A surgeon replaces damaged cartilage and bone with an artificial implant during a knee replacement surgery. It is also known as total knee arthroplasty. It helps in reducing pain and discomfort, plus improves your quality of living. Knee replacements are one of the most commonly performed and highly successful orthopedic surgical procedures. 

People who have had a knee replacement can experience a stiff knee after surgery. The swelling within the joint can make the knee stiff during the immediate postoperative period. 

But what causes stiffness around the knee area? 

Excessive Scar Formation: A scar is formed when fibrous tissue (that grows and attaches to the knee implant and other tissues) restricts movement. Due to this scar formation, the knee replacement stiffness may linger over time. 

Too much pain: Some patients could not resist medications for pain control which can sometimes generate side effects. Ultimately, this situation can lead to difficulty working on the motion of the newly replaced joint. It is advised to have a pain treatment plan that works for you. 

Implants Malposition: At the time of surgery, surgeons make an effort to balance the knee by finding the knee replacement's proper size and alignment. It is seldom when this kind of error happens but only becomes evident when the recovery is stalled. 

Poor Motion Before Surgery: Experts say that your motion after surgery is predicted from your activity prior to surgery. Patients with stiff knees before their surgical procedure are expected to have stiffness after surgery. 

How to cope up with knee stiffness after joint replacement surgery? 

There are several ways to prevent and minimize knee stiffness post joint replacement surgery: - 

• Walk according to your recovery plan. 

• Your care team might have advised you to apply warm or cold packs, perform as directed. In general, cold packs are used to subside swelling, while heat packs promote blood flow and help muscles relax. 

• Gently massage the scar and around the knee after the incision has completely healed. 

• Perform knee exercises as suggested by your doctor to reduce the stiffness. 

• When your incision gets fully healed, soak in a warm tub and performing gentle range-of-motion exercises. 

Further, it is always suggested to read and follow your surgeon's postoperative instructions; you must be given after surgery. Do not push yourself to exercise beyond the scope of what your doctor prescribes. You may find your new knee gets you back to an active lifestyle when you follow your postoperative treatment plan and perform physical therapy exercises as prescribed.