Summary: According to a study recently published by The Journal of the American Medical Association, the number of total knee replacement surgeries have increased by 165% over the last 20 years and could reach nearly 3.5 million total knee replacement procedures a year by 2030. To discuss the impact of knee replacement surgeries on physical therapy, Joseph Zeni, PT, PhD, Assistant Professor at the University of Delware recently joined PT Talker. The reason behind the growth is the aging population and people wanting to stay active longer. Zeni has been involved in a number of studies that examine outcomes after knee replacement. One study found individuals with total knee replacement had weight gain following knee replacement. Another study looked closely at outcomes after knee replacement and found that despite knee replacement, many individuals continued to be sedentary. He sees a greater need for educating patients following their operation and believes physical therapists can play a bigger role in this area. Take a moment to listen to the full podcast now and to find some of the studies discussed in the podcast, click here.
