What is the recovery like after Knee replacement surgery?

My mother has just come home from knee replacement surgery with little or no details about recovery. If anyone can provide insight on what to expect afterwards would be great. (i.e physio duration, getting around at home, walker vs. cane etc...)

It's hard to say much about the prognosis without more details, but chances are that if she was sent straight home she is doing rather well. In my experience, patients with total knee replacements have a lot of pain, especially during the first week. This is often increased with walking as well as movement at the extremes of range. She might not be comfortable lying on her back with her leg straight but it's important to avoid putting anything under the knee to avoid contractures. Swelling is also to be expected, particularly around the knee but iIf the calf gets very swollen and painful (an increase from the initial levels) then you should probably bring her back to the ER to get it checked out.

With regards to physio, expect at least a few weeks. Usually the goal is to get the knee to bend at least a little beyond a right angle and able to straighten almost completely. Progress will depend on how stiff the leg is, pain, and swelling, as well as co-morbid conditions, and general health status.

With regards to the walking aid, if she was walking with nothing before she may progress fairly quickly from a walker to a cane to nothing, depending on her pain. If she already needed a walking aid before, progress is likely to be slower.

I hope this helped. Unfortunately, I can't tell you much since I don't know your mother or her particular circumstances but her physio should be able to answer all your questions.

Disclaimer: This is just my personal experience and not professional advice.

it hurts like a ***** for a couple days and everytime you try to adjust it feels like your knee is going to explode
but it only hurts real bad for about a week or two then it starts to calm down.