Extract
Many patients inquire if they will be able to kneel after total knee
arthroplasty. We have cautioned patients regarding issues related to the
patella that are associated with kneeling, yet, despite discomfort, many
continue to kneel during various activities around the home or for religious
reasons. While new high-flexion knee implant designs allow patients to get
lower to the ground, the acts of cleaning a floor, gardening, exercising, and
kneeling in prayer require bending down on both knees, and patients often
state that they cannot kneel after total knee arthroplasty because of pain or
that they do not attempt to kneel because the position feels awkward. Kneeling
is part of daily life in certain cultures and, as elderly patients are more
active, it is becoming an activity of increasing interest. Kneeling can be
divided into three positions: kneeling at <90° (for example, while
praying on a riser in a place of worship), kneeling at 90° (for example,
while gardening or scrubbing a floor), and kneeling at full flexion (for
example, while praying on the floor).