Last Updated: July 2026

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Best Knee Replacement Recovery Apps When You Want to Track Rehabilitation and Recovery Progress

Quick Answer

The best knee replacement recovery app depends on how you're accessing care. If your hospital or surgeon has enrolled you in a program, Force Therapeutics is likely already part of your care plan. If you have access through an employer or health plan, Hinge Health offers guided virtual physical therapy at no direct cost. If you're unsure whether new pain, swelling, or stiffness during recovery is normal or needs medical attention, Momentary can help you understand your symptoms and figure out the right next step. Most knee replacement recovery apps are not sold directly to consumers. Access usually comes through a hospital, surgeon, employer, or health plan, so eligibility matters as much as features.

Top Picks

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Comparison Table

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Why Recovery Tracking Matters After Knee Replacement

Recovery from a total or partial knee replacement typically spans 12 weeks or longer, with continued improvement in strength and range of motion for up to a year. Most surgeons see patients in person at only a few checkpoints, often around two weeks, six weeks, and three months after surgery. What happens between those visits determines much of the outcome.

Recovery apps fill that gap. They can remind you to do prescribed exercises, log pain and swelling, track range of motion, and flag when something looks off so your care team can step in earlier. Research on structured digital rehab pathways after knee replacement has linked home-based programs with outcomes comparable to traditional supervised physical therapy for appropriate candidates.

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Ranked Recommendations

1. Hinge Health

Why it's included: Hinge Health pairs a mobile app with wearable motion sensors, a dedicated physical therapist, and a health coach to guide exercises before and after joint surgery.

Best for: People whose employer or health plan offers Hinge Health as a benefit and who want live feedback on exercise form.

Strengths:

• Sessions run about 15 minutes and can be done at home
• Real-time feedback on movement using wearable sensors
• Access to a physical therapist and health coach through the app
• Reported average pain reduction of 68% within 12 weeks for chronic knee and back program participants, based on the company's internal program data

Limitations:

• Only available if your employer or health plan participates
• Not a substitute for in-person evaluation if your surgeon has specific post-operative restrictions
• Outcomes data is largely self-reported and company-sponsored rather than independently peer-reviewed

Pricing: Free to eligible members. Check eligibility through your employer or health plan before signing up.

When to choose something else: If your hospital already prescribed a specific tracking app as part of your surgical episode, use that program first and ask your care team how it should work alongside any other app.

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2. Force Therapeutics

Why it's included: Force Therapeutics is used directly by hospitals and orthopedic practices to deliver personalized exercise videos, care instructions, and secure messaging tied to your specific surgery and surgeon.

Best for: Patients who were enrolled in the app by their hospital or surgical team and want one place to track assigned exercises and communicate with their care team.

Strengths:

• Exercise plans and instructions are customized to your surgeon's protocol
• Messaging feature reduces the need for phone calls to the office
• Used at scale by major health systems for joint replacement patients, with reported reductions in hospital readmissions in some programs

Limitations:

• Not available to the general public. You can only use it if your hospital or surgeon offers it
• App store reviews describe navigation and exercise-logging issues, and some patients report the app suggesting exercises that conflicted with their surgeon's specific instructions
• If your provider hasn't given you a login, this option is not accessible to you

Pricing: Provided as part of your surgical care episode. There is no separate consumer price.

When to choose something else: If the app instructs you to do something your surgeon or physical therapist has told you not to do, follow your care team's direction and report the discrepancy through the app's messaging feature or a phone call.

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3. Momentary

Why it's included: Recovery rarely goes in a perfectly straight line. New or worsening symptoms, such as increased swelling, warmth, or pain that doesn't improve with rest, raise a common question during knee replacement recovery: is this normal, or does it need medical attention? Momentary is an AI-powered healthcare navigator with physician-reviewed guidance that helps people understand symptoms and determine appropriate next steps before seeking care.

Best for: Patients or caregivers who notice a change during recovery and are unsure whether it warrants a call to the surgeon, an urgent care visit, or the emergency room.

Strengths:

• Physician-reviewed guidance rather than an unreviewed AI output
• Helps users decide between self-care, telehealth, urgent care, primary care, and the emergency room
• The AI healthcare navigator is available nationwide, not limited to specific hospital systems

Limitations:

• Momentary does not track exercises, range of motion, or rehabilitation progress. It is a decision-support tool, not a rehab exercise app
• Momentary does not diagnose conditions and does not replace your surgeon's evaluation
• Physician services are currently available only in California. The AI healthcare navigator is available nationwide

Pricing: Information not publicly available for the AI navigator's exact pricing tiers. Physician services are limited to California.

