Many patients in the first month or 2 ask this question. It is answered in the article "A Randomized, Controlled Trial of Total Knee Replacement" in the New England journal of medicine.
As part of their research the authors measured 'KOOS' knee function scores for a full 12 months after surgery. As many patients know that they make great gains in the first 3 months, however their research demonstrated that they continued to improved up to 12 months after surgery (flat section of the curve).
Patients can walk immediately after anaesthetic recovery with assistance. Most people spend 2 or 3 days in hospital and when they go home are using crutches. By 6 weeks we expect patient to be able to bend at least 90 degrees, and walk independantly. This is usually when it is safe to drive again.
The 3-12 month period of improvement is not drastic and patients may not realise the gains. However most patients begin to have a normal feeling knee, restored confidence, less swelling and skin irritation as the months go by. The best outcome at 12 months is when you forget that the knee is a replacement!
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