After the Procedure:

Physical therapy may begin in the recovery room right after surgery. A continuous passive motion machine (CPM) gently exercises your leg for 6 to 8 hours a day for several weeks. This machine is usually used for 6 weeks after surgery. Ask your surgeon how long you will use the CPM machine.

Your exercises will increase over time until you regain full range of motion in your knee. These exercises may speed up the new cartilage growth.

You will need to keep your weight off your knee for 6 to 8 weeks unless instructed otherwise. You will need crutches to get around. Keeping the weight off the knee will allow the new cartilage to regrow and form better tissue.

Physical therapy and doing exercises at home are needed for 3 to 6 months after surgery to get the best results.

Outlook (Prognosis):

Many people improve after this surgery, but recovery is slow. Many can return to sports or other intense activities in about 4 months. Athletes in very intense sports may not be able to return to their former level of competition.

Results are best when this surgery is done on people younger than 40 whose cartilage injury is recent. Results are also better for people that are not overweight. It is also most successful for small amounts of damage in the knee cartilage.