Have you just undergone knee arthroscopy surgery, and you have many questions about the recovery time.
Or you are trying to understand what a knee arthroscopy is before you consider knee arthroscopy for osteoarthritis, meniscus issues or cartilage damage.
In this article I answer the most common questions asked by internet users about knee arthroscopy.
I rely on my knowledge as a diagnostic radiographer and research from medical scientific studies.
Happy reading!😃
Any questions? remarks? Let’s meet in the comments section at the end of this article.🙏
Last updated: Dec 2024. Written by Juliet Semakula a diagnostic radiographer
▶️What is an arthroscopy and why is it done?
An arthroscopy is a type of keyhole surgery for checking or repairing your knee joints. It helps find what is causing pain, swelling and stiffness in your joints.
▶️What are some of the reasons why your doctor may suggest an arthroscopy surgery to your knee.
Approximately 25% of people aged 50 years and over experience knee symptoms from degenerative knee disease which results in wear and tear of the cartilage of the knee joint (Rietbergen 2022)
Causing knee pain and stiffness sometimes knee locking, clicking or other mechanical symptoms.
Usually when you go to the doctor with long standing knee pain, which might have been caused by sports injury or degenerative knee diseases such as osteoarthritis
And you have tried all treatments and examinations, and nothing has worked for you. An arthroscopy would be recommended.
Caution!⚠️Previous studies have shown that a considerable number of patients with degenerative knee disease and other knee problems did receive an arthroscopy without first performing non-surgical treatments (Rietbergen 2022)
Which is not the best decision you can make; it is recommended you first try all other non-surgical treatments before surgery.
▶️An arthroscopy could be recommended to check what is causing you:
🟠Joint pain, Swelling and stiffness
🟠Joint locking, moving out of position or giving away.
🟠Knee osteoarthritis
🟠Meniscus problems
🟠Cartilage injuries.
🟠Knee CRPS
🟠Patellofemoral pain syndrome
▶️How is an arthroscopy done
♦Damaged sections of the tough tissue covering the surface of your joint cartilage will be removed.
♦If you have had a meniscus tear to the strips of tissues connecting the bones of your joint ligaments, they will be repaired.
♦ A sterile liquid is used to wash out damaged bits of tissue stopping the joint from working properly.
▶️Why is there a recovery time after knee arthroscopy?
There are at least two reasons why you need some recovery time after knee arthroscopy.
1️⃣Consequences after the operation
During knee arthroscopy procedure, small holes will be made at both sides of your knee and instruments will be inserted to repair the knee at times.
As a result, your body will likely respond with swelling (inflammation) in the knee, a natural process that aids tissue healing and recovery.
2️⃣The discomfort and pain you had before and after the operation
Before the operation you have probably lost muscle strength and flexibility and after the operation your knee will feel sore.
Your body needs time to recover from weeks, months or even years.
▶️How long does it take to recover from an arthroscopy surgery of the knee?
One thing you should remember is that not everyone recovers at the same pace after a knee arthroscopy. It is difficult to predict in advance whether you will be one of those who recover quickly or slowly.
After knee arthroscopy operation, in the first days and weeks your doctor will advise you to take it easy.
Recovery tracker and how you might feel.
Below is a table summarising the average recovery durations for specific milestones.
| Days and weeks | How you might feel |
| Day 1-2 | ♦Knee will be sore & swollen ♦Pain at the scar site. ♦Feel more tired You can get up and dress, move around the house, eat and drink normal, rest, not fit to work |
| Day 3 | ♦Less pain, pain killers may help ♦Still swollen, you can use ice packs to reduce it. ♦Full knee movement You can go for a short walk of no more than 5-10 minutes, rest, and work not just yet. |
| Day 4-6 | ♦Mild pain, still feeling tired ♦Still mild swelling Continue building up the number of activities from day 1 to now, no flying and no work for the first 4-6 days after the operation. |
| Day 7-13 | ♦You will probably be able to do most things as normal as before. ♦Walking, swimming (front crawl only), cycling and light exercise is allowed but consult your physio for more guidance 10 days on light duties or reduced hours depending on the nature of your job |
| Day 14+ | ♦Feeling much stronger ♦Still walk with a limp for longer walks Fit to work, yes. Talk to you doctor about getting back to work if you haven’t already |
| 2-4 weeks | ♦Most people would be back to go back to work ♦Pain and swelling gone in some cases if you had no complication during the procedure |
| 6 weeks | ♦You can start on a treadmill as you are able |
| 8 weeks | ♦Most people at this time can go back to sports, but this will depend on how you feel. longer if anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. |
| Running again | ♦Few weeks longer if anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. |
Arthroscopic knee surgery recovery time
▶️When can you bend your knee after arthroscopy?
