Staying Active After Total Joint Replacement

Jonathan Hersch, M.D. { Orthopaedic Associates USA }

Millions of Americans suffer from degenerative joint diseases affecting the hip and knee, such as arthritis. Some causes of degenerative joint disease include osteoarthritis, rheumatoid and inflammatory conditions, developmental or congenital disorders and post-traumatic conditions. People who suffer from these conditions may experience loss of work time, disability and impairment often related to arthritic conditions of the hip and knee.

For people with degenerative joint disease who do not improve with non-surgical treatment, joint replacement may be an option. Joint replacement of the hip and knee is one of the most successful procedures performed in orthopaedic surgery today. Approximately 700,000 joint replacement procedures are performed each year in the United States.

Recovery after surgery, which involves intensive rehabilitation, typically takes between eight and twelve weeks. Normal activities can usually be resumed after three months and physical activities such as sports and other activities that do not involve high impact loading of the prosthetic joint (i.e. jogging) can begin after six months. These activities may also include golf, swimming, bowling and bicycling.

As patients' postoperative function improves, they can begin to take part in other activities such as doubles tennis, badminton, skating and skiing. High impact activities to be avoided include step aerobics, running or jogging, as well as most competitive sports such as basketball, baseball and hockey.

Routine follow-up is very important after joint replacement. It can make the difference between extensive revision surgery and occasional adjustments. Patients should see their orthopaedist yearly and have annual imaging studies done to evaluate the alignment, fixation and potential wear of their prosthesis. It's always better to spot potential complications early and intervene, rather than have a prosthetic joint fail entirely before seeking help.