Knee replacement: FAQs and home exercises

Hospitalisation lasts between five and seven days. Rehabilitation can then take place on an outpatient basis or in a rehabilitation centre. While a rehabilitation stay lasts an average of 14 days, outpatient rehabilitation depends on the progress of each patient and the surgeon's instructions.

You can gradually resume sporting activities in the months following the operation. The important thing is that your knee should have deflated and that you should no longer feel any pain. However, you should continue to avoid sports involving direct physical contact (e.g. football, karate).

To be able to drive again, you must be able to walk with a ‘full load’. This means that you must transfer all your weight onto the operated knee without difficulty. This generally takes 4 to 6 weeks after the operation.

To recover knee flexion, it is important to follow your physiotherapy and do the exercises recommended by your therapist at home.

There are no forbidden movements after a knee prosthesis has been fitted. You simply have to respect the limits of your joints.

Most of the time, it is an audible crack, produced by the parts of the prosthesis, which is completely painless. It is generally located in the area of the patella button. When the prosthesis is fitted, a very small joint space is left. Because of the joint effusion, which is more pronounced in the first few weeks, the noise is louder at first. If it does not diminish, consult your doctor to prevent any complications.