The Knee Replacement Recovery Manual: A Practical Week-by-Week Guide for the First 12 Months (Joint Recovery)

The Recovery Manual You Wish Your Surgeon Had Time to WriteYou're facing knee replacement — or considering it — and the information you've found is either too clinical to be useful or too vague to answer your real questions. This book bridges that gap.It's a comprehensive, week-by-week guide covering the full journey: from the decision to have surgery, through the first year of recovery, and beyond. Written for the patient, not the practitioner.The practical answers you actually need:When is it time? A clear framework for the decisionWhat to ask your surgeon — and how to evaluate the answersSix weeks of pre-surgery preparation that meaningfully improves outcomesDay-by-day expectations for surgery week and the critical first 14 daysRed flags vs. normal recovery sensations — how to tell the differenceThe real timeline for returning to driving, work, sex, exercise, and travelWhat to do when recovery doesn't go as plannedLong-term care for years and decades after surgery—A working manual, not just a reference.Twenty-two appendices give you trackable worksheets, checklists, and reference cards you'll actually use:A daily pain and medication logA red-flag quick-reference card to keep on your phoneA range-of-motion progress chartA return-to-work planning worksheetAnd eighteen moreThe data you record becomes valuable information for your surgical team.—What this book covers:Total knee replacement (TKR) and partial knee replacement (PKR)Modern implants and surgical approaches, including robotic-assisted surgeryMultimodal pain management and opioid weaningPhysical therapy expectations through Week 12Manipulation under anesthesia (MUA) — what it actually is and when it's usedBilateral knee replacement and the second-knee decisionWhen to advocate for yourself, get second opinions, or pursue revision—Who this book is for:Patients facing or considering knee replacementCaregivers supporting someone through recovery (Chapter 12 is written for you)Patients mid-recovery looking for answersPatients facing the second knee, applying lessons from the first—This book is a research compilation drawing on guidance from major medical organizations and the lived experience of patients across the recovery community. It is not medical advice — it provides the context and tools you need for informed conversations with your surgical team.If you've been searching for honest, organized, practical information about what's actually coming — this book delivers it. Read more