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  1. Home
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  4. Using care aids after orthopaedic surgery

Using care aids after orthopaedic surgery

Using care aids after orthopaedic surgery

After your orthopaedic knee or shoulder surgery you will need to use equipment such as crutches, braces or slings to support your muscles and tendons while they recover. Your physiotherapist or occupational therapist will provide you with the care aids you need.

Watch the videos below to see how to use these postoperative care aids to support your recovery and return to daily life after your surgery.

After knee surgery

Following knee surgery, you may need to use crutches to reduce pain while walking and wear a knee brace for support.

Wearing a hinged knee brace

See how to put on, adjust and remove a hinged knee brace.

Hopping with crutches

Watch how to move safely around your home using crutches without putting any weight on your operated leg.

After shoulder surgery

Following shoulder surgery you will need to wear a sling to support your arm and keep your shoulder still.

While you are in the theatre your surgeon will fit either a broad arm sling or an abduction sling and after your surgery you will wake up wearing with this.

While you are on the ward your therapist may also give you a collar and cuff (shower) sling which can get wet while showering.

Broad arm sling

See how to comfortably put on and take off your broad arm sling.

Abduction sling

An abduction sling reduces the strain on muscles and tendons fixed during your surgery by keeping your arm away from your body. Watch how to put on and take off your abduction sling. 

Collar and cuff (shower sling)

As this sling can get wet, it is also known as a shower sling and can be worn in the shower to support your arm.

Contact us

Our services are available 8am – 4pm, Monday to Friday.

For information on:

  • hinged knee braces or walking aids, including crutches, phone the Fremantle Hospital Physiotherapy Department on 9431 2533.
  • your upper limb, sling phone the Fremantle Hospital Occupational Therapy Department on 9431 2098.
Last Updated: 28/07/2023
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