Prehabilitation Advice for Knee Arthroscopy
Your need for an arthroscopic procedure on your knee may be due to a sudden injury or a gradual decline due to pain and muscle weakness from early arthritis in the knee joint. Whichever the reason, it is important to prepare well for your surgery by keeping your knee as strong as possible.
Written by Chartered Physiotherapist, Liz Palmer
Medical Review by Medical Quality Officer, David Jones , MPharm
Published: Thursday 5 January 2023
Your need for an arthroscopic procedure on your knee may be due to a sudden injury or a gradual decline due to pain and muscle weakness from early arthritis in the knee joint. Whichever the reason, it is important to prepare well for your surgery by keeping your knee as strong as possible. If your knee has ‘locked’ due to cartilage (meniscus) injury, you may not be able to carry out all the advice given, do the best you can.
The following advice will benefit those with early arthritis. We know, from research done, that improving general fitness before any surgery reduces complications and the length of stay in the hospital. If your body is in good shape before the surgery, you will recover your muscle strength and activity levels more quickly in the post-operative stage.
General prehabilitation advice for orthopaedic surgery
Strength and general fitness can be improved by using an exercise cycle, either in your own home or at a gym. Using the exercise bike, either upright or recumbent, will improve your cardiovascular fitness and also the strength of your leg muscles without putting too much strain on your knee joint. It is important to strengthen your quadriceps and hamstring muscles around your knee before your surgery. Using the exercise cycle will also help to strengthen the muscles around your hip, which also contribute to your knee stability and strength. Make sure you fully straighten your knee with any exercises and really feel the muscles around your knee working hard.
