Hello. I worked in an inpatient unit on
the ortho floor at the university of Iowa
hospitals and clinics. We took care of
many joint replacement patients. This is
what I know:
Knee replacements really hurt. The rehab
is pretty extensive. You should expect to
feel a good deal of pain for at the very
least the first 6 weeks. When you stop to
think about what your surgeon really did
for you, it was very extensive. He had to
pull out your old knee, move a lot of
muscle tissue and tendons, then he had to
scrape out any left over debris, then
screw into your leg your new knee joint.
All of that moving around can really cause
pain. You stated that your knee is very
stiff. Have you been using a CPM machine
(continuous passive motion)? These help
to restore function and flexibility to
your knee. Are you attending physical
therapy? This is also very helpful in
getting your knee to move. Ulltimately,
it takes about 3 months before you really
feel like your old self. If you are able
to get around with just a cane at three
weeks, then you are doing great! If you
have further concerns, if the incision
becomes very red, hot, or if there is an
increase in drainage from the knee,
contact your physician right away. You
don't want complications.
