Home Exercises After Total Knee Replacement(TKR)

Total Knee Replacement

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Knee replacement, or knee atthroplasty, is a common surgical procedure most often performed to relieve the pain and disability from degenerative arthritis, most commonly osteoarthritis, but other arthritides as well.Major causes of debilitating pain include meniscus tears, osteoarthritis, cartilage defects, and ligament tears.

Knee replacement surgery can be performed as a partial or a total knee replacement.In general, the surgery consists of replacing the diseased or damaged joint surfaces of the knee with metal and plastic components shaped to allow continued motion of the knee.

Incapacitating pain from injury or arthritis of the knee that affects everyday activities -- particularly walking and standing -- is the main reason to consider knee replacement surgery. The procedures for knee replacement have changed significantly in the last few years. Surgeons now have access to improved prostheses, and it's rarely necessary any more to cut through muscle to access the knee joint for surgery. The "muscle-sparing approach" allows a surgeon to employ computer-navigated equipment to align the knee implant.

Home Exercises after total knee replacement

SITTING OR BACK LYING

1. Quad Set Exercise
1. Tighten the muscles on top of the thigh as tightly as possible and hold.
1. Pull your toes back.
2. Push the back of your knee down to the floor.
3. Try to push out and up through the heel.
2. Pull 10 seconds, trying every second to pull even tighter.
3. Relax 5 seconds.
4. Repeat for 2 sets of ten times. Rest 60 seconds between sets.

2. Knee Extension with Leg Lift
1. Start as above, but with a full toilet paper roll under your heel.
2. Push knee down.
3. Lock it.
4. Lift leg up.
5. Then lower to roll.
6. Repeat for 2 sets of 10 times.  

3. Drake Exercise
1. Tighten top of thigh muscles.
2. Hold this for 2 seconds.
3. While maintaining hold, raise leg 4 " from floor.
4. Hold this position for 2 counts (1-1000, 2-2000).
5. While maintaining tension, lower leg to floor.
6. Hold tension for 2 counts while leg is down.
7. Rest for 5 counts.
8. Repeat for 2 sets of 10 times.

4. Static Hold Exercise
1. Place a hard, round object or toilet paper roll under your knee to hold it at a height of 4-6".
2. Keep back of knee in contact with object at all times.
3. Lift heel off table as high as possible.
4. Straighten knee and tighten top of thigh as tight as possible.
5. Hold for 5 seconds.
6. Rest for 5 seconds.
7. Repeat for 2 sets of 10 time.

5. Heel Slide
1. Lie on back with legs out straight and back flat.
2. Slide one heel up, bringing knee toward chest.
3. Then slide heel back down.
4. Repeat for 2 sets of 5 times.

6. Flexion and Extension
1. Sit on something high enough to keep foot off the floor.
2. Bend the knee as far back as possible.
3. Straighten knee as far forward as possible and hold it straight.
4. Then relax. (Like pumping on a swing.)
5. Repeat for 3 sets of 10 times.

7. Assisted Knee Flexion
1. Sit as above.
2. Place ankle of good leg over ankle of operated leg.
3. Gently push ankles back, bending knees.
4. Hold and then relax.
5. Repeat for 2 sets of 5 times.

8. Assisted Knee Flexion
1. Lying on your stomach, bend involved knee up.
2. Use uninvolved leg to help push knee into more flexion.
3. Hold for 10 seconds.
4. Repeat for 2 sets of 5 times.

9. Straight Leg Raise
1. Tighten the muscles on top of the thigh as tightly as possible and hold.
2. Raise the entire leg holding the knee as tight as possible. Hold 5 seconds.
3. Lower leg and rest 2 seconds.
4. Repeat for 2 sets of 10 times.
5. Rest 1 minute between sets.