If you've had an injury or degenerative condition that affects your knee, joint replacement is often an option when you can no longer perform daily activities without pain. A total knee replacement is the removal of the diseased knee joint, replacing it with a knee implant that helps you move without pain. Depending upon your overall health and individual rehabilitation success, you may be able to return to activities you love -- such as doubles tennis -- following knee replacement surgery.
Considerations
Most knee replacements aren't designed for high-impact sports or those that cause twisting of the knee joint, including skiing, basketball and racquetball. However, you may be able to play doubles tennis following knee replacement or even double knee replacement, according to the Southern California Orthopedic Institute. Doubles tennis requires less movement around the court.
Time Frame
You may be able to perform activities such as walking almost immediately following surgery, but a full return to activities and endurance in your joint can take from six to 12 months. Your doctor will recommend you restrict activities to walking until about six to eight weeks following surgery and your sutures are removed. You should not play tennis during this time; the constant stopping and starting can place too much strain on your knees, causing damage and instability to the healing area. If your physician clears you to return to tennis, this may take from a few months to a year. This is because you must develop the muscles around the knee joint before you can begin to place more demands on it.
Research
A study in the March 2002 edition of the American Journal of Sports Medicine researched the success of total knee replacement patients playing tennis following knee replacement surgery. The group, led by physician Dr. Michael Mont, studied 28 men and five women with knee replacements -- some of whom had more than one knee replacement -- with an average age of 64. All participants were able to play singles and doubles tennis, typically about six months following surgery. Participants reported their joint replacement helped them play faster and with less pain than prior to surgery. The researchers noted that the study did not measure the long-term effects of tennis on knee replacement.
Considerations
Talk to your physician about modifications that may be necessary for you to play tennis successfully following knee replacement. You may need to wear a knee brace or bandage for added support. Perform stretching and physical therapy exercises before exercise; this can help loosen the muscles around your new knee joint. Be aware of symptoms that you're pushing your new knee too far, such as pain and instability.
References
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: Activities After a Knee Replacement
- Southern California Orthopedic Institute: Total Knee Replacement
- eOrthopod: Tennis and Knee Replacement: A Love Match?
- American Journal of Sports Medicine: Tennis After Total Knee Arthroplasty; Dr. Michael A. Mont, et al; March 2002
