Due to the high success of arthroplasty, patients suffering from osteoarthritis have higher expectations regarding the relief of pain, functional recovery and capacity to perform physical and sports activity. The purpose of our article is to present a literature review based on papers published during the last decades, with emphasis on the current recommendations regarding sports after total joint replacement. We conducted a search using PubMed/Medline databases, selecting the scientific articles published between 2005-2020 which discuss the association between physical activity and total hip or knee arthroplasty. The benefits of physical activity in all kinds of joint prostheses outweigh the negative effects; therefore, the recommendation for low-impact sports (hiking, swimming, cycling or golf) at a moderate intensity is considered valid and patients with total hip or knee arthroplasty who preoperatively had a high level of physical activity can return to low-impact sports performed at moderate intensity after 3-6 months.

The efficacy of knee arthroscopy in the treatment of osteoarthritis has been questioned during the last years by many studies, which demonstrated its lack of effect. The aim of our review was to summarize recent data published in the scientific literature upon the conversion rate from arthroscopy to total arthroplasty in patients with knee osteoarthritis. We conducted a search of scientific articles discussing the association between arthroscopy and total knee arthroplasty in patients with osteoarthritis, using PubMed/Medline databases. The following parameters were evaluated: age and gender distribution of the patients, indications for arthroscopy, conversion to arthroplasty, time interval between the two procedures. We concluded that the current literature underlines the poor efficacy of arthroscopy for degenerative meniscus and cartilaginous pathology. The high rate of progression to knee arthroplasty, especially among older patients with comorbidities should determine specialists to evaluate the risks and benefits associated with arthroscopic surgery in these cases.