Preparing for Recovery

Postoperative Infection – what to look for

While your skin will be sterilized and you will be given antibiotics during your knee arthroscopy, any type of surgery increases the risk of developing an infection when exposing the inside of your body to the outside environment. Monitoring your surgical incisions in the first two weeks after surgery is important to make sure that your incisions do not become infected. Signs of a local infection of the knee include:

• Increased knee swelling 
• Redness and warmth around the knee
• Drainage or discharge from the knee
• Significant tenderness and pain

Other signs to look out for following surgery include calf pain, cramping, tenderness, and warmth, which may be potential signs of a blood clot in your calf.

If an infection is severe and spreads throughout your body, it can cause systemic symptoms such as:

• Fever
• Chills
• Nausea 
• Fatigue

If you notice any of these local or systemic symptoms, contact your healthcare provider as soon as possible. Immediate medical attention is needed for any type of infection or blood clot following surgery to prevent it from getting worse and interfering with proper recovery.

To avoid a skin infection, make sure the skin around your knee and your bandages stay clean and dry.

How to prepare my home for recovery – Medical Supplies & DME

Crutches

In order to walk properly with crutches and prevent strain or injury to your upper body, you should be taught how to appropriately adjust crutches for your height and position the crutches when you walk. 

How to Adjust Crutches

You should adjust the overall height of the crutches so that the top of each crutch sits 1.5-2 inches, or about the width of two fingers, below your armpit when standing upright. This will prevent your underarms from being compressed too much from the crutches when you walk to avoid skin pinching and nerve compression. 

To adjust the height of the crutches:

• Push in the round metal spring button located at the bottom of the leg of each crutch.
• While holding the button in, pull or push the leg of the crutch to lengthen or shorten the overall height of the crutch.
• Once your desired height is achieved, line the round metal spring button up with the hole at the appropriate level. You should hear a click as the button locks into place.

You should also adjust the hand grips approximately at the height of your hip bone or the height of your wrist when standing with your arms at your sides to ensure that you maintain a 20-30 degree of elbow bend when you walk with crutches. This will prevent straining or hyperextending your elbows when you bear weight through your arms to walk with crutches.

To adjust the height of the hand grips of your crutches:

• Unscrew the metal knob at the outside of the crutch where it connects to the hand grip by turning it to the left.
• Once the knob is unscrewed all the way, remove the knob along with the metal bar that runs through the center of the hand grip.
• Move the hand grip up or down within the center of the crutch to the appropriate height.
• Re-insert the metal bar through the hole of the crutch and the center of the hand grip at the appropriate height.
• Screw the knob back on by placing it on the end of the metal bar and turning it to the right.

How to Use Crutches

When using crutches to help you walk after surgery, it is also important to position the crutches correctly when you walk to maintain proper upright posture. The bottom of each crutch should be positioned approximately six inches to the side of each foot as well as six inches in front of each foot. 

When walking with the crutches:

• Move the crutches forward and take a step with your operated leg at the same time.
• Follow by stepping forward with your unoperated leg as you push through the crutches with your arms to reduce the pressure through your operated side.

When going up and down the stairs, you want to remember “up with the good, down with the bad” to help you remember how to sequence the movement properly to protect your knee. When going up or down the stairs, you should move both crutches to one side of your body and hold both of them with one hand while you use the other to hold onto the handrail. 

When going up the stairs:

• While pushing through the crutches and the handrail to stabilize your operated leg, step up with your unoperated leg, or the “good” leg that is stronger to power you up the step, without moving the crutches.
• Follow by bringing your operated leg, or “bad” leg, up to the same level along with the crutches.

When going down the stairs:

• Lead with the crutches first, placing them on the bottom step in front of you, followed by your operated leg, or “bad” leg, as your unoperated leg supports your weight as you slowly step down. 
• Once your foot is on the step below you, you will then follow by bringing your unoperated leg, or “good” leg, down to the same level as you push through the crutches and the handrail to stabilize your operated leg.

When going up or down the stairs with crutches, you will step up or down one step at a time by bringing both feet to the same level before moving on to another step. As you gain strength and stability in your knee and no longer have to use crutches, you will be able to go up and down stairs normally with each foot moving step over step.

Caregiver and Social Support

On the day of your surgery, make sure to arrange for a friend or family member to provide transportation for you to and from the surgical center. You will not be allowed to drive after the surgery and will need to receive clearance from your surgeon to resume driving. 

If your knee arthroscopy was performed on your left knee, you may be able to start driving again as early as one to two weeks after surgery while four to six weeks or more may be needed to resume driving if the surgery was performed on your right knee.

Using crutches can make it difficult for you to complete your daily tasks on your own after surgery. Be prepared to ask for assistance from others with activities that involve prolonged standing and walking, such as cooking and preparing meals, cleaning, and doing laundry, in the beginning stages of your rehabilitation.