Hi Simon

First up it is completely normal to feel stressed about your knee. Let's face it you've either shelled out some biggish dollars to have it done privately or waited for ages to get it done publically. Are you seeing a physio at the moment?

You have to remember that it takes pro athletes at least 5-6 months to get back to sport, and then they are usually not at their best for another 6 months.

For the average person who can't devote their lives to the exciting world of knee rehab it takes 8-12 months to get back on the field.

The good news is unless you have done something to cause a specific injury like playing sport, going for a run, kicking a ball, falling down stairs etc your knee should be fine.

I agree with Marj that if it feels blocked - as in you get to your maximum bend and it feels really solid and just won't go any further you may want to chat to your surgeon or physio. Otherwise do what Marj suggested with the little and often bending stretches.

Is your knee swollen?

Does it have an effusion (swelling which is contained by your knee capsule much like a water balloon)?

Ask your physio to do a swipe test. Or your can have a crack at it yourself. I can't post a link but if you put "knee swipe test" into youtube there are videos you can watch. You basically push the fluid to one side of the knee then swipe it back and look for a bluging out of the skin.

The symptoms you describe of something sliding around your knee sounds like it is just fluid sliding around the joint which is normal after surgery.

If it is swollen ice it more regularly - you can do it for 10-20 minutes 4 times a day, and try not to do anything that may aggravate the knee like walking up and down stairs.

At the end of the day as a physio I'm happy if the knee goes fully straight at the stage of rehab you are in. The bending almost always comes, and 120 degrees of bending is ok for one month.

Sorry for the long post. Let us know how you get on.