Objective To investigate functional outcomes after the application of a critical pathway for inpatient rehabilitation of total knee arthroplasty (TKA).
Methods A total of 184 patients (57 males and 127 females; average age, 71.5±5.9 years) who underwent unilateral or bilateral TKA were included. The critical pathway included early, intensive individualized rehabilitation exercises. Patients completed the following performance-based physical function tests: the stair climbing test (SCT), 6-minute walk test (6MWT), and Timed Up and Go test (TUG) as well as measurement of isometric knee flexor and extensor strength of the operated knee, gait speed, and range of knee flexion and extension. Self-reported physical function and pain were measured using the Western Ontario McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) and visual analog scale (VAS), respectively, and self-reported quality of life was measured using the EuroQoL 5 dimension (EQ-5D) questionnaire. These evaluations were performed preoperatively and at 1 month and 3 months postoperatively.
Results Performance-based and self-reported physical function and quality of life measures improved nonlinearly over time. Specifically, the 6WMT, TUG, gait speed, WOMAC-pain, WOMAC-function, VAS, and EQ-5D scores showed a significant improvement at 1-month post-TKA, whereas SCT, peak torque of the knee extensors and flexors, and WOMAC-stiffness scores showed gradual, but substantial, improvements over 3 months. There were between-group differences (unilateral and bilateral TKA groups) in the time course of the SCT, 6MWT, TUG, VAS, WOAMC-stiffness, and WOMAC-function results.
Conclusion Patients who underwent critical pathway rehabilitation after TKA showed significant improvements in functional measurements during the first 3 months post-surgery.
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Results Bivariate analyses revealed a significant positive correlation between the post-operative 10MWT and the post-operative TUG, age, swing phase duration, and gait cycle duration along with a significant negative correlation between post-operative BBS score, MVIC of the knee extensors and flexors on the operated and non-operated sides, MVIC of the hip abductors, and cadence and stance phase duration. Linear regression analyses revealed that the post-operative TUG (β=0.85, p<0.01), gait cycle duration (β=0.17, p=0.02), and osteoporosis (β=-0.18, p=0.02) were associated with the post-operative 10MWT.
Conclusion The presence of osteoporosis, post-operative balance, and isometric muscle strength in the operated and non-operated legs were statistically associated with post-operative gait speed early after hip fracture surgery.
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