A meniscal repair has been performed on your knee. Your doctor will further discuss this with you at your post-operative appointment. Included in this form are many helpful suggestions for your immediate post-operative course. Please do not hesitate to contact our office if you have further questions or need clarification of this information.
Activity
- Minimize activity for the first 24-72 hours
- Work on straightening your knee. Never put anything under the knee to keep it bent.
- Do straight leg raises (3 sets of 10), 8-10 times per day.
Crutches
- Use BOTH crutches. You are not allowed to place weight on your operative leg for 4 weeks. After 4 weeks you can place 50% of your body weight on your operative leg. You will have 6 weeks of weight restriction. This is because of your meniscal repair.
Range of Motion
- You may bend your knee up to 90 degrees. Do not force your knee back to bend it more – this will compromise the repair.
Brace
- You will be given a brace. Your brace should be used at all times until the doctor tells you otherwise.
- You may remove while sitting and showering.
- While up and about, you should have this on at all time.
- When you are sleeping or in bed, you should have this brace on at all times for the first 2 weeks.
Cold Therapy
- Ice helps reduce pain and swelling.
- Place ice on knee 6 – 8 times a day for 20 minutes at a time.
Wound Care
- You may remove the dressing 48-72 hours after surgery and shower. Use warm soapy water over the incisions
- Pat the wound dry and reapply a dry dressing or ace wrap or place bandaids over the nylon sutures to prevent skin irritation
- No baths or whirlpools until 21 days after the surgery
Prescriptions
- You will be given a prescription for a narcotic (Percocet, Vicodin etc.)
- You may be given a prescription for an anti-inflammatory (Naprosyn or Motrin).
- It is OK to take an anti-inflammatory in addition to the narcotic to assist with pain control
- Do not take additional Tylenol with your prescription pain medicine as it already has Tylenol in it
- Narcotics cause constipation. Stay well hydrated and use a stool softener twice daily when taking narcotics.
Follow-Up
- Your postoperative visit 5-7 days following your surgery will have been scheduled prior to your surgery
- If you do not have this appointment, call the office
Warning Signs
- Pain unrelieved by medication or worsening pain
- Nausea and vomiting you cannot control
- Fever over 100.0 after the first 48 hours
- Persistent drainage from the incisions (some spotting is normal on the bandage for the first 5 days)
- Increasing redness around incisions
- Calf pain or tenderness
Call the Orthopedics office at 541-754-1276 with questions
After hours call Orthopedics at 541-754-1150
