Postoperative review of degenerative joint disease surgery and knee arthritis management~

Let's talk about the postoperative experiences of degenerative joint disease surgery, the results of degenerative joint disease surgery, and practical ways to manage recovery in daily life.

 

 

Mom chronically experienced discomfort in her knees, feeling a dull ache after walking for a long time, and her pain worsened in the evening. Her walking pattern was unbalanced, with both legs not aligned properly, and she walked as if she was slightly limping. Additionally, her leg shape had slightly transformed into an O-shape.

Diagnosed with degenerative arthritis at a joint specialty hospital

I had bilateral knee replacement surgery. The postoperative review for degenerative arthritis surgery is successful. The surgery takes about 1-2 hours, and both knees are not operated on at the same time; instead, one knee is operated on first, and the hospitalization period is about 1-2 weeks per knee. After the degenerative arthritis surgery, physical therapy and manual therapy are received during the hospital stay. For knee surgery, it is important to practice bending the knee well after leg surgery to ensure proper knee flexion, so please check the bending angle of the knee daily.

 

 

My mother had surgeries on both knees, so she was hospitalized for about a month. The doctor said that the degenerative arthritis surgery was successful and went well, and that the surgery was not the end. To see the effects of the degenerative arthritis surgery, physical therapy, manual therapy, and knee exercises need to be done diligently.

Knee joint replacement surgery involves removing damaged cartilage caused by knee cartilage damage and inserting an artificial joint made of biocompatible metals and plastics.

The feedback from my degenerative arthritis surgery is that while the surgery itself is important, rehabilitation is the most crucial to properly see the effects after knee surgery.

If rehabilitation does not progress well, you may experience unbalanced gait similar to knee replacement surgery, difficulty bending the knee properly, or pain.

Postoperative management for degenerative arthritis surgery included continuous physical therapy and manual therapy. At home, you performed knee bending exercises twice daily using a knee machine after surgery. We rehabilitated at our house, and the machine helped initially with bending the knee, allowing you to adjust the angle so that the knee could bend properly. (If you think of it as a knee bending machine, different types are available.) Proper bending is essential because when the knee bends well, it allows for a natural walking motion with the knee flexing smoothly. If not, walking can become stiff and awkward, as explained by the rehabilitation therapists. Additionally, it is important to perform knee exercises without relying solely on the machine.

As you age, your joints weaken!! Let's talk about recovery for osteoarthritis patients, those who have had knee surgery, and methods of knee joint exercises.

 

 

The first way to prevent knee arthritis is through daily lifestyle habits.

When going down the stairs, go sideways.

When going down stairs, the body's weight is applied to the knee joints, which can put strain on the joints. Therefore, climbing stairs is good for exercise, but when descending stairs, it is better to go sideways to reduce the burden on the joints. As a method to prevent degenerative arthritis, it is recommended to develop the habit of descending stairs sideways instead of straight down.

 

 

The second way to prevent knee arthritis is to strengthen your muscles.

An automatic stepper is a piece of exercise equipment that helps strengthen muscles without putting strain on the joints.

The legs account for about 70% of the muscles in the entire body, and having more muscles in the lower body helps improve overall body balance and straightens the spine. Stimulating the muscles and joints to develop lower body strength through lower body strength rehabilitation not only enhances muscle strength but also stimulates various muscles in the lower body, which is good for preventing arthritis. If you don't have exercise equipment, lying down and mimicking cycling in the air is also good for building leg strength.