Artificial knee replacement is a new technique for treating knee diseases that has gradually developed after the successful application of artificial hip joints to patients in recent times. It is very effective in eradicating advanced knee pain and greatly improves the quality of life of patients, and is more popular in developed countries. Considerations for Artificial Knee Replacement Surgery.
Pre-surgery preparation.
1.Basic examination: blood sampling, electrocardiogram, X-ray (including the relevant parts of the chest and knee joints).
2. Infection prevention: Your doctor will arrange some tests if necessary to understand your health condition, especially to rule out and prevent the possibility of any bacterial infection in your body, because any infection in other parts of your body may spread to your new knee and shorten its life span, so it is important to make sure that there is no infection before performing the surgery.
3. Clean the affected area: The day before the surgery, the nurse will shave your affected area. Whether or not you shave, you should clean the area thoroughly in preparation for the surgery the following day.
4. Fasting: You are not allowed to eat or drink anything after 12:00 p.m. the night before the surgery, because anesthesia is required during the surgery, and if you eat something, it may cause vomiting during the surgery, which can easily lead to aspiration pneumonia and be dangerous if you are not careful.
5.Practice using the potty and stool in bed, deep breathing, coughing, and joint and muscle movements.
6.Preparation before delivery to the operating room: You will be changed into a surgical gown and put on a drip on the day of surgery. When the operating room is notified, you must remove your movable dentures, glasses, necklace, ring and watch. If you have painted your nails, you must also wipe them off so that the blood circulation in your limbs can be observed during and after the surgery. In addition, according to the anesthesiologist’s instructions, you will be sedated, if necessary, to reduce your nervousness and anxiety before being taken to the operating room. The nurse will then take you to the operating room on a trolley, where a nurse will still be present to reduce your fears.
After the surgery, you will be accompanied by a doctor and nurse and taken to your room on a trolley. You may still have an IV and find a plastic drainage tube attached to a round or square box, which is used to drain the blood from the wound during the surgery, which may be more abundant and bright red in color. After two or three days, the blood will decrease and the color will become dark red, and then the doctor will decide whether to remove this plastic tube.
Correct posture after surgery.
After surgery, we will assist you to place your leg flat and straight on the bed, with the affected leg elevated and the foot hanging in the air. At this time, place a pillow 1/3 of the way down the calf, not under the knee, to avoid contracture of the knee, which may prevent you from straightening it later; if the leg is in a cast after surgery, there is no obvious restriction on where to place the pillow, but after the cast is removed, you must still be careful not to place a pillow under the knee. In addition, your doctor may ask you to use a knee exerciser to extend and flex your leg immediately after surgery, because after surgery, you must practice bending your knee to an angle greater than 90 degrees before you can resume normal function. You may be uncomfortable at first, so we will slow down the speed of the machine and reduce the bending angle so that you can get used to it slowly, and also teach you and your family about the use of the machine and precautions.
Rehabilitation exercises after surgery.
1. Isometric exercise of the affected leg
(1) Quadriceps exercise
How to do it: Put your leg flat on the bed, press your knee down hard, count five times, relax five times, then repeat, it can strengthen the quadriceps. Exercise for the first day after surgery.
(2) Calf muscle exercise
How to do it: Flex the palms of the feet towards the back and bottom of the feet respectively. Exercises for the first day after surgery.
(2) Leg extension and elevation exercise
How to do it: Lie down, bend the knee of the healthy limb and straighten the affected leg and raise it upward, maintain it for a few seconds and then lower it. Exercise for 3 to 5 days after surgery.
3.Knee straightening and bending exercise
Assist your legs to gradually move to the bed, at this time due to the impact of change, the calf will slowly sag, the knee will be naturally bent, and then gradually adapt to the legs, knees slowly downward force, because the bed is soft, the legs will be mattress downward pressure, force pressure for 10 seconds and then relax, the bed will slowly bounce the legs back, so do 8 to 10 times. Exercise for 3 to 5 days after surgery.
4.Sit on the edge of the bed and slowly drape your legs over the edge of the bed, then let the affected leg practice straightening and bending movements after getting used to it. It is suitable for 3-5 days after the surgery.
5.7 days after surgery, the nurse can assist you to get out of bed and sit in the wheelchair, go to the bathroom to freshen up by yourself or go for a walk outside, or do the following exercises.
① Assist you to lie prone, stretch the affected leg straight, put your toes against the end of the bed, force your knee out of the bed and maintain the stretching motion.
② Assist you to lie prone, relax your leg muscles and bend the affected leg at the knee while doing knee bending exercises.
Rehabilitation exercises to be performed after discharge from the hospital.
1. Continue quadriceps training
①Lie flat.
②Tighten the thigh muscles of the affected leg and then press the knee down hard into the bed.
2.Knee extension and flexion exercises
①Lie flat.
② Slowly flex the affected leg, and then slowly practice straightening.
3.Knee flexion exercise
①Lie prone.
②Bend both legs.
(③) Use the healthy leg to assist in pushing the affected leg.
4.Leg lifting exercise
①Lie flat.
②The affected leg is slowly straightened and raised. (At first, the leg can be used to assist)
③ Then slowly put down the affected leg.
5.Add resistance exercise
①Sit on a chair.
②Knee bend naturally.
③Swing with legs crossed (push forward and press back).