Reading Time: 10 min read 
Published: 12/02/2024 
Last Updated: 20/03/2024 
Having a knee replacement is a big step towards regaining mobility, confidence and a pain-free life. But the journey doesn’t end once you’ve had the surgery – post-operative recovery is a big part of knee replacement surgery and there are some key steps to follow.
If you or a loved one has an upcoming knee replacement, this article is for you. You’ll learn about the top 5 mistakes after knee replacement surgery and how to avoid them. We’ll also discuss the importance of professional support following a knee replacement, such as our highly skilled team of surgeons, nurses and private physiotherapists at Harley Street Specialist Hospital.
What are the top 5 mistakes after knee replacement surgery?
Knee replacement is a common, highly successful type of surgery [1]. It relieves pain and improves knee function in people with advanced knee arthritis [1].
To maximise the outcome of your knee replacement, well-planned aftercare is essential. There are some common mistakes that people make after a knee replacement – here are the top 5:
- Avoiding movement
- Doing too much too soon
- Not paying attention to red flags
- Straying from the pain relief plan
- Trying to go it alone
There are some principles to follow for a smooth transition from knee replacement surgery to a fully functioning knee. Here are the steps that can help you recover as soon as possible:
- Gentle movement, little and often
- Listen to your body and rest when needed
- Avoid high-risk activities in the weeks following knee replacement surgery
- Keep an eye out for red flags, and don’t hesitate to ask for help
- Stick to your pain relief plan
- Accept help from friends, family and healthcare providers as needed
Let’s take a look at each of these mistakes after knee replacement surgery in more depth.
1. Avoiding movement
You’re likely to experience some level of postoperative pain following a knee replacement. While your instinct may be to avoid pain that often comes with movement, in the long run this will actually make your pain worse.
Most people find their pain actually improves once they get moving, up to a point. When you’ve been sitting still for a while, your knee may hurt when you bend and straighten it, but this should ease as your knee warms up.
Physiotherapy is a key aspect of your recovery plan, and our physiotherapists will provide you with a tailored exercise program to get back to full fitness. Research shows physiotherapy improves knee function, range of movement and pain after total knee replacement surgery [2].
Moving regularly is key to avoid your knee becoming too stiff – if your knee stiffens up too much, you may be unable to do your exercises. To avoid this, complete your exercise programme as prescribed by your physiotherapist and go for short walks regularly. To start with, these walks may just be around your house.
2. Doing too much too soon
Although it’s important to keep moving, there’s a limit to this too. While your knee joint needs regular movement to prevent stiffness, it also needs rest to heal. After major surgery like a knee replacement, your body uses a lot of extra energy for wound healing and you may feel very tired [3].
Here are some activities you’ll need to phase back into after a knee replacement:
Driving after a knee replacement
It can be tempting to go back to driving as soon as physically possible, especially if you don’t live with someone else who can drive you. However, surgeons usually advise a period of post-surgery rest before driving – often 6 weeks.
It’s essential to follow this advice to the letter – for one thing, your car insurance is unlikely to be valid if you drive against your surgeon’s advice. Another concern is safety – for yourself, other passengers and other people on the road.
While you may feel fine to drive, symptoms can vary dramatically over a few hours in the weeks following a knee replacement. If you irritate your knee while driving alone, you may find yourself stranded.
Going back to work
If you have a physical job, it’s safe to say you’ll be taking some significant time off work. The amount of time off work required varies for each person and surgery. Your knee surgeon can advise you on how long you’ll likely need to take off work.
If you have a desk job, you should be able to go back to work sooner than someone whose job is very active. However, it’s still important to make sure you’re ready before returning. Consider transport to work, getting around your workplace and pain management.
More than ever, people have the option of working from home. If you can work from home, you may be able to start working again sooner than people who need to go into the office. But even then, you will likely need a recovery period before working full-time.
Sitting for long hours at a desk can cause your knee to stiffen up and become painful. You are likely to be more tired than normal, and pain medication can affect your ability to focus.
Engaging in high-risk activities
If you’re feeling great after your knee replacement, you may be tempted to throw yourself back into your usual life. But in the weeks immediately following a knee replacement, certain activities are not a good idea.
Heavy lifting activities, such as carrying big bags of soil across the garden, can put too much pressure on your new knee in the early stages of recovery. This could irritate the knee joint, cause more pain and swelling, and slow your recovery.
Twisting movements with your foot planted (such as shovelling snow) could irritate your new knee as well. Any activities that come with a risk of falling, such as going out for a bike ride, are discouraged in the early days following a knee replacement as well. If you want to get moving, try a static bike instead which has much lower injury risks.
