Whats New About Your Knee Replacement?
Posted on November 11, 2009
Filed Under Fitness | Leave a Comment
You will notice a few differences between your old knee and your new knee. Your new knee may feel a little numb and stiff. The numbness will be around the incisions. The stiffness will probably be greater if you do a lot of bending. You may also notice that your new knee doesnt move quite as freely as your old knee. Still, you are sure to find it an improvement.
Another difference is that you may find it a little difficult to kneel. However, you should not worry about kneeling. It will not hurt your new knee. Sometimes you will hear a little clicking from your new knee. This is the metal moving against the plastic as you move. This should diminish after a while. Most patients have no trouble getting used to it. It is surely much less troublesome than the painful knee they had before.
If your were active before your surgery, you can be active again after your surgery. You will be able to straighten and bend your new knee well enough to perform common activities such as stair climbing and using your car.
Click here for more on knee replacement recovery .
Be careful about entering buildings with metal detectors as your new knee may set them off. Be ready to inform the security personnel about your new knee so that you wont run into any trouble.
Here are some steps to follow after your surgery:
Dont get injured or fall. A fracture following surgery will lead to more surgery.
See your orthopedist about any problems you may be having. Your orthopedist is also an MD. He or she can prescribe both surgical and non-surgical treatments for recovery. Your orthopedist’s training has given him or her a great deal of expertise regarding the tendons, nerves, joints, bones, ligaments and muscles that make up the musculoskeletal system.
When you go to the dentist, be sure he or she knows about your knee replacement. You must always take antibiotics prior to any dental procedure to prevent bacteria from traveling to the site of your operation and causing problems.
Take regular exercise to keep your new knee strong and mobile.
See your orthopedic surgeon annually for an examination and x-ray.
Dr. Tarlow is a Board Certified Orthopaedic Surgeon with over 20 years specializing in knee surgery. He opened his own clinic, Advanced Knee Care, with a focus on specialty patient care. Click here to learn more about Dr. Tarlow, orthopedic surgeon and total knee.
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