There are many options to help lower your pain and have a better quality of life when you have knee pain that is often caused by arthritis. Knowing the tools to take charge of your arthritis is key to your success. With a referral from your primary care provider (family doctor, nurse practitioner etc.) the team at the Orthopedic Assessment Clinic (OAC) can help you make a plan to better manage your arthritis and pain.
Orthopedic Assessment Clinic Intake & Arthritis Action Plan
Once the OAC receives a referral from your primary care provider you will be contacted about an intake appointment with a registered nurse and/or physiotherapist. In this appointment the OAC team will complete a medical review and physical assessment to help you make an “Arthritis Action Plan” for your knee.
Your plan may include offering ways that you can manage your arthritis without surgery such as a Conservative Management for hip and knee arthritis, or community based programs in your area.
Knee Replacement Surgery & Pre-Habilitation
Your Arthritis Action Plan may also include seeing an orthopedic surgeon about knee replacement surgery. If you and your surgeon decide that knee replacement surgery is the best plan you will have the option to go to the Hip & Knee Replacement Surgery Pre-Habilitation Program to help you prepare for surgery and recovery.
The Pre-Habilitation program helps you learn the skills to prepare for surgery with a multi-week exercise and education program with a team that may include a registered nurse, occupational therapist, physiotherapist, dietitian, social worker and rehab assistant.
Most patients will stay in hospital 1 to 2 days after their surgery. Your surgeon may also talk to you about outpatient knee replacement surgery where you have surgery in the morning and go home in the afternoon/evening after working with the team to make sure you can return home safely.
In the year following your surgery you can expect a follow-up appointment with your surgeon and health care team.
To read more details about what to expect before, during and after knee replacement surgery please click the following link: Knee Replacement Surgery
Locations and contact information
Central Nova Scotia
Halifax Infirmary
1799 Robie Street
4th floor, Halifax Infirmary
Halifax, NS B3K 4N1
Switchboard: 902-473-2700
Dartmouth General Hospital
325 Pleasant Street
Dartmouth, NS B2Y 4G8
Switchboard: 902-465-8300
Orthopedic Assessment Clinic (OAC) and Pre-habilitation Program Locations:
Halifax Infirmary
Halifax Orthopedic Assessment Clinic
1799 Robie Street, Room 4426,
Halifax, NS B3K 4N1
Tel: 902-473-1501
Queens Square Building
Dartmouth Orthopedic Assessment Clinic & Pre-habilitation Program
45 Alderney Drive, 11th Floor,
Dartmouth, NS B2Y 2N6
Tel: 902-460-3638
Veterans Memorial Building Pre-habilitation Program
5595 Veterans Memorial Lane,
2nd Floor, Outpatient Physiotherapy Department
Halifax, NS B3H 2E1
Tel: 902-473-7187
Cobequid Community Health Centre Pre-habilitation Program
Outpatient Physiotherapy Department
40 Freer Lane,
Lower Sackville, NS B4C 0A2
Tel: 902-717-6518
Eastern Nova Scotia
Cape Breton Regional Hospital
1482 George Street
Sydney, NS B1P 1P3
Switchboard: 902-567-8000
Orthopedic Assessment Clinic (OAC) and Pre-habilitation Program Locations:
Sydney Hip and Knee Clinic – Orthopedic Assessment Clinic
200 Churchill Drive, Suite 101
Membertou, NS B1S0H5
Tel: 902-563-8512
Sydney Hip and Knee Clinic – Pre-habilitation Program
200 Churchill Drive, Suite 101
Membertou, NS B1S 0H5
Tel: 902-563-8513
Inverness Consolidated Memorial Hospital
Inverness Hip and Knee Clinic – Orthopedic Assessment Clinic and Pre-habilitation Program
39 James Street
Inverness, NS B0E 1N0
Tel: 902-258-1955
Northern Nova Scotia
Aberdeen Hospital
835 East River Road
New Glasgow, NS B2H 3S6
Switchboard: 902-752-7600
Orthopedic Assessment Clinic (OAC) and Pre-habilitation Program Locations:
Orthopedic Assessment Clinic - New Glasgow
10 North Novie Drive (East River Business Park - near Aberdeen Hospital)
Plymouth, Nova Scotia B2H 5C5
Tel: 902-396-1198
Pre-habilitation Clinic
10 North Novie Drive (East River Business Park - near Aberdeen Hospital)
Plymouth, Nova Scotia B2H 5C5
Tel: 902-396-1198
Western Nova Scotia
Valley Regional Hospital
150 Exhibition Street
Kentville, NS B4N 5E3
Switchboard: 902-678-7381
Orthopedic Assessment Clinic (OAC) and Pre-habilitation Program Locations:
Valley Regional Hospital Orthopedic Assessment Clinic
3rd floor, 150 Exhibition Street
Kentville, NS B4N 5E3
Tel: 902-690-3802
Toll free:1-844-594-4314
Valley Regional Hospital Pre-habilitation Program
3rd floor, 150 Exhibition Street
Kentville, NS B4N 5E3
Tel: 902-679-2657 ext 2936
Yarmouth Regional Hospital Pre-habilitation Program
60 Vancouver Street
Yarmouth, NS B5A 2P5.
Tel: 902-742-3541
South Shore Regional Hospital Pre-habilitation Program
90 Glen Allan Drive
Bridgewater, NS B4V 3S6
Tel: 902-543-4604 ext 2396
Queens General Hospital Pre-habilitation Program
175 School Street
Liverpool, NS B0T 1K0
Tel: 902-543-4604 ext 2396
Wait times
For primary care providers
Provincial form for all hip and knee joint replacement referrals
- Orthopedic Assessment Clinic Primary Hip and Knee Arthoplasty Referral Form
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A completed referral form and updated X-rays are required to process the referral. Primary health care providers will need to arrange to have X-rays completed within one year, with specific views as indicated on the referral form.
