Rehabilitation Time

QUESTION: How long will it be before I can return to golfing after a total knee replacement?

ANSWER: The majority of orthopedic surgeons who perform total knee replacements believe that golfing may be resumed safely after this procedure. The patients desiring to resume their golf game notice after a while no significant difference in their golf handicap following the operation. It is my feeling, and that of most of the surgeons who perform this procedure, that golf can be resumed 3 to 4 months after the surgery, and it should be at a time when the individual is not using any assistive devices, such as a crutch or cane. Prior to resuming the game, the individual can begin chipping and putting, then slowly progress to a full swing. A large number of surgeons who were surveyed recommended that the patient use a cart.

WRITTEN BY: George D. Henning, M. D.