Rehabilitation of your knee

Once you've got your new knee, rehabilitation will start immediately after the operation. That is, as soon as the anaesthesia has worn off, and you can feel your legs again. Slowly and carefully start moving your foot. Move it up and down as well as you can, slowly. Now you've started.

Later in the day you have to start bending and stretching your leg. Slowly and carefully. It's important that you stand up and walk about on the same day as you had your operation. That is also training.

The physiotherapist will instruct you to do several exercises and guide you to walk with appropriate aids, for example crutches or a walking frame if you've been using one. Before you go home we'll also teach you how to go up steps if you need to, and together we will assess if you need any helping aids.

If you're in a lot of pain, it's important that you tell us. Then we can better assist you. Being able to manage the pain is paramount in ensuring that you work out optimally.

It's important that you take responsibility for your own exercises, both during hospitalisation and after discharge. This means that you must remember to do the exercises several times per day while you're doing your daily tasks.

When you go home from the hospital, you will get a referral to your local municipality for further rehab, if you need it. This reference is called a rehabilitation plan.

After knee replacement surgery it is expected that muscle activity and knee movement gradually get better month by month, if you keep up the exercise regime. After hip replacement surgery we recommend that you continue to exercise at home for ¾ to one year after surgery to achieve the best result.