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Instrumented Functional Mobility Assessment in Elderly Patients Following Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Retrospective
Andrei Machado Viegas da Trindade1,2, Leonardo Pinheiro Rezende3, Helder Rocha da Silva Araújo4
1Department of Orthopedics Surgery, Municipal Hospital of Aparecida de Goiânia (HMAP), Aparecida de Goiânia 74936-600, Brazil.
Life (Basel, Switzerland)
|September 27, 2025
Summary
This study found that while overall mobility duration after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) remained stable, elderly patients showed improved turning speed. Extended rehabilitation may benefit motor control and balance post-TKA.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedics
- Biomedical Engineering
- Rehabilitation Science
Background:
- Rising demand for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in older adults.
- Uncertainty regarding long-term functional recovery and mobility post-TKA.
- Need for objective mobility assessments beyond simple duration.
Purpose of the Study:
- Evaluate elderly patients' mobility after unilateral TKA using instrumented Timed Up and Go (TUG) tests.
- Assess kinematic variables at different postoperative time points (18 and 53 months).
- Identify specific areas of functional recovery and potential rehabilitation needs.
Main Methods:
- Observational, retrospective study of 19 elderly patients (age 50-80, Kellgren-Lawrence grade ≥ 4) who underwent unilateral TKA.
- Instrumented TUG tests using an inertial measurement unit (G-sensor) to capture 15 kinematic variables.
- Comparison of TUG performance at 18 and 53 months post-surgery.
Main Results:
- Total TUG duration remained stable between 18 and 53 months (p=0.58).
- Significant improvement in mid-turning peak velocity (p=0.0039, r=0.88).
- Small-to-moderate gains in end-turning velocity and sit-to-stand parameters without statistical significance.
Conclusions:
- Elderly patients experience persistent difficulties with movement fluidity and motor control, particularly during turning, in the first year after TKA.
- Instrumented TUG tests provide valuable segmented, sensor-based data for assessing mobility.
- Extended rehabilitation protocols focusing on rotational control and balance are recommended post-TKA.
