Knee Replacement and Swelling

Surgery temporarily affects tissues, blood flow and joint fluid, so the knee and lower leg may look puffy and feel tight. Swelling can make bending harder and may increase after walking or physiotherapy. It should be considered alongside the direction of change, pain, wound appearance and general health.

A new or increasing swollen knee can also have another cause, such as gout, bursitis, a Baker's Cyst or a blood-flow problem. Knee osteoarthritis, an ACL Tear or Meniscus Tear explains symptoms before surgery but does not by itself explain every new postoperative change.

Follow the surgeon’s instructions for walking, exercises, wound care and prescribed medicines. Elevate the leg when resting, use cold therapy only as advised, and increase activity gradually. Do not place ice directly on skin or change blood-thinning medicine without guidance.

Contact the surgical team if swelling is interfering with exercises or is not following the recovery pattern they described. In selected situations, a clinician may consider [Joint Aspiration](/treatments/non-surgical-orthopedics/joint-aspiration/) after examination.

Seek urgent help for fever, chills, worsening wound redness, pus or fluid drainage, severe or escalating pain, sudden calf swelling, chest pain, breathlessness, or a foot that becomes cold, pale or numb. These symptoms can signal a complication and should not be monitored at home without advice.

Ask what amount and pattern of swelling is expected for your operation, how to time elevation and exercises, and which wound changes require contact. Confirm when you can safely resume driving, work or longer walks.