Health and safety Updated on September 29, 2026 By Axel Paupier Methodology

Can you ski with a knee replacement and an exoskeleton?

Q: Can you ski with a knee replacement and an exoskeleton?

Only your surgeon can answer. The French health insurer asks patients not to resume sport without the surgeon's approval and discourages high-impact sports; its page does not mention skiing. We have read no source covering an exoskeleton after a knee replacement. This is not medical advice.

The answer in detail

We cannot tell you it is possible, and we cannot tell you it is forbidden: the decision belongs to the surgeon who fitted your knee replacement. That is also what the French health insurer says: do not resume sport and leisure activities without your surgeon's authorization.

What official sources say is general. After a knee replacement, sport can be resumed gradually from the third month for walking, swimming and cycling, avoiding high-impact sports on the knee, such as jogging. The page we consulted does not mention skiing.

What the sources say

Assurance Maladie (28 August 2024): gradual resumption from the third month for low-impact activities, high-impact sports discouraged, prior approval from the surgeon.
Assurance Maladie (22 January 2026): a knee replacement is only considered after medical treatments have failed; no treatment cures osteoarthritis.
The Ski-Mojo manufacturer: our product page mentions skiers in post-operative recovery wanting to return to the slopes after medical advice, and refers to ligament reconstruction, hip replacement and osteoarthritis. It does not speak of knee replacement.

We have read no source, official or independent, that evaluates the use of a ski exoskeleton with a knee replacement. The manufacturer's claims are manufacturer data, not proof.

Depending on your situation

If your knee replacement is less than three months old, the general recommendations from the French health insurer do not yet provide for a return to sport: follow your rehabilitation program. Beyond that, and if your surgeon does not object, the question of skiing is asked sport by sport and case by case.

A ski exoskeleton like the Ski-Mojo changes how forces pass through the legs. Its effect on a knee replacement is not documented in the sources we have read: it is a question to put explicitly to your surgeon.

What to ask your surgeon

Prepare these questions before your next appointment with the surgeon, and write down the answers.

Is downhill skiing compatible with my knee replacement, and from when?
What conditions should I respect: piste level, snow, crowds, length of days?
Can I wear a spring-based exoskeleton, and should I discuss it with a physiotherapist?
What follow-up should I plan after the first days of skiing?

Key takeaways

Returning to skiing with a knee replacement, with or without an exoskeleton, is subject to your surgeon's authorization. The French health insurer recommends gradual resumption and discourages high-impact sports, without naming skiing, and we found no source on the exoskeleton in this case. This is not medical advice: talk to your surgeon before any descent. To understand the benefits claimed for the exoskeleton, read our complete ski exoskeleton guide.