After joint replacement many people feel they have been given a new
lease of life. Many want to go back to the sporting activities they
followed before their joint became painful. This may be a risk and a
recent study in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery has shown that patients usually do not go back to their previous levels.
Pain
relief has always been the primary purpose of replacing a joint but
recent generations have concentrated more on what they can do with
their joint as well.
Orthopaedic surgeons are not clear about the
level of activity which is safe for major joint replacement, citing
wear, loosening and formation of wear debris. Wear is related to the
amount the joint is used and not just to how long it has been in situ.
Surgeons
look at this from the perspective of the health of the joint and
surrounding tissues while patients may look at the increased activity
they can perform for a certain length of time. The joint may need to be
replaced again at some point but perhaps they have had the use they
wanted from it.
Research needs to continue into the wisdom of
sporting activities with joint replacement. I know of one man who has
done 5000 miles cycling since his new hip and shows no adverse features
so there may be more leeway to resume normal activity than is currently
realised.