Arthroplasty, or total knee replacement surgery, is a major surgical procedure and to ensure proper healing it is important to follow the directions given by your orthopedic surgeon. The knee bears a great deal of weight and a well designed physical therapy plan should be followed after knee surgery to ensure restoration of movement and mobility to the knee joint.

Very basically, arthroplasty involves replacement of the knee joint cartilage with a prosthesis made up of special metals and plastics and involves a hospital stay of 3 to 7 days after the knee replacement surgery. Most hospitals will not discharge a patient who has had replacement knee surgery unless they can walk with the aid of crutches. Knee rehabilitation therapy commences almost immediately after the surgery and can continue for several months. This is a crucial key to good recovery.

Since it can take up to 3 weeks after surgery before the repaired knee joint can be expected to bear any weight, it may be necessary for patients to receive in-home assistance. If in-home care is not available then there are rehabilitation centers that can provide that service. This would mean staying at the center for 2 or 3 weeks after the operation. During this time the leg should be kept elevated as much as possible and use ice packs to help minimise swelling.

Since we are all different with different health, fitness and motivation levels and the complexity of knee surgery varies with each operation, the recovery procedure and recovery time can vary. The following are guidelines only and can vary from case to case.

For the first three to four weeks after the knee replacement, walking with aid of crutches or a walker is necessary.

After that period the use of a cane is recommended for two to three weeks.

Usually, after around 8 weeks, most people can walk unaided.

It generally takes from 6 to 12 months for the knee joint to heal completely. This time frame is dependent on the knee exercises and rehabilitation program being followed and on the knee not being damaged by trying to pursue some activities too soon.

The level of mobility of the knee following the surgery varies from person to person, however, most people should be able to bend the repaired knee joint to 90 degrees with two to three weeks after their knee replacement surgery. Eventually, many will get over 110 degrees of motion in the repaired knee.

It should be possible to return to jobs that are sedentary by 6 weeks after surgery. More physical jobs should be looked at on an individual basis in conjunction with your health care professional.

After about 12 weeks, most people are back to their normal activities and the pain experienced before the knee replacement has usually disappeared by this time.

It is important to remember that the components used in the knee joint prosthesis are not able to heal if the knee is damaged and so common sense must prevail when considering undertaking leisure, sporting and employment activities to lessen the risk of injury. Here is a list of recommended activities, activities that are allowed in moderation and ones that should be avoided altogether.

Recommended activities

* Swimming and water aerobics

* Cross-country skiing

* Golf

* Dancing

* Cycling

*Using training machines like cross trainers and exercise bikes

* Desk work

Permitted: Allowable in moderation:

* Hiking

* Sports like gentle tennis or gentle downhill skiing

* Jobs that do not require heavy lifting (driving, walking, standing etc).

These activities should be avoided at all costs:

* Jogging or running

* Impact exercises

* Contact sports and those sports that put a lot of stress son the knee through pivoting or twisting e.g. basketball, squash, football etc.

* Heavy labor and lifting.

With the advances made in total knee replacement surgery procedures and prosthetics, almost full use of the knee can be expected for many years.

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Knee surgery recovery depends on many things. Obesity can affect your knee rehabilitation as shown in this article.

The solution to people with knee problems can be a mix of medication and proper diet. For more serious cases, knee surgery may become inevitable. This means that the entire knee will have to be replaced with an artificial joint so that they can walk again without pain. Unfortunately, it may be more difficult for people who are considered to be obese to enjoy the long-term effects of surgery. There are even experts that say obesity and knee replacement do not particularly mix well.

Why Knee Replacement Is Important

The joints that make up our knees are cushioned and protected by a material called cartilage. It is the same organic material our ears are made of. Factors such as too much fast food and sports like running or basketball can contribute to the reduction of cartilage in the knee. The problem results to the joints not moving properly and excruciating pain.

Obesity can even play a part in the degradation of the knee. As mentioned above, certain foods that cause obesity in general can also affect the cartilage. Furthermore, the knee of an obese person is under more weight and pressure compared to a healthier individual, increasing the possibilities of osteoarthritis.

How Can Obesity Affect Knee Replacement?

Arthroplasty or knee replacement is considered a major surgery. Hence, there are several tests that patients are required to take to make sure that they fit to be on the operation table. These tests include a blood-clotting test and electrocardiogram or ECG, among others. These tests may reveal other conditions that may affect the success of the operation .

This is where obese patients usually have a problem. Due to their weight condition, it is more likely that they also have high blood pressure and heart ailments. This means doctors will have to take extra precaution during the actual surgery. It is even possible that surgery will not be an option once obese patients have been found to have other medical problems.

Issues after the Knee Surgery

Even if the surgery becomes successful, obesity can still become a major hurdle during the recovery period. The existing conditions of the patient may delay the complete healing of the wounds and how the artificial knee adapts to the leg. Most importantly, physical rehabilitation may be longer for people who are weight challenged.

It will actually take more time for them to get back the strength of the muscles and bones. Because of their weight, they are mostly likely to be given continuous passive motion or CPM treatments, so they and their artificial knees can start physical exercises without so much strain.

Aside from the long recovery, certain studies have shown that 1 out of 10 obese people who had arthroplasty found that the surgery was not successful after five or six years. This is because the additional weight caused more stress on the artificial joint. This caused the joints to develop stiffness or malfunction altogether. This is a stark contrast to the 100 percent success rates of knee surgery on people who are not obese.

A strict doctor ordered rehabilitation always follows knee replacement surgery. Unfortunately, this rehab is only enough to give you some mobility and get back part of your life. They don’t expect people with knee replacements to have the full abilities like they once did, so they don’t even try. With the right exercise and routines, though, you can have that life back, despite what the doctors tell you. Take the time to learn about rehabilitation from knee replacement surgery, and how you can ease your fear of living a sedentary life by taking action.

This video on surgical complications of obesity outlines the issue very well, it’s worth a look.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jerry_Seaman

 

How can obesity impact a persons health?

However, this is one of the very minor problems of obesity. Excessive weight bearing on the knee and ankle joints is a major cause of the wear and tear that occurs in joints.

Weight Loss Forum-Obesity

I developed horrible arthritic pain in my joints, and due to the medication I was taking and my metabolism basically crashing to hell, I gained nearly 100 lbs back.

How will Obesity Affect You and What Can You Do?

Extra weight will take a toll on your joints. Obesity has also been linked to gout, which is when uric acid that cannot be excreted collects in the joints of the toes.

 

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