The effect of a preoperative exercise and education program on functional recovery, health related quality of life, and health service utilization following primary total knee arthroplasty.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effectiveness of a preoperative exercise/education program on functional recovery, health related quality of life (HRQOL), health service utilization, and costs following primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA). METHODS: One hundred thirty-one subjects were randomized to either the control (n = 66) or treatment (n = 65) group 6 weeks before TKA surgery. Patients in the treatment group underwent a 4-week exercise/education program before surgery. All subjects were assessed 6 weeks preoperatively (before the exercise/education intervention), immediately preoperatively (after the exercise/education intervention), and 3, 6 and 12 months after surgery utilizing the Western Ontario McMaster Osteoarthritis Index, the SF-36, and knee range of motion (ROM) and strength measures. Data on length of stay, numbers of community rehabilitation or homecare visits following discharge from the surgical hospital, and the costs associated with these services were also collected. RESULTS: Subjects were similar in demographic characteristics and all measurements at the baseline assessment. No differences were seen in knee measurements (ROM and strength), pain, function, or HRQOL between the 2 groups following the intervention program or at any postoperative measurement point. Patients in the treatment group used fewer postoperative rehabilitation services and stayed for a shorter time in hospital than the control group, but these differences did not attain statistical significance. CONCLUSION: The exercise/education intervention did not alter functional recovery or HRQOL following TKA. Health service utilization was less in the treatment group, but our study was underpowered to attain statistical significance for these measures.

Effect of adjunctive range-of-motion therapy after primary total knee arthroplasty on the use of health services after hospital discharge.

INTRODUCTION: There is controversy as to whether continuous passive motion (CPM) after total knee arthroplasty (TKA), which is the standard treatment, confers significant benefit with respect to outcome. The primary purpose of this study was to determine if CPM or slider-board (SB) therapy, used as adjuncts to standardized exercises (SEs) during the acute-care hospital stay, resulted in a reduced total length of hospitalization and post-discharge rehabilitation in patients who underwent primary TKA. METHODS: We carried out a randomized, clinical trial on 120 patients who received a TKA at the University of Alberta Hospital, Edmonton, a tertiary care institution. The study horizon began at the point of discharge from the hospital and continued up to 6 months after operation. Postoperatively, patients (40 in each group) received CPM and SEs, SB therapy and SEs or SEs alone while in the tertiary Health service use was compared using transfer institution length of stay(LOS), post-discharge rehabilitation, readmission and complication rates and their associated costs. RESULTS: There were no differences in health service use or costs among the 3 groups over the 6-month study. The rates of postoperative complications and readmissions also were similar among the groups. Increased health service use associated with knee flexion that was less than 60 degrees at discharge, but similar proportions of patients with poor knee range of movement (ROM) at discharge were found in each group. CONCLUSIONS: This finding suggests that adjunctive ROM therapy, as used in this study, does not reduce health service use. Further research is required to determine if adjunctive ROM therapy after discharge from the surgical hospital decreases health service utilization in those patients who have poor knee ROM at the time of discharge.