Single, high setting. Heel at the top of the slope; no pillow behind the knee.
Leg elevation wedge
You can rest with a straight knee.
This wedge is one firm slope from thigh to heel. Nothing tucks behind the joint. Flip the attached board for 10.63 in or 7.87 in. A U-groove holds a heel, a cast, or a brace.
| Heights | 10.63 in or 7.87 in, by flipping the attached board |
|---|---|
| Length | 27.16 in (high) / 29.9 in (low) |
| Width | Single 12.99 in · Double 16.9 in |
| Foam | Soft top over a firm base |
| Cover | Polyester, zipper, machine wash |
| Hardware | U-groove, 3 handles, 2 hook-and-loop side strips, one-piece board |
| Fit | 5′2″–6′2″ (158–188 cm) |
| Single | ASIN B0G1M7BSX5 · UPC 850083698027 |
| Double | ASIN B0H253B1SN |
Why this shape
After ACL or TKA, you rest with a straight knee. A pillow behind the joint holds it bent.
The slope is one plane from thigh to heel. Your ankle sits higher than your knee. Nothing tucks behind the joint. A pillow under the knee holds it bent. This wedge does not.
You get two locked heights: 10.63 in (board forward, 27.16 in long) and 7.87 in (board backward, 29.9 in long). Two side hook-and-loop strips lock the board. Height is a comfort setting, not a swelling dose. Seo et al. (2020) compared 30 cm vs 10 cm after ankle ORIF: no difference in swelling; the higher position was less comfortable.
The U-groove holds your heel and leaves room for a cast or hinged brace. Raised sides keep the limb on the slope.
Three handles. A polyester zip cover you can machine wash. It ships vacuum-packed, so unbox it about 24 hours before you need it.
Stacked pillows sink, slide, and bunch behind the knee — the position those protocols forbid.
After TKA, ACL or meniscus work, or a foot-and-ankle procedure, the usual order is: elevate, and do not let the knee sit bent. A cast or brace still has to rest somewhere.
Lie on your back. Put the whole leg in the channel. Heel on the pad. Single (12.99 in) for one limb. Double (16.9 in) when both need the same height.
Bed pillows lose height overnight and have to be rebuilt. A firm base holds the height you set. You flip a board instead of restacking the bed.
What clinicians say
UCSF and Brown Health both say the same thing: do not put a pillow behind the knee.
After ACL reconstruction, UCSF tells you not to place a pillow behind the knee. Put support under the heel instead.
After TKA, Brown Health / University Orthopedics (2023) tells you not to sleep with a pillow under the knee. Place a rolled towel or pillow behind the calf.
Shelbourne and Nitz (1990) made full extension from day 1 a pillar of accelerated ACL rehab.
Le Guen et al. (2025) associated the pillow-under-knee habit with arthrogenic muscle inhibition after knee arthroplasty.
This wedge follows that rest position: one plane from thigh to heel, weight on calf and heel, no ridge under the knee.
Do not place a pillow behind the knee after ACL reconstruction. UCSF Orthopaedic Institute
Pre and Post-Operative Instructions: ACL Reconstruction. UCSF Orthopaedic Institute, 1500 Owens Street, San Francisco, CA 94158.
Excerpt from “On day of surgery → Leg elevation,” not the full packet.
It is normal to experience swelling in the knee and lower leg after surgery. To decrease this, keep your leg elevated above the level of your heart as much as possible. Avoid placing a pillow behind the back of your knee as this may cause stiffness and difficulty getting your knee to straighten. Place pillows or cushions under your heel instead. This is similar to the Knee Extension Bridging Exercise which is one of your post-operative exercises.
Exercise 4 — Knee Extension Bridging: roll a towel/pillow under the heel with nothing under the knee/thigh; hold 5–10 minutes.
UCSF Orthopaedic Institute. Pre and Post-Operative Instructions: ACL Reconstruction.
Verified 27 Aug 2026 from the original PDF.
Do not sleep with a pillow underneath the knee after TKA. University Orthopedics / Brown Health, 2023
Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) POST-OP REHABILITATION PROTOCOL. University Orthopedics, Inc., Adult Reconstruction Division.
Excerpt of Key Points, not the full 2-page protocol.
- DO NOT sleep with pillow underneath knee at any point after surgery
- DO NOT sleep in a recliner with your knees bent at any point after surgery
- When at rest, position knee into full extension (straight): you can place a rolled towel or pillow behind your calf to aid in achieving full extension
University Orthopedics, Inc., Adult Reconstruction Division. Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) POST-OP REHABILITATION PROTOCOL. 2023. Hosted by Brown Health.
Verified 27 Aug 2026 from the original PDF.
Full extension from day 1 is a pillar of accelerated ACL rehab. Shelbourne & Nitz, 1990
Shelbourne KD, Nitz P. Accelerated rehabilitation after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Am J Sports Med. 1990;18(3):292–299.
Verified 27 Aug 2026 from PubMed.
Pillow-under-knee rest is associated with arthrogenic muscle inhibition after knee arthroplasty. Le Guen et al., 2025
Le Guen A, Parratte S, Marot V, Pailhé R, Ben-Roummane H, Bérard É, Cavaignac É. Arthrogenic muscle inhibition: A prevalent issue in knee arthroplasty. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2025.
Verified 27 Aug 2026 from the journal page.
30 cm vs 10 cm after ankle ORIF: no swelling difference; high elevation was less comfortable. Seo et al., 2020
After ankle ORIF, Seo et al. compared 30 cm with 10 cm of leg elevation. There was no between-group difference in swelling. The higher position was less comfortable.
Seo DK, Kang HW, Ahn DS, Song JS. Effect of Leg Elevation Height on Reduced Swelling of Patients of Postoperative Acute Ankle Fractures. J Korean Foot Ankle Soc. 2020;24(1):31–36.
Verified 27 Aug 2026 from the journal page.
After surgery
What to skip after surgery
- Do not put a pillow behind the knee after ACL reconstruction or TKA. Support the heel or calf, not the joint.
- Do not sleep in a recliner with the knees bent after TKA (Brown Health / University Orthopedics).
- Height is a comfort setting, not a swelling dose. Seo 2020 found 30 cm vs 10 cm did not differ for swelling after ankle ORIF.
FAQ
Questions people ask
- How do I elevate my leg after knee surgery — and why not a pillow behind the knee?
- After ACL reconstruction and TKA, the prescribed rest position is a straight knee: support the calf and heel, no pillow behind the joint. This wedge is one plane from thigh to heel. Lie on your back. Whole leg in the U-groove. Heel on the pad. Why not a pillow behind the knee.
- What are the two heights?
- Two locked heights: 10.63 in (board forward, 27.16 in long) and 7.87 in (board backward, 29.9 in long). Height is a comfort setting, not a swelling dose. How to elevate the whole leg.
- Should I get Single or Double?
- Single is 12.99 in wide with one U-groove for one limb. Double is 16.9 in wide when both need the same height. Same two locked heights, same continuous slope.
- Can I buy this with FSA or HSA?
- Yes. Single and Double are FSA/HSA eligible.