healing Post-Surgical Recovery

Your recovery has milestones. Most patients don't know if they're hitting them.

SurgicalTrack maps where you should typically be — day by day, week by week — from incision through 90-day follow-up. See your milestones and run the self-assessment now; full daily tracking (pain logs, wound photos) is planned, not live yet — join the waitlist below.

query_stats See my recovery timeline

Where am I today?

Pick your procedure and surgery date. Nothing is saved or sent.

Day 0 to day 90Illustrative example: day 14
Not sure how it is going? Take the 2-minute check-in

SurgicalTrack in 15 seconds

Text version:
  1. Home from surgery. Is this normal? Most patients don't know if they're hitting their milestones.
  2. Pick your surgery and the date. See where you should be today. Nothing is saved or sent.
  3. What's normal, and what's not. Week by week, and when to call your surgeon or 911.
  4. Take the 2-minute check-in. 10 questions. Copy the result for your surgeon.
  5. SurgicalTrack. Recovery is 90 days, not just discharge day. surgicaltrack.com

The joint-care journey — you're on the tracking step

1
Assess
arthritisrisk.com
2
Learn
jointclass.com
3 You are here
Track
milestones here · exercises at jointcoach.com
4
Surgeon sees
your care team · surgeonvalue.com

Next, by what you need

Score your two-week check-in
KOOS JR for a knee, HOOS JR for a hip, scored on your phone and kept there.
jointcoach.com →
Heading to your follow-up visit?
Build a list of questions for your surgeon and rehearse the visit.
surgeryprocess.com →
Need help at home while you heal?
A 5-minute care assessment from co-op.care, a worker-owned care cooperative in Boulder.
co-op.care →
Procedure-specific progress

Recovery milestones,
by the week.

Select your procedure to see what's normal — and what's not — at every stage of recovery.

Recovery Benchmarks
Pain ControlWk 1–2
Range of Motion (0–90°)Wk 2–4
Unassisted WalkingWk 3–6
Stairs Without RailsWk 6–8
Return to DrivingWk 4–8
Low-Impact ActivitiesMo 3–6
Milestone Timeline
check
Wound Healing
Sutures or staples removed. Incision site shows healthy closure without signs of infection.
Completed · Week 2
check
Off Prescription Pain Meds
Transitioned to over-the-counter management. Pain 3/10 or below at rest.
Completed · Week 3
directions_walk
Walking 500 Steps Daily
Unassisted ambulation target. Walker or handrail assistance acceptable.
In Progress · 75% · Week 4
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Physiotherapy Level 2
Progressive weight-bearing and range-of-motion exercises begin.
Upcoming · Est. Week 6
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Return to Driving
Left-knee patients may drive sooner. Right-knee requires surgeon clearance.
Upcoming · Est. Week 6–8
Hip Replacement Milestones
Weight Bearing (as tolerated)Day 1–3
Discharge from HospitalDay 2–3
Walker to CaneWk 2–3
Return to Work (desk)Wk 4–6
Low-Impact ExerciseMo 3+

Hip precautions apply for 6–12 weeks. No bending past 90°, no crossing legs, no twisting. Your surgeon may have modified these based on approach (anterior vs. posterior).

Shoulder Surgery Milestones
Sling ImmobilizationWk 1–6
Passive Range of MotionWk 2–6
Active ROM without slingWk 6–12
Strengthening PhaseMo 3–6
Return to Sport/Heavy WorkMo 6–12

Shoulder recovery varies significantly by procedure — rotator cuff repairs require longer protection than replacements. Follow your surgeon's specific protocol.

Spine Surgery Milestones
Out of Bed (walking)Day 1
Off narcotic pain medsWk 2–4
Return to desk workWk 2–6
Formal physical therapyWk 4–8
Return to physical laborMo 3–6

Fusion procedures require bone healing (3–6 months). Your surgeon may use bracing, activity restrictions, and bone stimulators to optimize fusion rates.

Ankle Surgery Milestones
Non-weight bearing periodWk 1–6
Cast/Boot transitionWk 4–6
Full weight bearingWk 6–10
Return to normal shoesMo 3–4
Return to sport/impactMo 6–12
Put it on the calendar

The same milestones,
on real dates.

Pick your procedure and surgery date — we convert each recovery window above into actual calendar dates you can print and stick on the fridge.

