experience continued pain or discomfort and want to avoid kneeling. You also may be afraid of damaging the knee and its artificial components. 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.
There is no evidence that kneeling is harmful to your knee replacement. Some people are afraid of damaging the implant, but kneeling actually puts no more stress on your implants than the activities listed above.
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). 90 degrees is the same thing as a right angle.
Knee stiffness and pain that can occur after a knee replacement may be because of scar tissue and collagen attaching to the knee implant. This is called arthrofibrosis, and it is your immune system's reaction to the new “invader” in your knee.
Much of the lack of knee flexion immediately after surgery is not only due to pain, but also knee swelling or edema in response to the surgery. Inside of your knee is a joint capsule that surrounds the entire joint, imagine this joint capsule is shaped like a balloon.
Tenderness around the wound sites up to four weeks. Muscle wasting in the thigh, improves as swelling and pain decrease. Difficulty kneeling due to swelling and tenderness up to six weeks.
Any discomfort or difficulty on kneeling is quite likely to be the result of not having enough flexibility at the knee or enough lower body strength to move down in a controlled manner.
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.
Walking. Proper walking is the best way to help your knee recover. At first, you will walk with a walker or crutches. Your surgeon or therapist will tell you how much weight to put on your leg.
After your knee replacement surgery, it is important to remember that you should not cross your legs at any time.
You would be able to walk for 10 minutes without any assisted devices within 4 – 6 weeks of the procedure. You shouldn't need cane, crutches, walker, and other assistive devices. Your physical therapist will encourage you to walk without an assistive device for longer distances gradually.
It may take up to 12 months to fully recover from knee revision surgery. Most people will feel comfortable going back to work and resuming some of their normal activities three to six months after the surgery.
Tip #1: Avoid Sitting With Your Knee Bent Or Cross-Legged
This can also increase the pressure on your knee joints, which can cause pain and swelling. To give your knees relief, limit the amount of time you spend with your knees bent or crossed. Try to have them straight whenever possible.
The most severe response to knee pain is a Total Knee Replacement, which involves replacing the entire joint with an artificial metal or plastic prosthetic. This has the longest recovery time out of all of the options, and therefore is almost always a last-resort choice.
Physical therapy is a useful treatment for a stiff knee, especially within the first three months after knee replacement. Physical therapy can also be considered after this time, but the results are not as good as early physical therapy.
You will probably need about 6 weeks to recover. 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.
A stiff, arthritic knee and the loss of extension that usually accompanies it can be debilitating. Despite a widespread belief that little can be done about stiffness other than surgery, appropriate physical therapy can relieve and even reverse stiffness.
What are the signs of knee replacement failure? The most common symptoms of a failed knee implant are pain, decrease in joint function, knee instability, and swelling or stiffness in the knee joint.
End of week 1: the goal is to reach at least 90° of knee flexion and be working towards full knee extension. Weeks 2-3: the goal is to achieve at least 100° knee flexion and full knee extension. Weeks 4-6: you should be approaching or have already achieved 110-120° of full knee flexion.