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(08) 6110 0570admin@pdchealthhub.com.auPhysio after a knee replacement helps you regain bending, straightening, strength and walking. We guide you before and after surgery at PDC Health Hub in Perth.
A knee replacement (total knee arthroplasty) swaps worn joint surfaces for an implant, most often because of advanced arthritis. Australian guidance says most people with knee osteoarthritis can manage without surgery, and replacement is considered only after about 12 weeks of exercise and other non-surgical care.2 Most people leave hospital within one to four days, and strength and flexibility keep improving for about 12 months.1 Registry data show 10-year revision rates of about 2.8% to 9.2%, depending on the group.6
Physiotherapy usually starts within 24 hours of surgery and focuses on bending, straightening, strength, balance and walking, according to a US physiotherapy guideline.3 Exercise and education before surgery (prehabilitation) is commonly offered. The evidence is modest: a review rated it low strength for building strength and shortening hospital stay,4 and a meta-analysis found less pain before knee replacement, small gains before hip replacement and a shorter stay after knee replacement only, with unclear benefit after surgery.5 Australian standards still advise staying active before surgery.2
PHOTO NEEDED · Add a Hero Image to this condition in the CMS: a PDC clinician with a client, natural light, no identifiable health information on screen
Symptoms are a guide, not a diagnosis. Your GP confirms the diagnosis; our team helps you manage it day to day.
The teams and services that most often support people with this condition. They work from one shared plan, and one GP referral reaches all of them.
Our care follows the ACSQHC Osteoarthritis of the Knee Clinical Care Standard, the American Physical Therapy Association guideline for total knee arthroplasty, and your surgeon's rehabilitation protocol.
It depends on your progress and your surgeon's protocol. Physiotherapy usually starts in hospital within a day of surgery, and strength and movement keep improving for about 12 months.<sup>1,3</sup> Visits generally taper as you meet your goals.
Exercise and education before surgery is recommended in a US guideline, and Australian standards advise staying active.<sup>2,3</sup> A review rated the evidence low strength for better strength and a shorter stay,<sup>4</sup> and a meta-analysis found less pain before knee surgery, with unclear benefit afterwards.<sup>5</sup>
This varies with your job, which knee was replaced and how you are moving, so your surgeon sets the clearance. We help you plan a graded return to work and can write a report for your employer or insurer.
Recovery takes about a year, and some people have continued pain.<sup>1</sup> Tell us or your surgeon if you stop improving, if movement is getting worse, or if the knee is hot and swollen. We can review your exercise program and liaise with your surgeon.
No referral is needed for private appointments. With a GP Chronic Condition Management Plan, Medicare rebates apply to up to five eligible allied health services a calendar year. Private health extras may also contribute, and workers compensation or DVA may apply in some cases.
Tell us what is going on and we will point you to the right discipline, or to more than one. Most people start with a single appointment and leave with a plan the rest of the team can see.
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Send an online referral in under two minutes. One referral reaches every discipline at PDC Health Hub.