Recovery Milestone Calendar
SurgicalTrack

Typical recovery windows — follow your surgeon's specific protocol.

Evidence-based recovery thresholds

Week-by-week: what's expected
and what flags a problem.

Based on published ERAS outcomes data and AAOS recovery guidelines. Applies broadly to knee, hip, and major joint surgery — your surgeon's specific instructions take priority. Educational information only.

Timepoint
Expected milestones
Red flags — call your surgeon
Day 1–3
Walking with PT before discharge (most joint replacements). Nerve block wearing off — pain managed 3–5/10 with oral medications. Swelling peaks. Low-grade fever (≤100.4°F) common and expected.
Fever >101.5°F. Shortness of breath or chest pain. Wound actively bleeding through dressings. Inability to bear any weight when cleared to do so.
Week 1–2
Pain trending down daily. Incision closing — wound check at surgeon's office around day 10–14. Staples or sutures removed. Short walks 3–5 times daily. Knee: beginning to flex past 90°. Hip: up from chair independently.
Pain increasing rather than decreasing. Wound edges separating or thick/colored drainage. New calf swelling or calf pain (DVT). Numbness or tingling in the foot that is worsening.
Week 3–6
Transitioning from walker to cane (hip typically ahead of knee). Outpatient PT 2–3x/week. Knee: ROM target 90–110°. Off narcotic pain medications by week 3–4. Short drives cleared for most patients by week 4–6 (surgeon-dependent).
ROM plateau or regression — range of motion not improving week over week. Late infection signs: new redness, warmth, wound re-opening. Functional decline after initial improvement (possible mechanical issue or early aseptic loosening).
Week 6–12
Most patients walking without assistive device. Knee: approaching 120° flexion. 6-week follow-up appointment. Return to light work. Swelling still present but decreasing. Normal discomfort and early complications can look similar in this window.
Fever with local joint heat at any point — may indicate periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). New mechanical clicking or instability. Wound drainage of any kind beyond week 4. Failure to progress in ROM despite consistent PT.
Month 3–6
Residual swelling is normal — joint replacement swelling can persist 3–6 months. Return to low-impact exercise (swimming, cycling, golf). Knee: most patients reach 90-day PROM milestone. Full functional recovery typically 3–6 months for hip, 6–12 months for shoulder and complex knee.
Persistent severe pain (>5/10) at rest without clear cause. New swelling after a period of resolution — can indicate stress fracture or implant issue. Night pain waking the patient — atypical after 3 months and warrants evaluation.

Sources: BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders (2020) — complications in THA/TKA to 6 months; ERAS protocols for total joint replacement (SICOT-J 2023); AAOS patient education materials. Complication rates cited are population-level averages and do not predict individual risk. Follow your surgeon's specific instructions. Educational information only.

What full tracking will cover

Every stage of the case,
from consult to 90-day follow-up.

Most practices track the OR. Full SurgicalTrack tracking is designed to follow the whole case, so nothing falls through the cracks between the surgical suite and the billing office. It is not live yet (waitlist below); today this page gives patients the milestones, red flags and check-in.

Stage 1
Initial Consult
Diagnosis, imaging review, conservative treatment history, insurance pre-auth status, surgical candidacy decision.
Stage 2
Pre-Op Clearance
Medical clearance, lab results, anesthesia type, implant selection, OR scheduling, prehab completion, patient education.
Stage 3
Day of Surgery
Procedure type, implant lot numbers, operative time, complications noted, post-anesthesia course, discharge disposition.
Stage 4
Acute Recovery
Days 1–14. Daily pain check-ins, wound photos, medication management, fall-risk alerts, PT attendance.
Stage 5
Rehabilitation
Weeks 2–12. Milestone tracking, PROM scoring (KOOS/HOOS/QuickDASH), activity progression, RTW clearance.
Stage 6
Outcome Reporting
90-day PROM scores, readmission and complication flags, bundled payment performance, registry submission, coding accuracy review.
See the full surgeon platform at SurgeonValue
When to call

Know when something's wrong
before it gets worse.

Three tiers of concern — calibrated so you don't panic over normal discomfort, but never miss a real emergency.

