Does Proprioception-Based Rehabilitation Enhance Functional Outcome in Total Knee Arthroplasty? A Prospective...

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics and Rehabilitation Science
• Biomechanics and Motor Control

Background:

• Rehabilitation after Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) often incorporates proprioceptive exercises to mitigate fall risk.
• Existing research on the efficacy of proprioceptive training post-TKA presents conflicting outcomes, necessitating further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of proprioceptive exercise (PE) on the functional performance of patients following TKA.
• To compare the effectiveness of PE combined with routine exercises (RE) against RE alone in TKA rehabilitation.

Main Methods:

• Eighty patients undergoing unilateral TKA were randomized into two groups: PE (proprioceptive exercises + routine physiotherapy) and RE (routine physiotherapy only).
• Functional performance was assessed using Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) recommended tests and the Oxford Knee Score (OKS) at 3 and 6 months post-surgery.

Main Results:

• The PE group demonstrated significantly better performance in the 30-s chair sits test, stair climbing, 40-m fast-paced walk test, timed up and go test, and 6-min walk test at both 3 and 6 months compared to the RE group.
• While Oxford Knee Score (OKS) showed a trend towards improvement in the PE group at 6 months, statistical significance was not reached for this specific outcome measure at either time point.

Conclusions:

• Proprioception-based rehabilitation significantly enhances functional recovery in patients after TKA.
• This study underscores the superiority of proprioceptive training over conventional rehabilitation programs for improving functional outcomes in TKA patients.