Recovery After Primary Knee Surgery Rehabilitation: Patients' Perspectives on Physical Activity and Quality of Life

Recovery after primary knee surgery is a complex process that may affect physical activity, confidence, and quality of life. Understanding patients' experiences after rehabilitation is important for person-centred follow-up and post-discharge care.

To explore how patients perceived recovery, motivation to engage in physical activity, and quality of life after a rehabilitation programme following primary knee surgery.

Between April and September 2024, adults who had completed a rehabilitation program following primary knee surgery were interviewed six months after completing the intervention. Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and returned to participants for checking. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis.

Of 12 patients screened for eligibility, 11 met the inclusion criteria, all 10 (consented) completed the interview and none refused participation or dropped out. Three interrelated categories were identified: changing dependency across the recovery trajectory, quality of life after the rehabilitation programme, and motivation for physical activity. Participants described recovery as shaped by both physical and psychological factors, including symptom burden, fear of re-injury, confidence, professional guidance, access to resources, and support for self-management.

Recovery after primary knee surgery was described not only as a functional process but also as one shaped by confidence, self-management, and motivation to engage in physical activity. Follow-up after knee surgery rehabilitation should address self-care, confidence, tailored guidance for physical activity, and access to supportive resources to improve long-term recovery and quality of life.