Orthopedic Expert Witness
Total knee replacements are typically less painful and have fewer precautions to follow, but they can be more difficult for the patient.
The following tips will help increase your mobility after a total knee replacement:
When ambulating, lead with the walker and then the surgical leg. Try to keep your hands free of any weight bearing so that you can use them for balance when needed. Keep a towel roll under your heel throughout every sitting or laying down position to elevate it in order to reduce swelling from standing too long on one foot at a time during physical therapy sessions after surgery as well as prevent other potential complications associated with not elevating an injured extremity sufficiently while resting
Following a knee replacement surgery, you should avoid sitting in low chairs or surfaces. For example, use the bedside commode over the toilet or next to your bed rather than using it on top of an already-low toilet seat. You could also buy raised seats for toilets with handles if they are not provided by insurance companies and can be found online at websites like Amazon
Lower body dressing can be difficult for those who have had a knee surgery, so the hip kit will also prove invaluable in donning and doffing socks, shoes, and threading pants..
ADL Education Following Shoulder Surgery
Along with the previous precautions, patients will also need to be cognizant of their operative shoulder during ADLs. Further education regarding these general precautions can include:
Avoid reaching for items on high shelves and while cooking by keeping your hand away from the surgical site. Eating smaller meals that are easy to hold in one hand is a good idea too, as well as cutting food into bite sized pieces rather than using utensils such as forks or spoons when eating. It might also be helpful if you use both hands simultaneously throughout tasks like opening doors or carrying grocery bags so that only one of them will need to come near the incision site.
Doctors recommend avoiding twisting movements at all costs! If you have had a recent surgery, avoid pushing up from chair or toilet with the arm used for the operation. This is to prevent injury and make sure everything heals properly. Avoid any hygiene tasks such as reaching back during toileting until cleared by your medical professional!
Upper body dressing is generally the most challenging task after this surgery. The best way to educate your patient in completing upper body dressing is to wear button-up, loose fitting shirts and to not use operative arm during the task. To doff the shirt, start with taking the shirt off the non-operative arm first, then gently slide the shirt off of the non-operative arm.
The following are basic care tips for someone who has sustained an arm injury: to don a shirt, start with the operative arm first by gently sliding the shirt onto it with the non-surgical arm, then pull in your unaffected limb and button up. After this is done you can apply any other necessary medical supports such as slings or braces. You should only use one of these limbs when doing all ADL's so that they heal properly until you get clearance from a doctor to resume regular activity.
Dr. Scott Powell is an expert orthopedic surgeon with 30+ years of practical surgery experience. He has more than 15,000 orthopedic surgeries under his belt, and as an orthopedic expert witness, has reviewed 100+ orthopedic malpractice cases, taken part in 50+ depositions, and testified in 20 trials. Dr. Powell has a wealth of experience working with orthopedic injuries, which means he knows when negligence was involved.
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