We struggle to tell patients what sports are okay after replacement of the hip or knee. Data is lacking and some is conflicting, so you’ll get different takes from different surgeons. The authors of a recent article are to commended for helping us understand this topic.
In the Journal of Arthroplasty Feb 2026 issue, Dr Cardillo and his co-authors from NYU conclude: “At a mean 5-year follow up, healthier and younger patients who participated in intermediate and high-impact physical activities had non-inferior revision rates as than patients who were less active. These findings offer guidance for clinicians when advising patients on the safe resumption of sports activities following total joint arthroplasty.”
Intermediate sports included activities like skiing and snowboarding. High impact sports included activities like running, jogging, basketball, soccer, and singles tennis.
What does this mean for our patients? Stay healthy. Stay active. Keep your weight down. The study suggests that if you do this, even high impact activities like running may not lead to higher rates of failure of your hip or knee replacement. Note that it does NOT mean that you will ENJOY the high impact activity! And, I don’t recommend picking up snow sports if you have never done so, above the age of about 35. This research though is good news for patients and helps our understanding of how to guide patient activity safely.