Home-Based versus Hospital-Based Rehabilitation Program after Total Knee Replacement.

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Total knee replacement (TKR) necessitates comprehensive rehabilitation to restore function.
• Traditional hospital-based rehabilitation is resource-intensive.
• Home-based rehabilitation offers a potential alternative for post-TKR recovery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy of home-based versus hospital-based rehabilitation programs.
• To assess improvements in knee joint mobility, muscle strength, and functional recovery after TKR.

Main Methods:

• A non-randomized controlled trial involving 78 patients undergoing TKR.
• Patients were assigned to either a home-based or hospital-based rehabilitation program.
• Outcomes measured included pain, range of motion, muscle strength, disability (WOMAC index), balance, and walking.

Main Results:

• Both rehabilitation groups demonstrated significant improvements in pain, range of motion, muscle strength, disability, balance, and walking post-intervention (P < 0.001).
• No significant differences were observed between the home-based and hospital-based groups in clinical characteristics or treatment outcomes.
• The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) showed comparable improvements in both groups.

Conclusions:

• Home-based rehabilitation is as effective as hospital-based rehabilitation for patients following total knee replacement.
• Both approaches yield similar improvements in key functional recovery metrics.
• This suggests flexibility in choosing rehabilitation settings without compromising patient outcomes.