If you are in crisis or thinking of hurting yourself, call or text 988 first, any hour.

emergency
Call 911 or go to ER immediately
  • Sudden shortness of breath, chest pain, or racing heart
  • Calf pain with leg swelling (possible DVT/clot)
  • Bright red bleeding soaking through dressings
  • Fever over 101.5°F (38.6°C) in the first 3 days
  • Sudden numbness or weakness (spine surgery)
  • Signs of stroke (FAST — face drooping, arm weakness, speech)
warning
Call your surgeon's office today
  • Wound opening, increasing redness, or warmth around incision
  • Thick yellow or green drainage from the wound
  • Fever over 100.4°F (38°C) after day 3
  • Pain increasing rather than decreasing after week 1
  • Swelling that doesn't improve with elevation and ice
  • Numbness or tingling in the operated extremity
check_circle
Normal — you're on track
  • Bruising and swelling around the surgical site — peaks at 3–5 days
  • Clear or pale yellow drainage in the first 24–48 hours
  • Low-grade discomfort and stiffness, especially in the morning
  • Clicking or crunching sounds in replaced joints (normal settling)
  • Fatigue and poor sleep for the first 2–4 weeks
  • Minor emotional ups and downs — this is well-documented in surgical recovery
Outcome measurement

Your scores talk
to your surgeon.

Patient-Reported Outcome Measures are the standard language surgeons use to track recovery. Today this page explains them so you know what your surgeon means. For a knee or a hip you can score a KOOS JR or HOOS JR on your phone now at jointcoach.com/prom; the answers stay on your phone. Collecting them for your surgeon's office is part of the full tracking product (waitlist below).

KOOS
Knee Injury & OA Outcome Score
Measures pain, stiffness, function in daily life, sport, and quality of life after knee surgery. 42 questions across 5 domains.
Total Knee · ACL · Meniscus
HOOS
Hip Disability & OA Outcome Score
Hip-specific instrument covering 5 domains: pain, symptoms, activity, sport, and quality of life. Designed for younger, active patients.
Total Hip · Hip Resurfacing
DASH
Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder, Hand
30-item instrument assessing upper extremity symptoms and function. The QuickDASH (11 items) is used for routine follow-up.
Shoulder · Elbow · Hand · Wrist
VAS
Visual Analog Scale (Pain)
The gold standard for pain intensity. A 0–10 scale captures your real-time pain level and feeds directly into your recovery trend line.
All Procedures · Every Visit
ODI
Oswestry Disability Index
10-section questionnaire assessing how low back pain or leg pain affects daily function. Standard for all lumbar spine procedures.
Lumbar Spine · Disc Surgery
PROMIS
Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement IS
NCI-developed standard measures physical function, pain interference, fatigue, anxiety, and depression. Used across all procedure types.
All Procedures · Baseline + Follow-up
info
Who can bill for monitoring after surgery
Remote Therapeutic Monitoring (RTM) pays a clinician for reviewing monitored data between visits. During the global period after surgery (90 days for a joint replacement), it can be billed by someone who is not receiving the surgery payment, such as a physical therapist, but not by the surgeon who operated. Learn more about RTM →
Recovery benchmarks

What a normal score looks like
at 30, 60, and 90 days.

Registry-derived normative PROM values give you a frame of reference. Your surgeon's target may differ based on procedure specifics, baseline function, and age — always ask for your personal benchmark.

PROM
30 days
60 days
90 days
Score direction
KOOS-12
Knee function 0–100
42–52
58–68
65–76
Higher = better. Preop avg ≈ 32. MCID = 8 pts.
PROMIS PF
Physical function T-score
38–42
43–48
46–52
Higher = better. US mean = 50. MCID = 2–4 pts.
VAS Pain
0–10, 0 = no pain
3.5–5.0
2.5–3.5
1.5–2.5
Lower = better. Preop avg ≈ 7. MCID = 1.5 pts.

Sources: AAHKS Outcomes Database 2022; Bourne RB et al., Clin Orthop 2010; Collins NJ et al., Osteoarthritis Cartilage 2016.

How to use these ranges: Values are registry-derived population averages. A score in range does not guarantee recovery is on track — your surgeon interprets your individual trajectory. If your score is significantly below range, bring it to your next appointment. MCID = Minimal Clinically Important Difference.
Pain management

What pain looks like
through recovery.

Understanding the typical trajectory helps you distinguish expected discomfort from a warning sign.

