Routine Knee Arthroscopy Aftercare Instructions

1. Elevate knee and leg above heart for first 48 hrs with the exception of getting up for eating or using the bathroom. You may be up and around as comfort allows thereafter.


2. Pump foot up and down 10 times every 30 minutes.


3. Use crutches as needed for comfort, discontinue when comfort allows. (You will need to continue non or limited weight bearing and crutches if you’ve been instructed to do so by your surgeon, had a meniscal repair, microfracture, OATs or Autologous Chondrocyte implantation).


4. Keep dressing dry and intact for 3 to 4 days. At this point, you may remove the dressing, cover the incisions with waterproof bandaids and shower briefly, follow by promptly drying the knee and changing the bandaids. No long showers, hot tubs or swimming until the sutures are removed.


5. Start range of motion exercises for the knee on the third day after your surgery by placing the non-operated side ankle in back of the operated side ankle and leg and use the non-operated side to push the operated leg up and down (to straighten and bend the knee) as far as comfort allows. Try for 20 – 25 repititions twice a day.