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Updated: Mar 10, 2026
09:01
Treatment of Ankle Osteoarthritis with Total Ankle Replacement Through a Lateral Transfibular Approach
Published on: January 24, 2018
12.5K
[Total Joint Replacement and Return to Sports].
Summary
Physically active patients can often resume sports after joint arthroplasty, with new data suggesting higher activity levels are possible than previously recommended. Future research will clarify optimal sports and prosthesis types for a positive benefit-risk ratio.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Sports Medicine
- Biomaterials Engineering
Background:
- Growing number of physically active patients undergoing joint arthroplasty.
- Patients seek to return to preoperative sports activity levels post-surgery.
- Need to understand the impact of physical activity on joint prostheses.
Purpose of the Study:
- Review recent data on physical activity after hip, knee, and shoulder arthroplasty.
- Assess the impact of physical activity on endoprostheses.
- Determine achievable sports levels and recommended activities post-arthroplasty.
Main Methods:
- PubMed-based literature review.
- Narrative review of data from 2010-2016.
- Focus on hip, knee, and shoulder arthroplasty outcomes.
Main Results:
- Low-impact sports (hiking, swimming, cycling) at moderate intensity are generally recommended.
- Most patients return to sports 3-6 months post-hip/knee arthroplasty, often with lower intensity.
- New data suggests higher physical performance may be achievable; unicondylar knee prostheses show better results than bicondylar; shoulder prostheses vary by type (inverted > anatomic > hemi).
Conclusions:
- Significant discrepancy exists between traditional recommendations and actual post-arthroplasty activity levels.
- Further research needed to define optimal sports, activity levels, and prosthesis types for a positive benefit-risk ratio.
- State-of-the-art bearing surfaces and designs are crucial for maximizing benefits.
