10 Home Exercises After Total Knee Replacement That Will Actually Make Your Life Better (2021)

The physiotherapist will get you up on the first or second day after surgery, and will teach you some home exercises after total knee replacement and to put on the right amount of weight on your operated leg.

During waking hours you should “pedal” your feet up and down every five minutes or so, the entire time you are in the hospital, to help prevent blood clots from forming.

The pedaling exercise, the pumps and the stockings all help to prevent blood clots from forming in your legs.

After the surgery (usually on the second day) the leg is placed in a CPM (Continuous Passive Motion) machine (if there was preoperative stiffness) which will gradually exercise your knee. This machine will help you regain your knee movement. The amount of movement that the machine goes through will be gradually increased over the course of your hospitialization. You will be taught how to increase the amount of bending by adjusting the controls on the CPM.

By the time you leave the hospital we like you to have at least 90 degrees of knee motion and good control of muscles about your knee.

You can go home when you are able to get in and out of bed by yourself, and go to the bathroom by yourself. Some patients reach this goal within five days, others take as long as ten days.

You will need crutches or a walker to help with walking for about six weeks after surgery.

A toilet seat extension will be needed so that you do not sit too low on the toilet. If you live in a two-story house, it is recommended that you move a bed downstairs and convalesce there, rather than risk using stairs. You will also need a thermometer and a shower stool.

HOME EXERCISES AFTER TOTAL KNEE REPLACEMENT
FOR FIRST (2) MONTHS

SITTING OR BACK LYING

1. Quad Set Exercise Tighten the muscles on top of the thigh as tightly as possible and hold. Pull your toes back. Push the back of your knee down to the floor. Try to push out and up through the heel. Pull 10 seconds, trying every second to pull even tighter. Relax 5 seconds. Repeat for 2 sets of ten times. Rest 60 seconds between sets.
2.Knee Extension with Leg Lift Start as above, but with a full toilet paper roll under your heel. Push knee down. Lock it. Lift leg up. Then lower to roll. Repeat for 2 sets of 10 times.
3.Drake Exercise Tighten top of thigh muscles. Hold this for 2 seconds. While maintaining hold, raise leg 4 ” from floor. Hold this position for 2 counts (1-1000, 2-2000). While maintaining tension, lower leg to floor. Hold tension for 2 counts while leg is down. Rest for 5 counts. Repeat for 2 sets of 10 times.
4. Static Hold Exercise Place a hard, round object or toilet paper roll under your knee to hold it at a height of 4-6″. Keep back of knee in contact with object at all times. Lift heel off table as high as possible. Straighten knee and tighten top of thigh as tight as possible. Hold for 5 seconds. Rest for 5 seconds. Repeat for 2 sets of 10 times.
5. Straight Leg Raise Tighten the muscles on top of the thigh as tightly as possible and hold. Raise the entire leg holding the knee as tight as possible. Hold 5 seconds. Lower leg and rest 2 seconds. Repeat for 2 sets of 10 times. Rest 1 minute between sets.
6. Heel Slide Lie on back with legs out straight and back flat. Slide one heel up, bringing knee toward chest. Then slide heel back down. Repeat for 2 sets of 5 times.
7. Hamstring Set Exercises Bend the knee to a height of about 6″. Tighten the muscles on the back of the thigh fully by pulling down and back with the heel. The heel should remain stationary. Pull for 5-10 seconds, trying every second to pull even tighter. Relax 5 seconds. Repeat for 2 sets of 5 times, resting 60 seconds between sets.
8. Flexion and Extension Sit on something high enough to keep foot off the floor. Bend the knee as far back as possible. Straighten knee as far forward as possible and hold it straight. Then relax. (Like pumping on a swing.) Repeat for 3 sets of 10 times.
9. Assisted Knee Flexion Sit as above. Place ankle of good leg over ankle of operated leg. Gently push ankles back, bending knees. Hold and then relax. Repeat for 2 sets of 5 times.
10. Assisted Knee Flexion Lying on your stomach, bend involved knee up. Use uninvolved leg to help push knee into more flexion. Hold for 10 seconds. Repeat for 2 sets of 5 times.