If you’re in your first 24 hours after a total knee replacement, these are the TOP 3 things you can do to set yourself up for a smoother recovery. . This video shows a patient on his very first day of outpatient PT. His swelling looks great, his incision looks clean, and we start by gently propping his leg up in full extension — one of the most important early steps. . 1️⃣ Keep the knee as straight as possible when resting. Right after surgery, your knee wants to bend. But full extension is the