Hi Susan, here goes! Inner quads: (1 of 11 excercises I was given while in hospital) Lie flat on back with head on pillow. Place a thick rolled towel under your knee & turn the leg slightly outwards. Push your knee down into the towel and then lift your heel off the bed as much as you can. Hold for 10 secs, repeat 10 times, working up to 20 times. Once there, add a 1kg weight to the ankle. (Got mine in BigW - 2 pack, ankle &/or wrist) You can progress to doing this sitting up either in bed or on floor. Inner thigh lift: I was given this excercise at 8 weeks. Lie on your side (same side as op) bend your good leg and move it to rest in front of you for balance, keeping the tkr leg straight. Slowly lift the tkr leg off the floor / bed, hold for 10 secs. Do 10 lifts. Try it with both legs if they need it. It's these muscles which take the weight off your knee once they're working as they should. Hamstring curls: Lie flat on stomach, bend tkr leg up as far as you can go. Progress to using ankle weight. For the calf - Standing rises: Stand in front of wall, using only finger-tips for balance, and rise up to tip-toes, Do this 25 times, then try it with your knees bent 25 times, then back to straight leg. Don't push yourself too far, Susan, work up to it all gradually.
I was also given some warm-ups which also help the back & hips: Knee circles: Lie flat on back, lift tkr leg with both hands clasped behind thigh close to knee (knee bent). Move the leg from side to side making a circle. Knee wobble: Still flat on back, arms outstretched, bend both knees, and keeping them fairly close together, move them as far as you can from side to side. Keep your shoulders on the floor so you're working the back & hips. Do both these excercises 10 times. Another one which you can try (or not, if you don't fancy it) is still on back, arms at your side, bend both legs with feet flat on floor, and then lift your hips off floor and hold for 10 secs. Repeat 10 times.
This is turning into War & Peace, but I was at hydrotherapy this morning, and remembered you mentioned starting swimming in a few weeks. If you have a heated pool nearby, there are great excercises you can do without much equipment. Stand at the side of the pool, holding on, and swing tkr leg back & forth, keeping it straight, 20 times. Then try doing soccer kicks, really putting some energy into it. If you have a noodle, (& this takes some practise as well as sniggers) sit astride the noodle with each end sticking up evenly out of the water, and in water up to your armpits or more, start pedalling as if you're on a bicycle. You can try going forwards & backwards across the width of the pool, but don't be surprised if your legs are going like pistons, while you're staying in the same place. I know a lot of people who just gave up, but it's worth sticking with, because the results are great! Walk forwards and backwards across width of pool, in shallow end, do your squats, maybe with noodle held horizontally in front of you for balance, 15 times.
Hope this all makes sense, and that some of them are of help.
Take care, best of luck, and remember lots of fluids, especially at the pool!
Denise from Oz