Do activity levels increase after total hip and knee arthroplasty?

Abstract

Background: People with osteoarthritis (OA) often are physically inactive. Surgical treatment including total hip arthroplasty or total knee arthroplasty can substantially improve pain, physical function, and quality of life. However, their impact on physical activity levels is less clear. Questions/purposes: We used accelerometers to measure levels of physical activity pre- and (6 months) postarthroplasty and to examine the proportion of people meeting the American Physical Activity Guidelines. Methods: Sixty-three people with hip or knee OA awaiting arthroplasty were recruited from a major metropolitan hospital. Physical activity was measured using accelerometry before, and 6 months after,..