The fourth week after cruciate ligament surgery
أخر تحديث :
he period following the cruciate ligament operation is very important and influential in the lifestyle of the next individual, and for this, he must know how to deal with the situation in order to avoid any complications that may cause the operation to fail, follow the following article with us to learn very important information regarding this matter.
The fourth week after cruciate ligament surgery
Upon reaching the fourth week after the cruciate ligament operation, the individual becomes in the second stage of the rehabilitation program, where the focus is on increasing the individual’s ability to move in a wider range and he becomes able to move at an angle of up to 90 degrees, and some exercises are done that make the individual able to put pressure on the knee well and make the joint effectively do its job, and the patient does not need a brace at that stage.
The rehabilitation program for the individual in the fourth week stipulates the following:
- Work is done to strengthen the front thigh muscles.
- When the patient can bear on the knee, he is allowed to take a partial squatting position.
- Thigh exercises.
- Do some closed-chain exercises with resistance bands.
- Do stationary bike exercises.
- Do balance exercises.
- By the sixth week, the individual will be able to fully extend the knee.
- Do some water exercises if available.
After the cruciate ligament operation, what should I do?
There are many things that the individual must pay attention to immediately after the operation and be careful not to miss any of them, and here are some of them:
Be sure to follow the doctor’s instructions well after the operation
The doctor is keen to prescribe some analgesic and anti-inflammatory medications immediately after the operation in order to relieve the associated pain and reduce swelling, in addition to specifying the times when it is necessary to visit the doctor, and the doctor also recommends a suitable physiotherapist in order for the individual to start the rehabilitation program immediately after the operation, and care must be taken to adhere to this program well because of its great role in a quick recovery.
The doctor sets a schedule for the patient in which he performs cold compresses on the knee area, and it is recommended to use crutches during movement to prevent any pressure on the knee area, in addition to determining the amount of pressure that should not be exceeded on the knee, and the doctor prescribes to the patient how to preserve the wound while changing it or showering.
Carefully raise the leg
In the first days of the surgery, the patient must be careful to raise the foot from the level of the body at an angle of not less than 45 degrees through the use of pillows, and this exposes the patient to swelling of the knee, he must keep the leg raised while making sure that the pillows are under the heel of the foot or leg and not behind the knee.
Take pain relievers
The doctor prescribes some painkillers to the patient to relieve the pain he feels after the operation, and some other medicines can be taken without the need to consult a doctor, such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and naproxen.
In front of if the regular analgesics do not affect the pain, in that case, the doctor may prescribe drugs that are more powerful in their effect, such as Meloxicam and Gabapentin, and care must be taken when prescribing opioid medications by the doctor so that they are taken according to the doctor’s prescription only, because too much of them may cause addiction.
Get proper nutrition
Eager to eat healthy foods after the operation has a major role in accelerating the recovery process and increasing the strength of the individual, and the doctor recommends foods that are rich in lean proteins such as red meat, chicken, fish, dairy products, and fresh citrus fruits.
Also, vegetables contain many benefits and minerals that are important to the individual’s body, so it is recommended to eat leafy vegetables in good proportion, such as spinach, and you should reduce the consumption of caffeine, alcohol, and soft drinks.
Taking care of the bandage after the operation
The bandage on the knee is usually removed one day after the operation, and this results in the release of some liquid secretions will come out for two days, and in that case, care must be taken to adhere to the following:
- Use bandages that are well-sterile.
- Ensure that the wound is dry and clean at all times.
- Avoid swimming or jogging sports after the operation for a period of at least five months, but swimming may be done by hand only after three months of the operation.
Get enough sleep
Sleep and rest after the operation play a very big role in accelerating the improvement, and for this reason, the number of hours of sleep that the patient gets should not be less than 8 hours, and if he suffers from bouts of insomnia, there is no objection to using sleeping pills, and persevering in doing some exercises that help to relax in order to remove any tension or anxiety surrounding the individual and keep insomnia away from him.
Rehabilitation after cruciate ligament surgery
The rehabilitation programs that the doctor advises to adhere to after performing the cruciate ligament surgery have the greatest role in the complete recovery of the individual and the return of muscle strength and flexibility to what it was in the past, as it gradually helps the individual to return to his daily activities without suffering from any pain or facing any problems, that is, the success or failure of the operation depends largely on the extent of the individual’s commitment to the rehabilitation program that is prescribed to him.
Rehabilitation before cruciate ligament surgery
There may not be a need for the cruciate ligament operation if the injury that the individual may have been exposed to is minor, and in that case rehabilitation programs are followed, which are determined according to the extent of the individual’s injury, the age, the profession that he performs, and his future aspirations, as the rehabilitation program works primarily to strengthen the muscles and the ability of the joints to perform their function appropriately and to stabilize them in place.
The rehabilitation program is divided into acute, subacute, and chronic injury, and each stage must fully obtain its right, and rehabilitation is represented in some exercises that are held under the supervision of a physiotherapist to ensure that nothing wrong is done, but if this method does not work and the individual does not recover, then, in that case, surgical intervention is the most appropriate solution for him.
Pre-operative exercises for cruciate ligament surgery
Before performing the cruciate ligament operation, work must be done to reduce the severity of pain and swelling at the beginning, and this is done by doing some exercises, and the duration of this work takes from 3 weeks to 3 months, and the surgery should not be delayed beyond this time, because this may cause an increase in the risk of meniscus rupture and cartilage damage in the knee, and examples of these exercises are:
- Exercise (1): This exercise focuses on strengthening the knee, and it is done while sitting on the bed and extending your knee with a towel until 10 seconds have passed.
- Exercise (2): Tighten the thigh muscle while keeping the knee in an upright position for 5 to 10 seconds, preferably placing a towel under the heel. This exercise is done 10 times.
- Exercise (3): Lie on the bed and slowly bring the foot towards the buttocks while the sole is on the bed, and continue in this position until 10 seconds have passed.
Knee cruciate ligament rupture
Cutting the cruciate ligament of the knee is the occurrence of a sprain or partial or total stretching of the anterior cruciate ligament, which is one of the main ligaments in the knee, and this injury is more prevalent among athletes who perform movements such as jumping, sudden stopping or adjusting direction, and injury to the cruciate ligament causes severe pain to the individual accompanied by swelling and instability in the knee joint.
How is cruciate ligament surgery done?
Cruciate ligament surgery is done by the doctor removing the injured ligament in the knee area and replacing it with new tissues, and the main focus in this operation is to reinstall the knee so that the individual can move normally as it was in the past, and most often this operation uses arthroscopic surgery, where some devices are inserted into the knee joint through wounds that are around it.
When the doctor removes the torn ligament, he replaces it with another tendon, where the function of these tendons is to connect the bones with muscles, and the doctor may take a tendon from another place in the patient’s body such as the knee or thigh, or he may take it from a dead donor, this process requires an hour and the individual is subject to the effect of total anesthesia, and the patient may continue to stay in the hospital after the operation for some time.
