WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: What is knee manipulation? Knee manipulation is a procedure to relieve knee stiffness and poor range of motion. After trauma or knee surgery, scar tissue can form in your joint. The scar tissue does not allow you to fully bend or straighten your leg. Knee manipulation breaks up the scar tissue that has formed. How do I prepare for knee manipulation? Make a plan for someone to drive you home and stay with you for at least a day after your procedure. Your healthcare provider will tell you not to eat or drink after midnight the day before your procedure. He will tell you what medicine to take or not take before your procedure. What will happen during knee manipulation? Your healthcare provider will give you medicine to keep you asleep, relaxed, and pain-free during your procedure. Tell him if you or any member of your family has ever had problems with anesthesia. Once you are under anesthesia and relaxed, your healthcare provider will bend and straighten your knee. He will repeat this several times. What can I expect after knee manipulation? You may have temporary pain and swelling. You should notice more movement in your knee joint. Sometimes this takes a few weeks. You may start physical therapy the day after your knee manipulation. What are the risks of knee manipulation? Knee manipulation may cause a bone in your leg to break. It may also damage the ligaments and tendons in your leg. You may have a reaction to the anesthesia you are given. |