Dr. O’Halloran describes the history and evolution of joint replacement trends over time. He presents facts and figures about joint replacement today and outlines what therapists need to know when evaluating a joint replacement patient.

The baby boomers are an aging generation with a rising need for joint replacement procedures. Dr. O’Halloran discusses the increasing demands of this generation as people live longer and desire to continue their activities long into their lives.

Arthritis affects more than 70 million people in the US every year. In this chapter, Dr. O’Halloran examines the factors that contribute to arthritis, how it affects the joint, and measures taken to relieve symptoms.

In this chapter, Dr. O’Halloran outlines different outcomes assessments for postoperative evaluation. Through the use of multiple patient videos, he shows various techniques and exercises for improving patient outcomes.

Early and effective postoperative exercises are crucial for proper joint rehabilitation, particularly in older patients. Dr. O’Halloran shows and discusses various passive stretching and core exercises to aid in early rehab.

There are four main muscle restrictors to human arm elevation, and those muscles must be released very early on (while the patient is still in a sling) to achieve proper range of motion following shoulder arthroplasty. The majority of shoulder arthroplasty patients have weak or nonfunctioning rotator cuffs. This chapter will equip the clinician with new manual therapy shoulder and scapular releases as well as upper extremity corrective exercises.

Today’s health care system has a goal to increase the number of total joint arthroplasties to be performed as outpatient procedures and discourage traditional therapy following the surgery. Clinicians, therefore, must know what’s “inside the box” before they think outside the box and understand the proper motor control sequence required to establish a faster, more normal gait as soon as possible. By using strategies taught in this chapter, the clinician will be able to expedite the rehab process and meet the patient’s number one goal: to walk more normally as soon as possible.

Traditional basic knee range of motion stretching methods are successful the majority of the time in knee arthroplasty. However, when a clinician is faced with a stiff knee, those methods will not achieve the desired result. It can result in the patient going for a manipulation under anesthesia or having unsatisfactory results. This chapter is geared toward preventing the patient from developing a stiff knee, by stressing key treatment strategies and advanced manual therapy methods.

In clinical practice, it is common for patients who have had a total hip or knee arthroplasty to have persistent pain, despite being told their radiographs are normal. This chapter will reveal what is causing the persistent pain and guide the clinician through a treatment sequence. The sequence employs advanced manual therapy to the lumbar spine, hip, and quadriceps regions to quickly address the impairments that are the true cause of pain.

In this chapter, Dr. O’Halloran provides an overview of the history of shoulder arthroplasty and introduces two different surgical techniques. The chapter also includes common medical management practices of arthritis and rotator cuff tears and four key postoperative rehabilitation objectives.

Join Dr. O’Halloran as he identifies the four rehabilitation phases and range-of-motion expectations following shoulder arthroplasty. Learn different manual techniques and therapeutic exercises for the four main shoulder muscles to promote increased range of motion.

Several patient videos are presented to demonstrate postoperative rehabilitation exercises. Dr. O’Halloran also describes the return-to-function phases and activity expectations for patients postoperatively.

Dr. O’Halloran describes the indications and surgical techniques of a reverse total arthroplasty procedure. This chapter identifies the two different phases of rehabilitation and provides a timeline for range of motion expectations.

In this chapter, Dr. O’Halloran reviews the history of hip arthroplasty and how previous techniques compare to those used today. He identifies hip arthroplasty approaches, precautions, fixation methods, bearing surfaces, and when dislocations occur.

Dr. O’Halloran discusses early-stage and late-stage hip rehabilitation. Gait pattern deviations, such as hip drop, are introduced along with techniques to facilitate a normal gait pattern.

The final chapter of this course explains the return-to-function process after hip arthroplasty. Multiple patient videos highlight postoperative exercises for early hip stretching and balance control. The course concludes with a review of appropriate activities following hip replacement.

Nearly 500,000 people in the US annually need a knee arthroplasty. Through a demonstration with a postoperative total knee arthroplasty patient, Dr. O’Halloran shares common manual therapies for knee rehabilitation.

In this chapter, Dr. O’Halloran provides an overview of the history of knee arthroplasty and examines different surgical techniques, such as minimally invasive versus traditional arthroplasty and mobile-bearing versus fixed-bearing. Other techniques, including unicompartmental surgery and computer-assisted surgery, are reviewed.

Restoring functional balance and range of motion following knee arthroplasty is critical for successful patient rehabilitation. Using multiple patient videos, Dr. O’Halloran outlines the phases of postoperative rehabilitation, how to implement range of motion rehab techniques, and when to utilize continuous passive movement and neuromuscular electrical stimulation.

Dr. O’Halloran describes the return to function process after knee arthroplasty, including appropriate activities and when to partake in them.