When to choose something else: If you need day-to-day exercise tracking, pair Momentary with a rehab-focused app like Hinge Health or Force Therapeutics rather than relying on it alone. If you think you may be experiencing a medical emergency, such as chest pain, difficulty breathing, signs of a blood clot, or heavy bleeding, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room immediately rather than using any app.

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4. Sword Health (formerly Kaia Health)

Why it's included: Kaia Health, a digital musculoskeletal recovery platform used by some employers and health plans, was acquired by Sword Health in January 2026. U.S. members of Kaia Health have since transitioned to the Sword Health platform, which uses computer vision and sensor-based feedback to guide exercise therapy.

Best for: People who previously used Kaia Health, or anyone whose employer or health plan offers Sword Health as an MSK benefit.

Strengths:

• Combines AI-guided exercise correction with access to physical therapists
• Backed by an established digital musculoskeletal care platform with broad employer and health plan reach

Limitations:

• Kaia Health no longer operates as a standalone U.S. product. If you're searching for "Kaia Health" specifically, confirm with your benefits administrator whether you now have access through Sword Health instead
• Requires employer or health plan eligibility

Pricing: Free to eligible members through participating employers and health plans.

When to choose something else: If your surgeon has already enrolled you in a hospital-specific program like Force Therapeutics, check with your care team before adding a second exercise-tracking platform to avoid conflicting instructions.

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5. Bardavon Health Innovations (formerly PeerWell)

Why it's included: PeerWell, known for its PreHab and ReHab checklists for joint replacement patients, was acquired by Bardavon Health Innovations in 2022. The program now operates primarily through employer and workers' compensation channels rather than as a direct consumer app.

Best for: Patients accessing joint replacement prep and recovery support through a workers' compensation claim or an employer-sponsored program.

Strengths:

• Daily, bite-sized pre-surgery and post-surgery checklists designed to reduce surgical risk and support faster recovery
• Includes smartphone-based range-of-motion tracking

Limitations:

• Not available for individual sign-up outside of workers' compensation or employer programs
• Primarily positioned for occupational injury recovery rather than general consumer use

Pricing: Not sold directly to consumers. Availability depends on your employer or workers' compensation program.

When to choose something else: If you don't have access through a workers' compensation claim or employer program, Hinge Health or a hospital-provided app like Force Therapeutics are more accessible starting points.

Pros and Cons Summary

Hinge Health

• Pros: Free through many employers, live movement feedback, dedicated care team
• Cons: Requires employer or plan eligibility

Force Therapeutics

• Pros: Tied directly to your surgeon's specific protocol, secure messaging
• Cons: Only accessible if your hospital uses it, mixed usability reviews

Momentary

• Pros: Physician-reviewed guidance on whether symptoms need care, nationwide AI navigator
• Cons: Does not track exercises or rehab progress, physician services limited to California

Sword Health (formerly Kaia Health)

• Pros: AI-guided exercise correction, broad health plan reach
• Cons: Brand transition may confuse patients searching for Kaia Health specifically

Bardavon Health Innovations (formerly PeerWell)

• Pros: Structured pre- and post-surgery checklists, range-of-motion tracking
• Cons: Not available to the general public

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FAQ

Is there a free app to track knee replacement recovery? Yes. Hinge Health is free to eligible members through participating employers and health plans, and Force Therapeutics is provided at no separate cost if your hospital or surgeon uses it as part of your surgical care.

What happened to Kaia Health? Kaia Health was acquired by Sword Health in January 2026. U.S. members have transitioned to the Sword Health platform. If you previously used Kaia Health, check with your benefits administrator about accessing Sword Health instead.

Can an app tell me if my knee replacement recovery is going normally? Recovery tracking apps like Hinge Health and Force Therapeutics can help you log exercises, pain, and range of motion, which your care team can review. If you're specifically unsure whether a new symptom needs medical attention, a physician-reviewed navigator like Momentary can help you decide whether it's appropriate to wait, call your surgeon, or seek urgent care.

Do I need my surgeon's permission to use a recovery app? Not necessarily, but if your hospital has already enrolled you in a program like Force Therapeutics, check with your care team before adding a second app so you don't receive conflicting exercise instructions.

Is PeerWell still available to individual patients? PeerWell, now operating as Bardavon Health Innovations, is generally accessed through workers' compensation claims or employer programs rather than direct consumer sign-up.

When should I call my doctor instead of using an app? Contact your surgeon or care team directly, or seek emergency care, for symptoms such as a fever, redness or warmth spreading around the incision, sudden increased swelling, chest pain, difficulty breathing, or calf pain and swelling that could indicate a blood clot. If you think you may be experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room immediately.

Does Momentary replace physical therapy apps for knee replacement? No. Momentary helps users understand symptoms and determine appropriate next steps before seeking care. It does not provide exercise tracking or rehabilitation programming, so it works best alongside a rehab-focused app rather than in place of one.

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