Complications after surgery

Complications after a knee TEP are mostly manifested by pain or a delayed rehabilitation process. An operation is always a major intervention and the causes that led to the necessity of a TEP, as well as a poor general condition of the knee joint are risk factors for subsequent complications. Among the complications of an artificial knee joint are In some cases, the reason for the pain is not at all attributable to the operated knee but radiates from another problem region (e.g. the hip).

In any case, postoperative pain that does not correspond to normal wound pain or is extremely strong and penetrating should always be discussed with the physician so that he or she can initiate diagnostic measures if necessary to get to the bottom of the cause of the problems. The earlier the problems are identified, the greater the chance that no serious complications will occur, so that the healing process is not delayed for long. This article may also be of interest to you: Complications after knee TEP surgery

The typical risks of an operation
The loosening of the prosthesis
Infections
Instabilities
Osteolysis (bone abrasion)
Arthrofibrosis (inflammatory disease of the connective tissue)

Exercises after surgery

1) Strengthening Place one foot on a step while the other foot remains on the ground. Now shift your weight to the front foot that is on the step so that the back leg is lifted off the floor. Hold this position for 2 seconds and then return to the starting position.

15 repetitions, then change sides. 2) Stretch Lie on your back. Arms and legs are stretched out loosely.

Now lift one leg as straight as possible upwards, so that leg and hip are at a 90° angle to each other and the sole of the foot points to the ceiling. Hold the stretch for 20-30 seconds and then change sides. 3) Strengthening and stabilization Lie on your back and put your feet up.

The arms are loose at the sides. Now push your buttocks from the floor towards the ceiling so that thighs and back form a straight line. Hold this position for 20 seconds and then lower your buttocks back down to the floor.

Repeat after a short break. To make it more difficult, the exercise can also be performed alternately on one leg during the rest of the rehabilitation. Are you looking for more information about knee TEP surgery?

Then you should read these articles:

Exercises after knee TEP surgery
Knee TEP-OP – What is done?
Surgery duration?
Physiotherapy after knee surgery

The primary goals of follow-up treatment for a total knee endoprosthesis are to make the patient pain-free and to restore the mobility and resilience of the knee. Physiotherapy plays a central role here. In the beginning, the leg is moved gently with passive exercises by the therapist without the help of the patient and gait training is done on the walking aids.

In addition, light massages and lymph drainage can help to stimulate the lymph flow and thus prevent severe swelling. Supporting cooling can help to keep swelling and pain at bay. If the wound is closed, water gymnastics is also a good way to start the therapy, as the water pressure has a positive influence on the lymph flow and movements in the water can be performed more easily.

In general, a patient-specific rehabilitation plan is developed in which the patient is gradually brought back to full weight bearing. An experienced therapist will guide the patient through the individual phases of rehabilitation and, depending on the progress made, will perform appropriate exercises to strengthen, stabilize and mobilize the knee joint. The physiotherapist can also monitor the first sports activities, such as running on the treadmill or cross trainer, in order to directly anticipate errors in the movement sequence. Overall, the follow-up treatment of a TEP starts directly on the day of surgery and lasts between 8-12 weeks.