Exact Answer: 3 Weeks
CPM or Continuous Passive Motion machine is medical equipment used to rehabilitate a broken or replaced limp of arm or leg.
If a person has had some surgery with their knee or arm, the machine would be attached to that part and would move in different motions to take the limb back into action or movement as the patient is relaxing.
The main idea or motive behind using a continuous passive motion machine after surgery of any kind of joint or limb in arms and legs is that it facilitates the movement of the area without causing much discomfort and could prove to be helpful in recovery for some.
How Long Use CPM After Knee Replacement?
CPM machine, as the name continuous passive motion machine suggests, is essentially used to partake a limb or joint which has undergone surgery to stay in motion to increase the movement of that part of the body.
It does not cause any discomfort to the patient as the machine is attached to only the part which has undergone surgery and the patient can relax while the machine puts the limb through a various range of motions.
It can prove to be helpful for some, but not to all people. For those people whom the CPR machine could prove helpful, it can reduce the pain in the knee surgery, reduce the period of stay in the hospital, and increase the range of movements in the joint.
It is suggested that a person who has had knee replacement surgery, should wear the CPM machine for at least 3 weeks as it can help a lot in regaining movement of the joint without causing any major pain.
CPM machine has also proved to reduce the chances of swelling after the surgery, which otherwise could be very painful. It also helps in reducing the growth of scar tissues, which are not as flexible and could break after a short span of the muscle moving, hence, the CPM machine increases the growth of normal tissues which are flexible and can carry movement.
The CPM machine is recommended to be used on the bed as in any other place, there is a risk of it falling and breaking.
| Part Of Body | Benefits Of CPM |
| Joint | Would regain the movement quickly |
| Muscle | Would increase the growth of healthy and flexible tissues |
Why Use CPM After 3 Weeks of Knee Replacement?
Continuous Passive Motion machine is a medical equipment which is attached to the part where the person has had surgery, like knee or arm, and it facilitates the movement of the part in various motions without causing any discomfort or major pain to the patient.
It has proved to be very helpful for some people, however, it does not work out for every person who gets joint surgery. It is proved to be helpful for people who get a total knee replacement surgery and can reduce the chances of swelling after the surgery, which otherwise can be very painful.
The reason it is recommended for the patient to wear the CPM machine until after about 3 weeks of surgery is that during this time, there is the growth of tissues around the knee which, if not provided with movement, can turn to scar tissues which are improperly healed. These tissues, provided with movement after a long time, can break very easily.
Hence, using the CPM machine and keeping the tissues around the knee in movement could help the growth of healed normal tissues which would not break in movement as their growth would happen while the knee is moving in various motions due to the CPM machine.
This could help the person gain movement quickly if the machine is used properly for about 4 hours a day for 3 weeks after the surgery. It is suggested that the patient should take breaks every 45 minutes to relax in between the machine time and divide the exercise into sessions.
Conclusion
CPM or Continuous Passive Motion machine is the equipment used after surgery of a limb or joint, mostly after a total knee replacement surgery, to help the person regain movement in the part. It has also proved to reduce swelling and increase the growth of flexible and healthy tissues around the surgery area.
The machine is attached to the area which has had surgery and would move the muscles of that area in various motions.
It is suggested that the person should use the machine for about 3 weeks after the surgery and for four hours per day, with breaks in between every 45 minutes.