Total knee replacement. Increase your success.

According to this article "High‑intensity preoperative training improves physical

and functional recovery in the early post‑operative periods

after total knee arthroplasty: a randomized controlled trial" in the journal of knee surgery sports traumatology arthroscopy by Joaquin Calatayud. PhD from the University of Valencia. Doing strengthening before total knee replacement surgery is going to help make you better faster and have less complications. This article does not describe the actual exercises but this article that is cited gives you more direction "The effect of prehabilitation exercise on strength and functioning after total knee arthroplasty". In the journal of physical medicine and rehabilitation, by Robert Topp, PH.D., RN from the University of Toledo.

The list of exercises are

• 5-minute warm-up consisting of light walking, but could be things like stationary bike because this puts less compression stress on the joint or pool based exercises. Using either the Truckee Donner Recreation and Park District pool or Tahoe Donners pool are available for this If you do have access to pool near you or a gravity reducing treadmill like the Alter -G. Luckily Truckee has 2 physical therapy offices that have this device. Both Truckee PT and Tahoe Forest PT have them if you want to find one near you go here.

Followed by:

1. Squats. Usually at this point we want you to do isometric wall squats. You do this by putting your back against the your feet out 1 foots length away from wall and slide down until you find the least irritating position. You then want to put something in your hands so that you can barley hold the position for 45 seconds. Repeated 5 times. If you can hold for longer increase the weight, if less decrease the weight. The weight should be even on both sides. A great thing to use is a bottle of laundry detergent lor if you have the means adjustable weights.

2. Hip flexion this one gets both your hip flexion and ankle dorsiflexion strengthening

3. Hip extension no band needed here

4. Hip abduction

5. Hip adduction Attach a band to a table and 1 leg through band loop above the knee and pull leg to center. Similar to this but sitting

6. Ankle plantar flexion Calf raises

7. Ankle dorsiflexion

8. Knee extension

9. Knee flexion.

Each of these resistance exercises incorporated various intensity levels of Thera-Band bands or candoo