Many patients are sent to physical therapy after knee arthroscopy, and this is usually decided at the first post-operative visit. Some patients regain motion very quickly and have minimal swelling and therapy may not be necessary for them. Or, they may only have to go once or twice to learn a home program. Your surgeon will decide what is best for you. You are encouraged to bend and straighten your knee as much as pain allows immediately after standard knee arthroscopy.
Remember, however, that your knee may be swollen and full motion may be difficult for the first few days. You may tighten your quadriceps muscle right after surgery and we encourage straight leg raises if they are not too painful.
Massaging the patella kneecap with your leg straight is also beneficial. Using your fingers, push the patella in all four directions up, down, left, and right and hold it for 10 seconds in each direction.
This helps prevent scar formation and tightness around the patella during the recovery period. You can put as much weight on your leg as is comfortable immediately after surgery. Again, the usual need for crutches or a walker is about two or three days.
Riding on an exercise bike, using a treadmill or elliptical machine, or just plain walking are all good exercises to begin once the knee is less painful. Do not be surprised if your knee has a tendency to swell after such activities; remember to ice and elevate the knee afterwards. Generally, not for the first three weeks. However, as each person's strength varies, some patients are able to resume weight training exercises with their legs sooner than three weeks.
Use light weights to begin with and progress gradually. If you need to drive long distances within two weeks after your surgery, you should take frequent breaks to stand up, stretch, and walk for 10 minutes per hour to decrease the risk of a blood clot forming.
This depends on your profession. Typically, if your work is primarily sedentary you may be able to return within one week. If your work is extremely rigorous, you may require eight to 10 weeks before you return to full duty.
Your physician will help you determine an appropriate return-to-work date, and will also provide any needed paperwork. You may travel as soon as you feel comfortable, but it is recommended that long trips be avoided for two weeks after surgery due to an increased risk of blood clots in the legs. If a long trip is unavoidable in the early post-operative period, we recommend that you get up to stretch or walk for at least 10 minutes per hour to decrease the risk of a blood clot.
Ice should be used for the first several days, particularly if you have a lot of swelling or discomfort. Ice is also helpful if you develop swelling after exercising. Some patients report that using heat prior to activities helps "warm up" the knee. Follow-up appointments should be made post-operatively at seven to 10 days, again at four to six weeks and then again at three months if you are not better. The three month appointment is not necessary if things are going well. Barrett's Blog.
Knee Arthroscopy. Depending on the physical health of the person in question, the exercise regime, overall lifestyle among other factors, recovery from arthroscopic knee surgery could take anywhere from two to six weeks. The first three days after surgery involves some pain for anyone who has undergone the procedure, so people usually use crutches to assist with walking during this period.
When the patient feels less pain, they then walk with a cane. With walking and leg strengthening exercises, most people regain normal use of their knee within four to six weeks.
The swelling, pain, and limited motion ceases three to four months after the surgery. Ultimately, the recovery period for those who have gone through this process varies per person, so it's not easy to predict how long it will take a particular individual to recover from the surgery completely. For more information, contact Dr. You should be progressing to full weight bearing without the use of crutches. During these weeks and the following weeks, there are no restrictions to activities of daily living ADLs.
Heaton specializes in the treatment of non-operative orthopaedic injuries and is the Director of Concussion Management at Access Sports Medicine. He is also one of only two physicians in New Hampshire who is trained and certified in pediatric post-concussion testing. Kevin D. Heaton, DO Concussion Dr. Have questions about your knee injury or the recovery process for a meniscectomy?
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