Can I run after my knee replacement?

Last reviewed: September 29, 2026

You can, and some people do, but most do not keep it up. Running is one of the activities people give up after a knee replacement, and it is usually their own choice rather than the knee stopping them.

The worry has always been that pounding wears the plastic out faster. That worry is not imaginary. When implants are removed and examined, the ones from more active people do show more wear.

What has not happened is the thing that would matter. Studies following active and inactive patients out past ten years have not found more replacements being redone in the active group, and one large study found active patients did slightly better. So the wear shows up under a microscope but not yet in how many knees need redoing.

The honest limit is time. Most of this evidence stops around twelve years. If you are sixty-five that probably covers you. If you are fifty-five and expect to live thirty years with this knee, nobody can tell you what the last fifteen look like.

In general:

• Running will not ruin your knee replacement in the first few years.
• The younger you are, the less the evidence covers you.
• Most people who try running after surgery stop because they want to.
• Low-impact activity has the same benefits with none of the argument.

Drafted with AI assistance from published sources, reviewed and edited by Babak Sheikh, MD.

Sources:

• Crawford DA, et al. Higher Activity Level Following Total Knee Arthroplasty Is Not Deleterious to Mid-Term Implant Survivorship. J Arthroplasty. 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arth.2019.07.044
• Rohrbach M, et al. Patient and Surgery Related Factors Associated With Fatigue Type Polyethylene Wear on 49 PCA and DURACON Retrievals at Autopsy and Revision. J Orthop Surg Res. 2008. https://doi.org/10.1186/1749-799X-3-8
• Lavernia CJ, et al. Activity Level and Wear in Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Study of Autopsy Retrieved Specimens. J Arthroplasty. 2001. https://doi.org/10.1054/arth.2001.23509
• Lawrence KW, et al. Return to Athletics After Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Survey Study of 784 Recreational Athletes Across 12 Sports. Arch Orthop Trauma Surg. 2024. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00402-024-05364-9

This is general information about what published research shows. It is not medical advice and it is not about your situation. Reading it does not create a doctor-patient relationship with me. I am a retired orthopedic surgeon and I do not see patients. Talk with your own doctor before changing anything about your care. If something feels suddenly or seriously wrong, get medical care promptly rather than waiting.

This page is provided as is. I make no guarantee that it is accurate, complete or current, and medical evidence changes. Use of it is at your own risk.

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