It is important to regain full knee motion after an arthroscopy surgery.
It is also important to know that there are no contraindications or risks to bending the knee immediately after surgery except for specific cases where your doctor has restricted you from doing so.
This will be clearly documented in your notices and verbally communicated to you, not to bend your knee.
But usually after surgery many people experience stiffness and loss of the ability to bend and straighten their knee even when they have been given a go ahead.
The reason being, after you have had an arthroscopy knee surgery there will be fluid in your knee caused by inflammation.
When you have had surgery for your knee, your skin will be opened, and you will have a wound causing trauma to the knee.
Swelling will be expected, it is part of the healing process, and it does vary from person to person.
Swelling should not be concerning, and it will settle with time, you may notice an increase over the first few days before starting to settle.
In most people it takes between 1 and 12 weeks for swelling to reduce significantly.
You should only be concerned about the swelling in the knee if it becomes hot and red, causes significant pain, or you have discoloured discharge from the wounds.
This fluid will make your knee feel tight or stiff, especially with deep knee bending or squatting. It’s not a good idea to force motion to happen.
Try to give yourself rest in the first few days after surgery to allow healing.
You can start bending your knee if pain allows, it’s only you who can determine this. Your doctor should have given you advice on when to start moving or bending your knee.
To give you some reassurance, it is very normal to not be able to bend your knee after meniscus surgery.
Some people don’t have any trouble with bending their knee and even have normal motion the day after surgery but remember we are all different. Just give it time.
▶️How long does the pain last after knee arthroscopy
After your knee arthroscopy surgery, the muscles, ligaments, soft tissue and tendons around the knee operated area will be very tender.
The cutting and stitches on the wound areas will have to heal, this alone will cause you mild pain.
The pain will settle within 2 to 3 weeks but may take nearly 6 weeks to completely settle depending on the knee injury.
You will feel tenderness around the wound site for up to 4 weeks. Muscles wasting around the thigh will improve as swelling and pain decrease.
The level of pain varies greatly from person to person. Some people may feel the need to take pain relieving medications to eliminate pain others may not feel the need to do anything.
According to a study done by Hoofwijk et al.2015,
Out of 104 individuals who underwent knee arthroscopy followed up after the procedure.
♦71.2% of patients who had undergone arthroscopy knee surgery experienced moderate to severe pain during the week before surgery.
♦ 32.5% experienced moderate to severe pain just after the operation.
♦32.7% experienced moderate to severe 1 year after the procedure
♦16.4% had more pain than before arthroscopy
♦12.5% had the same level of pain
♦71.1% reported less pain than before the operation.
▶️When to walk without crutches after knee arthroscopy
Most patients I have seen usually are able to walk straight away on the same day of the operation.
However, you may still need crutches to:
♦To help you avoid limping.
♦ To allow you walk longer periods
♦ Help relieve pressure and support and protect the joint on the operated leg.
♦You will need crutches to walk until the swelling and pain get better.
Depending on the type of procedure you had, you may need crutches to support and protect the joint while you recover.
Most meniscus repair surgeries require 2 to 4 weeks on crutches with a knee brace for the first 6 weeks.
Generally, you won’t need crutches for walking a few days to a few weeks after knee arthroscopy.
Physical therapy in some cases starts right away to help the knee regain range of motion.
However, you can walk regularly while adapting your walking style, duration and intensity to help you recover.
▶️When can you drive after a knee arthroscopy
It is not advisable to resume driving immediately after leaving the hospital.
After your procedure in most cases, you will not be able to bend your knee enough and your body will be fighting sedatives and other effects of painkillers.
Normally, I have seen people return to driving after swelling reduces, no pain distraction and knee motion improves at least 1 week or more after an arthroscopic knee operation.
Not until you have recovered from the effects of surgery which can take from around a week to several months.
You can decide to have a driving exercise
After 7 to 10 days, you might try to test your fitness to drive, find a safe place without putting keys in the ignition. Sit in the driver seat and practise putting firm pressure on the pedals.
If you still feel pain, you are not yet ready to drive. If you feel sore afterwards, you may need to wait a day or two and try again.
Only when you feel you can put enough pressure on the pedals to do an emergency stop, should you think about driving again.
It is important for you to follow the law regarding this matter.
Here in the United Kingdom
Notifying the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is not needed after a knee arthroscopy surgery unless instructed to do so by your doctor.
For those driving class 2 licences to drive lorries and buses, you may be advised to delay driving for a little longer for the reason of safety and comfort.
The law in the United Kingdom.
