Unfortunately, exercise does not prolong the need for knee replacement surgery. Regular exercise, however, does play a very important role in the management of arthritis. Because part of the arthritic process involves the formation of bone spurs and subsequent loss of motion, exercise is imperative to maintaining joint range of motion. Joint replacement surgery can reliably relieve pain, but it cannot reliably restore range of motion. The mantra is that the best determinant of post-operative range of motion is pre-operative range of motion.

Answered by Joseph George Jr., MD. Joseph George Jr., MD, is an orthopaedic surgeon, Lorain Orthopaedics, Cleveland Clinic Lorain Family Health and Surgery Center.