Home physiotherapy with vs. without supervision of physiotherapist for assessing manipulation under anaesthesia after total knee arthroplasty.

UNLABELLED: The aim of this retrospective cohort study was to compare home physiotherapy with or without supervision of physiotherapist for assessing manipulation under anaesthesia after total knee arthroplasty.

METHODS

A total of 900 patients (including 810 females and 90 males) who had undergone total knee arthroplasty were divided into group A (n = 300) and group B (n = 600). Patients in group A had home physiotherapy on their own after discharge from hospital. The physiotherapist did not visit them at home. Patients in group B received home physiotherapy under supervision of physiotherapist for 6 weeks after discharge from hospital. Patients' age, range of motion of the knee, and forgotten joint score-12 were assessed. A p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

In group A, the mean age was 69.1 ± 14.3 years (range: 58 to 82 years); in group B, the mean age was 66.5 ± 15.7 years (range: 56 to 83 years) (p > 0.05). Preoperatively, the mean range of motion of the knee in group A and B was 95.8° ± 18.1° and 95.4° ± 17.8°, respectively (p > 0.05). The mean forgotten joint score-12 of group A and B were 11.90 ± 11.3 and 11.72 ± 12.1 (p > 0.05), respectively. Six weeks after total knee arthroplasty, the mean ROM of the knee in group A and B was 109.7° ± 22.3° and 121° ± 21.5°, respectively (p < 0.05). The mean postoperative forgotten joint score-12 of the group A and B was 24.5 ± 16.4 and 25.6 ± 17.4, respectively (p > 0.05). The rate of manipulation under anaesthesia was 3% in group A and 0.2% in group B (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

After total knee arthroplasty, frequent physiotherapist's instruction helps the patients improve knee exercises and therefore decrease the risk of revision surgery. The home physiotherapy under supervision of physiotherapist lowers the rate of manipulation under anaesthesia.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic study, Level IIa.