You can be fined up to £1,000 if you don’t tell DVLA about a medical condition that affects your driving. You may be prosecuted if you’re involved in an accident as a result.
Gov.uk/surgery-and-driving
Ask your doctor if you’re not sure how your operation will affect your driving.
It’s up to you to evaluate the benefits and risks of resuming driving sooner or later after knee arthroscopy based on your post-operative condition!
Law in United States
In the United States, the regulations regarding driving after knee arthroscopy may vary by state. Generally, there is no specific nationwide law or regulation that dictates the exact time frame for resuming driving after the procedure.
Instead, the decision is often left to the discretion of the patient or patient’s surgeon and their ability to safely operate a vehicle.
▶️What is the time off work after a knee arthroscopy?
Several research has been done in different countries regarding returning to work after knee arthroscopy or surgery
A systematic review by Tilbury et al.
Showed that 71 to 83% of patients who have undergone knee arthroscopy returned to work, with an average time of 8 to 12 weeks
The duration of work leave is not determined by the specific health issue but rather by its impact on your professional activity.
If you work in an office, you may be able to go back to work within a couple of weeks.
However, if your job involves heavy physical work, you may need to take up to 6 weeks or more off work.
Your surgeon and employer should be able to advise you. Remember this varies from person to person, some need more, while others need less.
It will all depend on how well you are recovering, remember health is key, work can always wait, when you die, they will replace you straight away.
Some countries such as the United Kingdom have some sick work benefits that can help you as you recover.
▶️When to resume sports after a knee arthroscopy.
Resuming sports will depend on the demand any sports will put on your knee.
If your sport is gentle on your knee, you can return as soon as you can perfume all the exercises without pain.
Some people start jogging after 2 weeks of pain free and no swelling.
For vigorous sports such as rugby, squash, football, hockey and karate, it must be resumed when you are completely pain free and your knee can cope with the stress of training.
Most of these sports can be resumed after 1 to 3 months (longer in the case of ACL reconstruction surgery).
Your own assessment of the risk-benefit balance in resuming sports at different paces will help you determine if you are fit to resume sports.
▶️What can be done to minimise the recovery time?
Injuries to tissues take some time to heal, no matter what we do. So, there is no magic recipe to ensure the quickest and maximum recovery, or to significantly accelerate the natural healing process.
The best things you can do are:
♦Be reassured that most people recover very well after this surgical procedure.
♦Resume your daily activities, adapting them as needed.
♦Change positions regularly throughout the day (extend and flex the knee).
♦Avoid prolonged sitting with the knee bent or prolonged static standing.
♦Take walks outdoors at least once a day, gradually increasing the duration of your walks.
♦ Eating a balanced diet and reducing or stopping smoking will reduce the risk of developing complications.
After knee arthroscopy, physiotherapy sessions are often prescribed, regardless of the reason for the procedure.
Physiotherapy will help you restore movement and function to your knee and reduce your risk of injury or illness in the future.
Here is a you tube video from Torrance Memorial medical rehab showing arthroscopic knee surgery rehabilitation.
We have come to the end of this article, wishing you a quick recovery!🙋
Your comments are welcome.
📚Source:
Severino FR, de Oliveira VM, de Paula Leite Cury R, Severino NR, de Moraes Barros Fucs PM. Causes of knee pain evaluated by arthroscopy after knee arthroplasty: a case series. Int Orthop. 2022 Apr;46(4):697-703. doi: 10.1007/s00264-021-05048-8. Epub 2022 Jan 29. PMID: 35091753.
Rietbergen T, Marang-van de Mheen PJ, Diercks RL, Janssen RPA, van der Linden-van der Zwaag HMJ, Nelissen RGHH, Steyerberg EW, van Bodegom-Vos L; SMART study group. Performing a knee arthroscopy among patients with degenerative knee disease: one-third is potentially low value care. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2022 May;30(5):1568-1574. doi: 10.1007/s00167-021-06615-7. Epub 2021 Jun 19. PMID: 34146116; PMCID: PMC9033717.
Hoofwijk DMN, Fiddelers AAA, Emans PJ, Joosten EA, Gramke HF, Marcus MAE, Buhre WFFA. Prevalence and Predictive Factors of Chronic Postsurgical Pain and Global Surgical Recovery 1 Year After Outpatient Knee Arthroscopy: A Prospective Cohort Study. Medicine (Baltimore). 2015 Nov;94(45):e2017. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000002017. PMID: 26559300; PMCID: PMC4912294.
Pahlplatz, T.M.J. et al. ‘Beneficial and Limiting Factors in Return to Work after Primary Total Knee Replacement: Patients’ Perspective’. 1 Jan. 2021 : 895 – 902.