Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Your New Knee: What You Should Know

By Dr. Stefan Tarlow

There are a few physical differences between your new knee and your old knee. For one thing, you may feel a little numbness and stiffness around your new knee. Excessive bending may tend to increase the stiffness. Your new knee may not have quite the ROM (range of motion) your old knee had. Nonetheless, you are sure to find your new knee is an improvement over your old knee.

You may find kneeling difficult, but rest assured, kneeling will not hurt your new knee. You may also hear a bit of quiet clicking from time to time. This is caused by the flexion of the metal and plastic as you walk and bend. This will lessen as time passes. Most patients have no problem adjusting to it. Surely they find it less distressing than the pain and restricted activities they suffered with their old 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 new knee replacement .

When you go to the airport or a federal building or other building with a metal detector, be sure to have a word with the guards to avoid unpleasant incidents. Your new knee has some metal parts that will set off the alarms.

After surgery, there are a few things you will want to do:

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

Consult with your orthopedist about any problems you might experience. As an MD and an orthopedist, he or she will be able to assist you in both surgical and non-surgical procedures. Additionally, the specialized training an orthopedist receives regarding the components of the musculoskeletal system makes an orthopedist the ideal person to see regarding problems with bones, tendons, muscles, nerves, joints, and ligaments.

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.

Be sure to participate in light exercise on a regular basis to maintain the mobility and the strength of your new knee.

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

About the Author:

0 comments:

Post a Comment