Exercise Key Player in Knee Replacement Recovery
Workouts counter functional decline, could ward off osteoarthritis, study says
Reader Comments
knee replacement
My Dad has complete knee replacement on June 1st. It would not heal so on July 5th they went back in. He has three bacterial infections, cleaned wound out July 5th, put on antibiotics and on July 15th he had another surgery, still infected, not healing.
They are telling us it is because the outer part of his leg has only 25% circulation. My Dad has not smoked for over 30+ years and he is not diabetic. He now has a pump on the knee, left it open for the pump and on antibiotics and hoping for the best. Is this commom. In talking with the Dr. we don't know of he is going to be OK or not. Dr. said he hopes to save the leg. Do we need to be taking him to Mayos for a second opinion.
He cannot bend his knee and probably won't be able to do any therapy until this is all cleared up if it clears up. Next surgery (4th) will be to take it out all the way if the pump does not work. Just searching for answers. He was perfectly healthy except for bad knees before all this.
Exercise after knee replacement
Absolutely true. Did just that following Nov 2008 replacement. Next-day PT at hospital during four-day stay. In-home therapy for two weeks, then two months of outpatient PT, including those very exercises mentioned above. While still "not back to normal" (stiffness, soreness, some swelling), now at four months, I walk unaided and with no limp (the latter, unless I overdo it). As a fibromyalgia/osteoporosis/osteoarthritis sufferer with two prior arthroscopic surgeries on the same knee in the past 25 years (knee broken 40 years ago), I can't complain!
Others (doctors & prior replacees) have said it can take
6-12 months to return to "normal", given it's "one of the most difficult from which to recuperate".
