Effect of Physiotherapy After Total Knee Replacement

The Immediate and Long Term Effects of a Walking-skill Program Compared to Usual Physiotherapy Care in Patients Who Have Undergone Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA): A Randomized Controlled Trial

Physiotherapy plays an important part in rehabilitation after total knee arthroplasty. Even if this is a common practice, few studies have been performed on this issue.

The prime aim of this study is to examine the effects of an ambulatory individualized task-oriented exercise program compared with current ambulatory physiotherapy(usual care)on activity performance and self efficacy beliefs in the time span 6 weeks to 3 months after total knee arthroplasty with a follow-up at twelve months.

HO:Task oriented physiotherapy has better effect than usual care on activity performance and self-efficacy beliefs in the time span 6 weeks to 3 months after total knee replacement.

A randomized controlled trial was performed with an experiment group having task oriented exercises in only weight-bearing 12 times from 6 weeks to 12 weeks after the operation, while the control group had usual physiotherapy care during the same time span. The primary outcome was walking measured by the six minutes walk test. Other performed and self reported measures of physical functioning were performed, at baseline, six weeks after the operation, immediately after the intervention at 12-14 weeks and with a follow-up nine months after the intervention.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Primary gonarthrosis
• Good written and oral understanding of Norwegian
• Good cognitive function

Exclusion Criteria:

• Severe gonarthrosis in the other knee or coxarthrosis
• Neurological disorders or rheumatoid arthritis