3. Not paying attention to red flags
Red flags are signs to watch out for that may indicate a problem with your new knee. Your surgeon or healthcare team will make you aware of these before you go home.
Pain – what’s normal and what’s not?
Pain is to be expected following a knee replacement [4]. However, your knee pain should be manageable with painkillers – if your pain is severe or unbearable, contact your doctor for advice. Here are some other signs that you should reach out to your doctor or healthcare team for advice:
- Sudden pain after a pain-free period – If your pain suddenly flares up after a pain-free period, it could be a sign that something’s wrong. Part of the new joint or the tissues around it could have become damaged, even if you’re not sure how it happened.
- Instability – If your knee starts giving way (or feeling like it’s going to give way), this could mean your new joint isn’t aligned as it should be [5]. You may also feel pain alongside instability. If you’re struggling with instability following knee surgery, we can use diagnostic imaging to ensure everything is as it should be.
- Increasing pain in the days after surgery – Sometimes, your pain levels may increase temporarily as you start to do more. But if your pain is getting consistently worse in the days following surgery, it’s time to reach out for advice.
- Increased pain, swelling and heat in your knee – Pain, swelling and heat are expected in the days following surgery. However, if they suddenly increase, it could be a sign of a joint infection.
- Pain, swelling and heat in your calf – If your calf suddenly becomes painful to touch, red and hot, it could be a sign of a blood clot [6]. Contact your doctor for advice as soon as possible.
Swelling
Like pain, swelling is normal and to be expected after surgery [7]. It’s your body’s way of healing and a necessary part of recovery.
Immediately following surgery, your knee is likely to swell significantly. The swelling can take several weeks or even months to fully resolve. Mild swelling is normal for up to 6 months after your operation.
But if your swelling worsens after the first week or does not seem to be improving at all, this could indicate a problem with the new knee. Reach out to your healthcare provider for advice.
4. Straying from the pain relief plan
Pain medication is a crucial part of your recovery plan after knee replacement surgery. Your healthcare team will create a pain management plan for you, which will involve taking certain medications at specific times.
Pain medication will help manage your inflammation following surgery and keep your pain at a tolerable level. It will also allow you to take part in physiotherapy exercises – half an hour before doing your exercises is often a good time to take your pain relief.
Pain medication is also important to help you sleep. Sleep is when you do a lot of your healing, so your recovery may be slower if your sleep is disrupted by pain [8].
Although regular pain relief is usually prescribed, people often make the mistake of waiting for the pain to get bad before taking painkillers. While you’re waiting for the painkillers to work, you may find yourself struggling to sleep, get around or do your exercises, which can impact your recovery.
Other aspects of your pain relief plan include activity pacing, using ice and elevating your leg. Ice can help with inflammation and numb the painful area around your knee. Make sure to use it for no longer than 20 minutes at a time. Elevating your leg regularly can help with swelling management and can reduce pain as a result.
5. Trying to go it alone
You will have a team of professionals dedicated to ensuring you recover as well as possible from your knee replacement. It’s vital to attend your appointments and ask for advice if you’re unsure or something doesn’t seem right.
Your surgeon will provide advice and guidelines about returning to work, driving, sports and other activities. Follow the instructions provided and if you’re unsure whether you’re ready to return to an activity, contact your healthcare team.
Your nursing team can provide advice about wound healing and pain medication. Your physiotherapist can help you practise movements and activities that you find difficult, and advise on devices and adaptations to help you go about your daily activities more easily.
Allow family and friends to help you. For a short time following surgery, you may need help getting to and from appointments, preparing meals, and other activities around the house.
If you live alone, it can be challenging in the days following surgery. It’s a good idea to stay with a friend or family member for a short while, or have someone stay with you to help out.
If this isn’t possible, it may be worth arranging for carers to visit you temporarily or even staying for a week or two in a residential care home. This can sometimes be arranged via the NHS.
At Harley Street Specialist Hospital, we offer extensive private knee treatment following knee replacement surgery. Our team will support you throughout the recovery process with guidance, exercises, advice and regular check-ins to ensure you’re progressing as well as possible.
We can help you avoid mistakes after a knee replacement
If you choose to have your surgery at Harley Street Specialist Hospital, we’ll do everything possible to help you avoid these top 5 mistakes following a knee replacement. We achieve this by working with a highly skilled medical team who can spot potential complications as they arise.
We also arrange regular check-ins and follow-up appointments with our surgeons, nurses and physiotherapists to ensure everything goes smoothly. If you’re considering a knee replacement or need support following knee replacement surgery, book an appointment with us today.
