Physical Activity Interventions After Hip or Knee Joint Replacement: a Systematic Review

Purpose of Review
This study is aimed at describing and evaluating physical activity interventions in individuals that have undergone hip or knee joint replacement due to osteoarthritis.

Recent Findings
A total of 11,873 studies were screened. Seven studies with 627 participants, aged 50 to 85 years, met the review criteria. There are five randomised control trial, one longitudinal quasi-experimental study with a control group, and one pre-/post-test study with control group. Interventions included health coaching, a walking programme, a behavioural change intervention, and an alpine skiing intervention delivered between 6 and 24 weeks. Two studies reported change in physical activity using patient activity diaries and five used objective accelerometer data. All studies showed an increase in time spent being physically active in the intervention groups. One study also reported an increase in vitality.

Summary
Few studies have investigated physical activity interventions after hip or knee joint replacement, and evidence for the effectiveness of physical activity interventions post-replacement is low. High-quality studies are needed in this area to explore the potential benefits presented within this review.