How long does the pain last after cruciate ligament surgery?

Cruciate ligament surgery

The cruciate ligament surgery is one of the very simple operations, but it is very accurate, and the post-operative stage is the most important period because it depends on the extent to which the patient listens to the doctor’s instructions and his commitment to physical therapy and rehabilitation program, in the following article we will talk in detail on this subject, so let us read the following.

How long does the pain last after cruciate ligament surgery?

After performing the cruciate ligament operation, many individuals suffer from severe pain, especially in the first week immediately after the operation, but this pain begins to fade gradually with the end of the first and second weeks of the operation, and the individual may feel uncomfortable during that period, and during this period swelling may occur to the individual and some bruises appear.

The doctor will prescribe some medications and painkillers for the individual after the operation in order to reduce the severity of the pain that he may feel during the first week, and the patient must adhere to the doctor’s instructions well, especially during the first periods after the operation, while avoiding taking any medications that the doctor did not recommend to him.

How to sleep after cruciate ligament surgery

Due to the severe pain and discomfort that the patient suffers after the cruciate ligament surgery, one of the most common problems that he may face is the time to go to sleep and how to be able to relax. Here are some tips that can be followed during that:

Make sure to sleep on the back with a pillow under the knee area in order to ensure its stability and not to dislocate the new joint.
Continue to raise the leg above the rest of the body and avoid bending or moving it so as not to put too much pressure on the new joint.
Make sure to sleep on the healthy side for 6 weeks after the operation and avoid the affected side with pillows between the knees.
In order to avoid pressure on the hip joint, care must be taken to sleep on a firm mattress, with the soap bone-facing outward and the foot towards the ceiling.
Avoid sleeping on your stomach or changing your sleeping position from time to time.

When do I walk after the cruciate ligament operation?

The patient can start walking a day or two after the cruciate ligament surgery, provided that this is only for a few minutes and avoid any excessive effort at all, as walking a little during that period works to strengthen the muscles and restore their flexibility, in addition to greatly calming the tumors.

Walking at that stage should be done by using a crutch or leaning on one of the surrounding people, and the patient may be able to walk alone without the need for help from others around him within a period ranging from two to four weeks.

Recovery time from cruciate ligament surgery

After performing the cruciate ligament operation, the average individual needs a period ranging from six to eight weeks in order to be able to return to his normal activities and be able to move his knee very effectively, and certainly, the matter differs from one person to another depending on the type of operation he performed, the extent of fixation and the type of ligament.

As for the athletes who are exposed to such injuries, after the cruciate ligament operation for a period of three to six months in order to be able to return to their activities that they were doing, and the process of stabilizing the ligament is by putting materials that are well absorbed with the passage of some time, and we should not play the role of physical therapy and rehabilitation program in terms of its effectiveness in accelerating recovery from the cruciate ligament operation.

Symptoms of cruciate ligament failure

Sometimes the cruciate ligament may fail, and some symptoms indicate this, for example:

Feeling of instability and this can be measured through measures of indolence.
The individual is not able to regain his strength as before and feels that something is wrong.
The presence of pain in the area around the knee.
Bone bruises frequently.
The meniscus and meniscus have suffered some injuries.

Is cruciate ligament surgery necessary?

Cruciate ligament surgery is necessary in some cases, for example:

When you adhere to the rehabilitation program without success and the knee remains in a state of instability.
Exposure to a chronic injury to the cruciate ligament hinders the individual from continuing his life normally.
If the injured person practices a profession or sport that requires great strength in his knee, and for this reason, he must return it to what it was in the past.
When the injured person undergoes a complete rupture of the cruciate ligament and his condition becomes unstable.
Injury to other parts of the knee, such as the meniscus, ligaments, or hamstrings.

Physical therapy after cruciate ligament surgery

After the cruciate ligament operation, the individual must undergo physiotherapy and a rehabilitation program because this has a very big role in accelerating the recovery process and improving well, as this is done by performing some exercises that require the supervision of a physiotherapist to ensure that no errors occur, and these exercises are represented in doing knee bending and straightening and raising the leg.

In addition to the fact that relying on a crutch during the treatment period is very important so that no pressure occurs on the knee area or any weight gain on it, and the patient remains on it for at least two weeks after the operation.

When can the patient walk after cruciate ligament surgery?

After 10 to 12 weeks of cruciate ligament surgery, the patient may be able to walk and speed up his movements a little from the first periods, in addition to running and doing some exercises, but in order for the individual to be able to move normally and regain the strength he had before the operation after 6 to 12 months of the operation and physical therapy.

When is the knee fully flexed after cruciate ligament surgery?

After doing the cruciate ligament surgery, we must wait for two months to start doing some physiotherapy exercises in order to start strengthening the muscles and increasing their flexibility as before, then begin to do some exercises while keeping the angle of movement not exceeding sixty degrees, and some operations in which it is possible to move at an angle of up to ninety degrees.

That is, the ability to bend the knee depends on the type of operation performed by the patient and the severity of the injury that he was exposed to at the beginning, as he begins to increase the distance in the movement gradually and with great care, and over time he becomes able to bend the knee completely without facing any difficulty in that.