Positive experience of sports activity after large joint replacement

Aim: the paper aims to identify medical, social and psychological reasons for playing tennis after total hip and knee replacements. Materials and methods. Semi-structured interviews were carried out during tennis tournaments in Saratov in 2018-2019 by the experts of Scientific Research Institute of Traumatology, Orthopedics and Neurosurgery (Saratov State Medical University) to evaluate tennis performance in persons after total hip and knee replacements. The results obtained were analyzed together with the data of examination protocols. Results: the clinical and radiological data of long-term observations and the findings obtained during tennis tournaments indicate the absence of negative consequences from regular tennis training sessions in amateur athletes after total hip and knee replacements. The main social factors were defined as the social role and practical activity. The first factor describes sports activity after joint replacement as the correlation between physical limitations and personal traits. The second factor includes common motivation for sports and work activities. Conclusion: tennis tournaments among persons after total joint replacement can be considered as an example of self-management and goal-oriented activity that is similar to their daily routine before the surgery; persons accustomed to competitive activities overcome potential health risks. The study proposes a new medical and social technology based on the interaction of experts who take responsibility for monitoring sports performance in persons after joint replacement.