Effect of Physiotherapy After Total Knee Replacement

University of Oslo

Status: Completed

Conditions: Knee Osteoarthritis

Treatments: Other: usual physiotherapy care; Other: walking skill group

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT00807716

2008/2436

Details and patient eligibility

About

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.

Full description

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.

Enrollment: 57 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 55+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

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

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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57 participants in 2 patient groups

walking skill group

Experimental group

Description:

weight-bearing 12 times, 70 minutes

Treatment:

Other: walking skill group

usual physiotherapy care

Active Comparator group

Description:

partial weight-bearing, 12 times, 40 minutes

Treatment:

Other: usual physiotherapy care