Effectiveness of Sensor-based Rehabilitation in Improving Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Total Knee Arthroplasty

Physical rehabilitation after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is important for long-term functional recovery. Recently, sensor-based home rehabilitation (SHR) has gained prominence as a promising method that allows monitoring and guidance that is both structured and accessible, compared to traditional methods of physical rehabilitation. Despite the advent of wearable sensor systems, there is a paucity of evidence regarding SHR in the current literature. Thus, this systematic review aimed to evaluate the effect of wearable SHR on post-TKA outcomes.

We performed a systematic search of three electronic databases from the beginning of record to March 12, 2021. Primary outcomes were patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) after rehabilitation, including the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) and Knee Society Score (KSS). Secondary outcomes were physical activity levels and functional performance including range of motion (ROM) and Timed Up and Go Test (TUG).

A total of 16 studies involving 1321 subjects were included. All wearable sensors in our included studies involved a combination of accelerometers, gyroscopes and magnetometers as functional units. These studies reported favourable outcomes for all three PROMs, although the extent of improvement in specific domains varied among studies. Moreover, physical activity in terms of daily steps and time spent on physical activity increased post-rehabilitation. Similarly, there were improvements in ROM and TUG that reflected a favourable post-operative trajectory during rehabilitation.

SHR is effective for improving subjective and objective outcomes post-TKA. The role of SHR should be evaluated by a dedicated cost-benefit analysis to facilitate its wider adoption in healthcare systems.