Joint Replacement

The June 2009 edition of Sports Injury Bulletin had a great article by Adam Cohen and Fares Haddad on replacement joints. They were very interested in looking at how these joints coped with returning to sport and activities.

They reported on a survey in 1999 by Healy et al, repeated in 2005, that lookesd at the views of senior surgeons from The American Hip Society. In the 6 year period the number of not recommended activities had reduced from 12 to 4, whilst the number of 'allowed' and 'allowed with experience' increased from 13 to 22.

A similar survey from The American Knee Society in the same years found a reduction in not recommended activities from 12 to 5, whilst the number of 'allowed' and 'allowed with experience' increased from 18 to 19.

Activities alowed after hip arthroplasty by The American Hip Society

1999

Stationary cycling
Ballroom dancing
Golf
Shuffleboard
Swimming
Doubles tennis
Normal walking

2005

Stationary cycling
Ballroom dancing
Golf
Shuffleboard
Swimming
Normal walking
Bowling
Canoeing
Road cycling
Square dancing
Hiking
Speed walking

Activities 'allowed with experience'

1999

Bowling
Canoeing
Road cycling
Hiking
Horseback riding
Cross-country skiing

2005

Horseback riding
Cross-country skiing
Rowing
Ice skating
Roller skating
Downhill skiing
Stationary skiing
Doubles tennis
Weight lifting
Weight machine

Not recommended

1999

Baseball
Basketball
American football
Gymnastics
Handball
Hockey
Jogging
Rock climbing
Soccer
Squash/racquetball
Singles tennis
Volleyball

2005

Basketball
American Football
Jogging
Soccer

Full information can be found in Athletic Activity After Total Joint Arthroplasty. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2008: 90:2245-2252

Activities not recommended by The American Knee Society in 2005

Basketball
American Football
Jogging
Soccer
Volleyball