- FRIDAY, Oct. 3 (HealthDay News) — Despite the desire to return
to athletic activity after hip or knee replacement, patients tend to
reduce their activity following their surgery, researchers say.

In a study published in the October issue of The Journal of Bone
& Joint Surgery, researchers reviewed the latest data on athletic
activity after joint replacement.

Hip and knee replacement surgeries are very successful in relieving
pain and improving function in people with arthritic joints. Pain relief
has traditionally been the primary reason people consider joint
replacement, but with the aging of the baby boomer generation, many people
are also looking to improve their joint function.

“Baby boomers have lower tolerance for discomfort and disability if
they are involved in athletics,” Dr. William L. Healy, an orthopedic
surgeon at Lahey Clinic in Burlington, Mass., said in an American Academy
of Orthopaedic Surgeons news release. “After joint replacement, they often
want to be able to keep up the same level of sporting activity that they
enjoyed in the past.”

But there is evidence that participating in strenuous athletic activity
after joint replacement can cause stress and wear on the new joints,
leading to inflammation, fluid build up, pain, and the wearing out of the
artificial joint.

Since past research on sports and total joint replacement is lacking,
it is still not clear how much activity should be recommended following
hip or knee replacement.

“We need to keep in mind that surgeons and patients often assess the
success of joint replacement differently,” said Healy. “Surgeons look at
pain, function, and survivorship, and whether the patient needed
revision, while patients consider their pain and activity. If the joint
allows them to play their favorite sport without pain, they may not be
concerned about needing an additional surgery in the future.”

People who have had a knee or hip replacement and want to play sports
should train for the sport, build their back, hip, and knee strength, and
keep in mind the potential risks of activity after the joint
replacement.

More information

The U.S. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin
Diseases has more about joint replacement.