The Return of the Six Million Dollar Man and Bionic Woman

The Bionic Women was a popular TV series back in the late 70’s and early 80’s.  The basis of the series is the main character Jamie Sommer, a gifted tennis star, had a full recovery from her nearly fatal sky diving accident with the help of cyborg technology. Jaime Sommers, the first female cyborg and is assigned to spy missions as an occasional agent of the Office of Scientific Intelligence, while teaching school students in her regular life.1

So, we may not be in the era of cyborg replacement “yet”, but knee and hip replacements are very common in the U.S. Nearly 1.3 million knee replacements and roughly 760,000 hip replacements are performed annually. With the baby boomers and our overall population aging these numbers are expected to increase in the coming years. 2

Finding and having a good surgeon and surgery is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to these replacements. It is great that the joint surfaces are no longer painful, but is the limb functional? Can you walk without pain and can you play with your kids and grandkids? Are you able to take those long-awaited walks with your spouse or go out ice fishing?

Warroad Physical Therapy plays a crucial roll in that “functional back to life” process. Optimized knee motion, strength, pain reduction and the ability to return to normal life. Studies showing that supervised physical therapy sessions post-surgery led to better functional outcomes compared to minimal therapy and that every case should be tailored to the individual.3

Now you may want more information on what are the key benefits of therapy?  I am more than happy to answer that for you!

Key benefits of physical therapy post-knee replacement based on research are as follows:

• Improved Range of Motion:

Getting full flexion and extension of the knee is very important for walking, sitting, and squatting down.  No one wants or needs a peg leg pot op.  You want to be able to do stairs without catching your toes on the stairs. 4

• Muscle Strengthening:

Targeted exercises help strengthen the muscles surrounding both the knees and hips.  Core stability increases distal (your extremities) mobility. We want and need the strength to get up off the ground.  This seems non important but living in an area where we see temps of -30 below, being able to get up after a fall can be life or death. 

·       Pain Management:

By improving mobility and reducing inflammation, physical therapy can help alleviate post-surgical pain, often allowing for decreased reliance on pain medication. Which for some can be big as their digestive tracks do not get along with pain medication. 5

• Functional Improvement (the getting back to your life thing):

Personalized exercise programs to address specific functional needs. Getting in and out of chairs, walking on uneven surfaces, and going up stairs with ease. Crouching down to pick your grand kids and going for a snowmobile ride to name a few. 6

• Faster Recovery:

Early initiation of physical therapy post-surgery is associated with shorter hospital stays and a quicker return to normal activities. When we say early initiation we are talking about a day or two after surgery. 7

• Reduced Complications:

Proper physical therapy can help prevent complications like blood clots, stiffness, and delayed healing by promoting blood circulation and movement. We also are another set of eyes on your surgical incision to make sure it is healing appropriately without infection.

You may not be going on a top-secret mission for the Office of Top Secret Intelligence, but your mission is far more important.  Your mission is to live your best life with your loved ones and be able to enjoy all life has to offer.  Warroad Physical Therapy is here to help you be part of your return to life with all your bionic upgrades. 

Reference:

1.      The bionic woman (2024a) Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bionic_Woman (Accessed: 27 January 2025).

2.     Lum, Z. (2024) Joint replacement: Is hip or knee replacement surgery right for you?, health. Available at: https://health.ucdavis.edu/blog/cultivating-health/joint-replacement-is-hip-or-knee-replacement-surgery-right-for-you/2024/10#:~:text=Hip%20and%20knee%20replacements%20are,knee%20and%20hip%20replacement%20surgery (Accessed: 27 January 2025).

3.     Lenguerrand, E. et al. (2020) Effect of group-based outpatient physical therapy on function after total knee replacement: Results from a multicenter randomized controlled trial, Arthritis care & research. Available at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7317425/#:~:text=This%20trial%20found%20that%20supplementing,than%20long%E2%80%90term%20functional%20improvement (Accessed: 27 January 2025).

4.     Thwin, L. et al. (2024) Total Knee Arthroplasty: Does ultra-early physical therapy improve functional outcomes and reduce length of stay? A retrospective cohort study - Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and research, BioMed Central. Available at: https://josr-online.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13018-024-04776-y#:~:text=The%20Enhanced%20Recovery%20After%20Surgery%20(ERAS)%20Society%20recommends%20that%20TKA,varies%20from%20study%20to%20study (Accessed: 27 January 2025).

5.     The importance of physical therapy after knee replacement (no date) Dr Amir Jamali. Available at: https://www.jointpreservationinstitute.com/blog/the-importance-of-physical-therapy-after-knee-replacement-27701.html#:~:text=Physical%20therapy%20can%20help%20patients,any%20surgical%20discomfort%20and%20anxiety (Accessed: 27 January 2025).

6.     Christensen, J.C. et al. (2020) Benefits of direct patient discharge to outpatient physical therapy after total Knee Arthroplasty, Disability and rehabilitation. Available at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6612479/#:~:text=Conclusion,relative%20to%20the%20home%20environment (Accessed: 27 January 2025).

7.     Christensen, J.C. et al. (2020a) Benefits of direct patient discharge to outpatient physical therapy after total Knee Arthroplasty, Disability and rehabilitation. Available at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6612479/#:~:text=Conclusion,relative%20to%20the%20home%20environment (Accessed: 27 January 2025).