Science from our Sisters

Nevertheless, by postoperative week 26, muscle strength had increased by 32% over baseline in the total hip arthroplasty and total knee arthroplasty patients who exercised versus 8% in the control group.

Only 12% of the patients invited actually participated in the study, and dropout rates were relatively high. This could reflect the fact that the exercise program was offered at only one site and was probably not convenient for many people. This demonstrates that “convenience and accessibility are very important considerations when designing an exercise intervention program,” notes Dr. Rooks.

Norra MacReady is a medical journalist based in southern California.

Exercise can improve the outcomes in hip and knee replacement surgery

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A 65-year-old woman was referred by an orthopedist to a rheumatologist for left knee pain. Previously, in 2014, she underwent left total knee arthroplasty (TKA) for severe osteoarthritis in a different institution. Following the procedure, she experienced severe chronic anterolateral knee pain at rest, exacerbated by walking. Because she was rendered wheelchair bound and required…

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