Days 1–3
7–9
Acute post-op. Managed with prescribed narcotics and ice. Rest is protective.
Week 1–2
5–7
Inflammatory phase peaks. Pain on movement. Narcotic → OTC transition begins.
Week 3–6
3–5
Repair phase. Pain with activity, minimal at rest. PT progress accelerates.
Month 3+
1–3
Remodeling phase. Discomfort mostly with new activities. Sleep normalizes.
lightbulb
The 24-hour rule: If your pain is significantly worse than the previous day and not explained by a new activity, call your surgeon's office. Pain should trend downward over weeks, not upward.
Activity guidelines

When can I go back
to doing X?

General guidelines for total knee and total hip (your surgeon's specific instructions override these).

Wk 1–2
Short walks around the house · 5–10 minutes, 3–4x/day. Ice after each session.
Wk 2–3
Stairs · With railing, one at a time. "Good goes up, bad goes down."
Wk 3–6
Light household tasks · Cooking, laundry, short errands. Limit standing to 20-minute blocks.
Wk 4–8
Driving · Left knee patients may drive sooner. Right knee: simulator test or surgeon clearance.
Wk 6–8
Return to desk work · With frequent position changes. Standing desk recommended.
Mo 3–6
Swimming, cycling, walking · Low-impact aerobic activity. No running or jumping yet.
Mo 6–12
Light sport, hiking, golf · Surgeon clearance required. Joint replacement is not designed for high-impact repetitive loading.
Evidence-based scoring

How is your recovery
actually going?

10 questions based on standardized recovery indicators. Get a score and a recommendation in under 2 minutes.

Answer honestly based on how you feel today. Scores are not diagnoses — they're conversation starters with your care team.

1. How would you rate your resting pain right now (0 = no pain, 10 = worst possible)?

2. Compared to this time last week, your pain is:

3. How far can you walk before needing to stop?

4. How is your incision site?

5. How is your sleep?

6. How are you doing with your prescribed exercises?

7. Your swelling (compared to surgery day) is:

8. How do you feel emotionally?

9. Are you experiencing any of these warning signs?

10. Overall, you feel your recovery is:

After reading

Check what you know.

The check-in above asks how you are today. This asks what you know. Eight questions, each keyed to a line on this page; tap an answer and the page's own line appears, with where to re-read it. Scored on this device; nothing is sent.

It measures what this page explained, not how your recovery is going. For that, use the 2-minute check-in and your surgeon's instructions. In an emergency call 911; in crisis call or text 988 first.

    medical_information

    Want your surgeon to see your recovery data?

    SurgeonValue is the surgeon-side platform for following patients through the 90 days. Full daily tracking that feeds a surgeon's view is opening to the waitlist below; today, use the milestones and check-in on this page and bring the result to your visit.

    link About SurgeonValue
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    JointCoach — Rehab Tracking

    Ready to track your rehab exercises between visits?

    JointCoach uses your phone camera to count reps and estimate range of motion during your home exercises. Your progress page keeps every session so you can show it to your surgeon and PT. No one watches these numbers live, so if something feels wrong, call your care team.

    open_in_new Visit JointCoach
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    JointClass — Before Day One

    The 90 days go better when you understand them first.

    JointClass is evidence-based education for joint surgery — the recovery timeline week by week, the questions to ask your surgeon at each phase, and the prep checklist most patients wish they had before day one. No login, works on your phone.

    open_in_new Start the class
    Two ways to open SurgicalTrack

    On your phone,
    or through an assistant.

    smartphone

    Patient App

    Today: the where-am-I-today tool, milestone calendar, red-flag guide and the 2-minute check-in, in any browser with no download. Daily check-ins and wound photos are waitlist-stage; nothing here connects to your surgeon's office. A KOOS JR or HOOS JR can be scored on your phone at jointcoach.com/prom.

    play_arrow Start Recovery Check
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    Through an AI assistant

    An assistant can open this page already set to your procedure and day count, so you do not retype anything. The link carries a procedure and a number of days, never a date. It stays in your browser; nothing is sent to us.

    surgicaltrack.com/#procedure=knee&day=14
    link Try day 14 after a knee replacement
    Surgical Track

    Get on the list for full 90-day tracking.

    Daily pain check-ins and wound photos for patients and the orthopedic teams caring for them. It is not live yet; leave your email and we will tell you when it opens.

    No spam.