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Most people who have a knee replacement experience significant pain relief, improved mobility and a better overall quality of life. Talk with your doctor about what you can expect from knee replacement surgery.
Three to six weeks after knee replacement surgery, you generally can resume most normal daily activities such as shopping and light housekeeping. Driving is possible in four to six weeks if you can bend your knee far enough to sit in a car and you have enough muscle control to properly operate the brakes and accelerator.
After you've recovered, you can enjoy a variety of low-impact activities, such as walking, swimming, playing golf or biking. But higher impact activities, such as jogging, skiing, tennis, and sports that involve contact or jumping, may be out. Talk to your doctor about your limitations.
- Martin GM, et al. Total knee arthroplasty. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 4, 2010.
- Total knee replacement. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00389. Accessed March 4, 2010.
- Crockarell JR, et al. Arthroplasty of the knee. In: Canale ST, et al. Campbell's Operative Orthopaedics. 11th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/187318357-3/0/1584/34.html?tocnode=55686206&fromURL=34.html. Accessed March 5, 2010.
- Kaplan RJ. Total knee replacement. In: Frontera WR, et al. Essentials of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/187318357-3/963204237/1678/74.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-4007-1..50073-0_1167. Accessed March 4, 2010.
- Billante MJ, et al. Knee replacement in aging athletes. In: DeLee JC, et al. DeLee and Drez's Orthopaedic Sports Medicine. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/187318357-5/963235486/2079/63.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-3143-7..00023-3--s1630_3895. Accessed March 5, 2010.
- Martin GM, et al. Complications of total knee arthroplasty. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 4, 2010.
- Anesthesia for hip and knee surgery. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00372. Accessed March 5, 2010.
- Minimally invasive total knee replacement. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00405. Accessed March 5, 2010.
- Joint surgery. American College of Rheumatology. https://www.rheumatology.org/practice/clinical/patients/diseases_and_conditions/jointsurgery.pdf. Accessed March 5, 2010.
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