Which walker-related guideline is supported for safety after knee surgery?

• A. The patient should push up on the bed, not the walker.
• B. The patient should push up on the walker to rise.
• C. The patient should stand without using support.
• D. The patient should sit back down if dizzy.

Answer: (A)

In this situation, the important idea is controlling the transfer to standing with knee surgery. Pushing up on a stable surface like the bed provides a solid, non-moving anchor, helping you rise safely while keeping the walker in place to support you as you stand and begin to step. If you push up on the walker itself, the device can shift or tip, especially as you’re regaining strength, which raises the risk of losing balance and falling. Standing to rise without any support isn’t safe early in recovery, and while feeling dizzy should be addressed by sitting down, the safer guideline specifically emphasizes using the bed to push up rather than relying on the walker to rise.