Patients often think the surgeon does all the work.

The Truth: Surgery is 50% of the result. Rehabilitation is the other 50%.

The best implant in the world will fail if the muscles around it are weak or the joint gets stiff.

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The 3 Goals of Post-Op Physio

1. Prevent Scar Tissue (Stiffness)

After any cut, the body forms scar tissue.

• If you don't move the joint immediately, this scar tissue acts like glue, freezing the joint (Arthrofibrosis).
• Physio breaks this cycle.

2. Reactivate Muscles

Pain causes muscles to "switch off" (inhibition).

• You can have huge muscles, but if the brain forgets how to fire them, you can't walk.
• Physio retrains the brain-muscle connection.

3. Restore Balance (Proprioception)

After an injury, your balance sensors are off. Physio prevents falls by retraining your stability.

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The Timeline of Regret

Patients who skip physio often return in 3 months saying:

• "My knee is stiff."
• "I still have a limp."
• "I have pain at night."

At that point, it is much harder to fix.

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Takeaway

Think of physiotherapy as the "programming" for your new hardware.

Do the homework. The surgeon gives you the movement; the physio gives you the life.