Physical therapy is required after knee-replacement surgery to help you regain your strength and mobility. The amount of physical therapy you need depends on the progress you make. Therapy begins almost immediately after surgery and can last for many months until you are able to regain full function. Consult your therapist and surgeon about the best program for your recovery.
First Few Days After Surgery
Your physical therapist will begin simple exercises starting on the first day after surgery. These include ankle pumps, active range of motion, knee extension and quadricep exercises. The therapist will also teach you how to get in and out of bed. You will learn to walk with the use of a walker, which you will use for two to four weeks after your surgery. After that time, you will wean yourself to a cane or no assistive devices at all. Your therapist will teach you how to go up and down stairs and perform other activities of daily living.
Flexion and Extension
The ability to extend and flex your knee is the focus of much of your post-operative therapy. Your therapist will work with you to achieve the normal range of extension -- straightening your leg -- and flexion -- bending your knee. This range typically is zero degrees extension and 120 degrees flexion. Your ability to straighten and bend your knee is important in your everyday activities, and your therapist will spend at least the first four weeks after your surgery to help you achieve this level of function.
Frequency
During the first several weeks after surgery, your therapist will help you regain the ability to fully bear your weight on your operative leg. Other therapy exercises you will perform have the goal of strengthening your legs, stretching and working on your balance. These exercises usually last for up to three months. Your therapist will develop a program of various exercises that you will do several times a day, sometimes up to six times a day. You will be encouraged to walk at least 30 minutes two to three times a day. You should expect to do some type of therapy multiple times a day for many weeks.
Returning to Normal Acitvity
You will work with your therapist and your surgeon to determine which activities you can resume after three months. The stability in your knee can influence whether you can resume sports, such as skiing or tennis. Activities that involve jumping are not allowed after a total knee replacement, and you and your surgeon should discuss any activities that involve jumping.
