Your New Knee: What You Should Know

You may notice numbness around the incision of your knee replacement surgery. You may also notice some stiffness. This may be more pronounced after a great deal of bending. Naturally, your knee should be improved after you have had it replaced; however, it is important to remember that an artificial knee may never have the complete ROM (range of motion) of a natural knee.

You may also notice that you are having some trouble kneeling. Dont worry about it, though. It does not hurt your new knee to kneel. You may also hear clicking sometimes when you are bending and walking. This is just the metal parts moving against the plastic. It will become less with time. Most patients adjust to it quite nicely. It is surely less of a problem than the pain and restriction of activities experienced with a diseased natural knee.

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:

Take great care not to fall or become injured. If you hurt yourself after your knee surgery, you will probably need 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.

Anytime you have dental work done, be sure to inform your dentist about your knee replacement. You will need to take preventative antibiotics to avoid infection. This will be a lifelong necessity.

Participate in light exercise regularly from now on. This will keep your new knee strong and flexible.

Go to your orthopedic surgeon for an examination and x-rays every year.

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.