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- Welcome to weeks 2-4 after your total knee replacement surgery. The first 12 weeks after surgery are critical to ensuring you get the best function possible with your new knee. This video series will take you through the activities and exercises you need to do to make that happen.
First, a little reminder. Your surgery was done in a minimally invasive fashion to help you make a rapid recovery. In addition, robotic guidance with artificial intelligence was used to create a model of your knee joint that was used to pick the perfect implants to give you the best possible range of motion. In the bad old days when legacy surgeons took down muscles and the implants were not the perfect fit recovery required extensive physical therapy and strengthening for six to twelve months. Times have changed. You may choose to engage in physical therapy; but many of our patients have achieved excellent recoveries without it. You should expect to make a complete recovery from surgery in 1-2 weeks, and fully strengthen and “on board” your new knee within 8-12 weeks after the day of surgery.
This video series is led by Dr. Amy Cannatta, DC and Ashley Baratko. Dr. Amy received her Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Chiropractic degrees at the University of Bridgeport College of Chiropractic in 2005. She was specialty certified in Neurodiagnostics at the Palmer College of Chiropractics in Port Orange, Florida in 2018. Dr. Amy has practiced chiropractic medicine in Connecticut as well as Arizona. She joined Phoenix Spine and Joint in 2017. Ashley Baratko has worked for five years as a physical therapy assistant and is applying to enter physical therapy college to study for her doctorate.
Your first goal for this period of recovery, and from here on out, it to increase your range of motion. The second goal is to increase your daily activity and endurance. And the third and final goal is to manage swelling.
The first exercise is isometric contraction. While sitting down in a chair press your heel back into the chair. This helps strengthen your hamstring muscle. Hold the pressure for 2 minutes. Keep your toes pointed straight out, and avoid rotating your knee or hip inward or outward as you contract your hamstring muscle.
The second exercise for your total knee recovery is also done sitting on a chair. Straighten your knee as far as you can up in the air. This exercise strengthens the quadriceps muscles on the front of your leg. Hold the extended position for 2 minutes. Again, avoid rotating your hip or knee by keeping your toes pointed straight up in the air.
The third exercise is a heel slide. Sit with your legs straight in front of you and put your heel on a towel. Bend your knee by bringing it toward you so that your heel slides on the towel across the ground. Repeat ten times as you tolerate. Rest. Then repeat ten times more, and ten more times after that.
If you are in physical therapy expect your therapist to do patellar mobilization (moving the kneecap across the joint) and passive range of motion in this phase. If you’re not in therapy, you can do these things with the help of a family member as shown in the video.
The last exercise is a straight leg raise which is done in four planes. Watch the video to learn how to do each.
Complications such as blood clots, infection (urinary tract, pneumonia, surgical site), heart problems or dislocation almost never happen; however, we are always on the lookout for them. It is always better to be safe than sorry. Let your surgeon know if you experience any of the following:
bleeding or drainage from your incision site
Skin redness around the incision that is getting larger
Painful urination
Cough
Chest pain
Shortness of breath
Swelling that does not respond to elevation and compression
Temperature greater than 100.4 sustained over 24 hours
In addition, let your surgeon know if you are unable to do the exercises shown in the video.
At Phoenix Spine and Joint we’ve seen how minimally invasive robotic assisted total knee replacement changes lives. We’re excited for you as you begin your journey.