Weight-bearing Recommendation After Replacement of the Hip or Knee Joint

A Randomized Trial of Weight-bearing Recommendations After Total Hip or Total Knee Arthroplasty

Despite the widespread use of total hip and knee arthroplasty, there is a notable lack of consensus regarding postoperative treatment, mostly because of the lack of well-designed studies testing the efficacy and effectiveness of such practices. In particular, there are no evidence-based recommendations on the amount of weight that the patient should be advised to bear on the operated leg after the operation.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patient who is about to receive unilateral hip or knee replacement surgery on an elective basis for diagnosis of osteoarthritis or femoral head necrosis

Exclusion Criteria:

• A history of septic arthritis,
• Hip fracture,
• Intraoperative complications,
• History of implant surgery on the joint to be operated on,
• Rheumatoid arthritis,
• Amputations,
• Inability to complete the questionnaires because of cognitive or language difficulties.