Walk without crutches?
Discuss this with your physical therapist. Your knee should feel stable and you should be confident before walking without crutches.
After your knee surgery, the real work begins: recovery and rehabilitation. Although the prosthesis has been placed, you won’t be pain-free right away. A physical therapist will visit you shortly after surgery to guide you, helping you get back on your feet as quickly as possible.
In the initial period after surgery, you’ll use crutches. The knee prosthesis is stable and can bear weight fully, but the wound still needs to heal, which can cause pain under pressure. Crutches help relieve that pain and prevent you from putting too much weight on your leg.
You’ll work together with your physical therapist on your recovery, starting almost immediately after the operation. The therapist will visit you on the day of the procedure. For optimal recovery, it’s important to perform exercises regularly. These exercises strengthen the muscles and help restore knee flexibility.
Experiences of people who’ve undergone knee replacement surgery vary depending on factors like overall health, the severity of knee problems before surgery, and how well they follow the rehabilitation process.
Recovery and rehabilitation are essential after knee surgery. The recovery period varies per person. In general, most progress is seen in the first 6 weeks to 3 months after the procedure. However, it can take up to a year to reach full recovery.
Discuss this with your physical therapist. Your knee should feel stable and you should be confident before walking without crutches.
After consulting your therapist, you may begin training on a stationary bike when your knee allows it.
You can drive again once you can walk independently without crutches and your knee function is sufficient. This should also be discussed with your therapist.
You may experience pain shortly after surgery, which is treated with pain medication. This pain typically lessens within about two weeks, and gradually continues to decrease in the weeks that follow. Three to four months after surgery, you’ll likely notice significant improvement, though full recovery may take up to a year.
Yes, after recovery you can return to your normal life. Moderate activities such as cycling and walking are very possible. Some people are even able to resume more intensive sports like skiing or running, although these may increase wear on the prosthesis over time. What matters most is your quality of life — staying active is healthy.