Tips for Everyday Life and Sports With an Artificial Joint: Expert guidebook for dealing with a prosthesis for patients with a new hip or knee joint

1 Preface

When am I allowed to drive an automobile again?

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My neighbor says that after replacement surgery one may not swim or ride a bike for three months. Is that so?

Do I have to buy a special scar cream?

Such issues and numerous other inquiries concern the patients who follow an inpatient and outpatient therapy after undergoing a prosthesis implantation (especially of an artificial hip- or knee joint). The rehabilitation measures, be it at a specialized rehabilitation clinic, an outpatient center or therapists in their practices, are not limited only to the therapeutic applications, which one experiences as a patient. It is essential instead to clarify the unanswered questions about how to deal with the new artificial joint; to adapt the everyday life thereupon; and perhaps even to initiate far-reaching changes regarding the profession, housework, gardening, hobby, leisure time, and sports. Knowing the right handling of your prosthesis, you can contribute significantly to the overall results and improve the quality of your life.

From a decade-long experience and after treating thousands of patients, I can offer you assistance and practical tips for your most common questions. These will facilitate your transition to a happy, uncomplicated life with your new joint.

In Germany for example, more than 50% of those over 50 years old have arthrosis in at least one joint. With about 440,000 hip and knee joint implants per year, Germany is in a leading position among the countries with the most artificial joint operations related to the population size.

This book is a practical guide and does not replace the consultation with your doctor or your therapist. Ask your treating doctor about the allowed loading and range of movements of your operated joint.

2 About the Author

Dr. med. Michael A. Mittler is a doctor and a health economist. Following his human medicine studies in Germany and several internships at home and abroad, he received the title Dr. med. (doctor medicinae, MD). He completed his residency in the specialty of Orthopedic and Trauma Surgery. He graduated from training programs with a particular focus on the care of the patients with prostheses. He trained further as a health economist by the means of a distance learning course. He obtained an extensive knowledge about the medical, social and occupational rehabilitation for orthopedic and trauma pathologies in the course of his appointments as a senior consultant and two times as a chief surgeon (currently at the Kaiser-Karl-Klinik Bonn/Germany).

For Dr. Mittler, the emphasis on the