A total knee replacement involves replacing the knee joint with an artificial one. After the operation, movement will be less painful. However, certain movements must be avoided as the new joint can be damaged. The information on this page does not serve as medical advice. Please consult your occupational therapist if you have any questions.
Over the next 3 months, precautions to take note of include:
Do not squat.
Do not kneel.
Avoid carrying heavy items of more than 5kg.
As the above mentioned precautions may restrict some areas of activities of daily living, here are some guidelines which may assist in overcoming these problems.
Do not use a squat toilet. The Occupational Therapist may recommend adaptive equipment such as seated commode.
Sit on a stable chair when showering and position the chair against the wall or at a corner.
A stable chair would be one with a back rest and has firm legs made of metal or wood.
The stable chair should have rubber stoppers on the legs of the chair.
Sit when doing lower body dressing.
When dressing, dress the operated leg first, followed by the unoperated leg.
When undressing, undress the unoperated leg first, followed by the operated leg.
