Activity Recommendations After Total Hip and Total Knee Arthroplasty

A formal unsupervised activity program should be recommended to all patients recovering from total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and total hip arthroplasty (THA).

In a subset of all patients undergoing TKA or THA, studies have found that an unsupervised activity program may be as efficacious as supervised physical therapy (PT) after surgery. Certain patients with inadequate independent function may continue to benefit from supervised PT.

For TKA, supervised telerehabilitation has also been proven to be an effective modality, with studies suggesting equivalent efficacy compared with supervised in-person PT.

Following TKA, there is no benefit to the use of continuous passive motion or cryotherapy devices, but there are promising benefits from the use of pedaling exercises, weight training, and balance and/or sensorimotor training as adjuncts to a multidisciplinary program after TKA.

No standardized postoperative limitations exist following TKA, and the return to preoperative activities should be dictated by an individual's competency and should consist of methods to minimize high impact stress on the joint.

Despite traditional postoperative protocols recommending range-of-motion restrictions after THA, it is reasonable to recommend that hip precautions may not be needed routinely following elective primary THA.