Basic Guidelines & Restrictions  

• You will be told how far you can bend your knee.
• Avoid movements that twist the knee or cause pain such as kneeling, jumping, or strenuous exercises. Let your partner do the bending and twisting during sexual activity.
• Put only the amount of weight on your operative leg as instructed by your physician or physical therapist.
• Walk as often as directed by your surgeon.

Pain  

Before you leave the hospital, your surgeon will give you a prescription for a medication for discomfort. The nurse will explain its use. While some discomfort is normal, you should contact your surgeon if you experience increased discomfort or pain.

Special Precautions  

Watch for changes around your incision and contact your surgeon if you develop any of the following symptoms:

• Drainage and/or foul odor from incision.
• Fever/temperature above 100.4° F or 38° C for two days.
• Pain, redness, or swelling.

It will always be important to protect this new part of your body from infection.

If you are going to have any of the following procedures, you will need antibiotics before these procedures to help protect the joint from the possibility of infection.

• Cystoscopy, Colonoscopy, Proctoscopy.
• Dental work including teeth cleaning.
• Surgery of any kind.
• Urinary catheterization.

If you have an infection in any part of your body, contact your physician.

Special Note  

Occasionally, a prosthetic device may set off the alarm at the airport security device. Your surgeon may provide you with a special airline card to identify you as a person having a prosthetic device.

Factors in Choosing Surgery  

Total knee replacement is not indicated for every patient with knee arthritis. Prior infection in the knee, a severe injury that has destroyed the supporting knee muscles, or other medical factors such as a critical heart condition or severe kidney disease can preclude surgery.

While advanced age is not necessarily a limiting factor, a patient can be too young for total knee replacement. The operation is usually not indicated for people under the age of 50 since the activity level and potential life span of the patient are greater than the durability of the implant. Knee replacement may be appropriate, however, for your rheumatoid arthritis patients whose activity levels are diminished by the nature of their disease.

How Long Will the Implant Last?  

The longevity of the implant depends on many factors such as the patient's weight, the patient's activity level, and the presence or absence of disease in other joints of the lower extremities.

Implants can last ten to twelve years and even longer. New techniques allow for an implant to be removed and replaced, but our goal is to be able to implant a prosthesis that will last the patient a lifetime without revision.

Time  

Most patients are hospitalized for about a week and a half. The surgery takes about two hours to perform. Patients must use support in two hands for about six weeks after surgery while their muscles are rehabilitating.

Results  

Results are impressive and gratifying to both the patient and the surgeon. Most patients are pain-free and able to bend their knees from 90° to 100°, resuming daily activities without restriction. It is important to remember, however, that the replaced knee is artificial and there may be occasional discomfort in the knee area as well as some numbness in the skin around the surgical scar.

The remarkable results of total knee replacement are due to patient determination, the surgeon's skill, and the bioengineers' well-designed implants and instruments. Continued advances in the field can be expected to result in continuing success in the future.