Hydrotherapy after total knee arthroplasty. A follow-up study

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Geriatric Care

Background:

• Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a common procedure for end-stage knee osteoarthritis.
• Post-operative rehabilitation is crucial for optimizing functional outcomes.
• Hydrotherapy (HT) offers a low-impact environment for therapeutic exercise.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the subjective functional outcomes of hydrotherapy (HT) versus conventional gym treatment in patients following total knee arthroplasty (TKA).
• To assess the long-term effects of HT on pain, stiffness, and function up to six months post-discharge.

Main Methods:

• A prospective randomized controlled trial involving 70 participants undergoing TKA.
• Participants were assigned to either conventional gym treatment or hydrotherapy (HT) six months after rehabilitation discharge.
• The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) was used for subjective outcome assessment at admission, discharge, and six months post-discharge.

Main Results:

• Both treatment groups showed improvement in WOMAC subscale scores (pain, stiffness, function).
• The hydrotherapy (HT) group demonstrated significantly lower WOMAC scores across all subscales compared to the conventional gym group.
• Functional improvements achieved by discharge were maintained at the six-month follow-up in the HT group.

Conclusions:

• Hydrotherapy (HT) is a recommended post-TKA intervention for geriatric populations.
• HT leads to superior subjective functional outcomes, including reduced pain and stiffness, compared to conventional gym programs.
• The positive effects of HT on functional recovery after TKA are sustained long-term.