Clinical Application of Muscle Energy Technique for Knee Function Recovery After Total Knee Arthroplasty

This study aims to investigate the impact of Muscle Energy Technique (MET) on functional recovery and long-term prognosis in patients undergoing Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) during the early postoperative rehabilitation phase.

Eighty patients who underwent TKA from January 2021 to December 2021 at the Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, and treated by the same team of doctors were selected. The patients were computer-randomized into two groups: a control group comprising 36 patients receiving conventional rehabilitation therapy, and an experimental group comprising 42 patients receiving Muscle Energy Technique (MET) therapy.

Statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups in measurements of active knee joint range of motion, HSS scores, and VAS pain scores at 3 days, 7 days, 1 month, and 3 months postoperatively (P < 0.001). No statistical difference was noted in the TUG test at 1 month postoperatively (P > 0.001), while a significant difference was observed at 3 months (P < 0.001). Compared to the control group, the MET group exhibited a 19.3% increase in knee joint activity at 3 days post-TKA. The pain score in the conventional group was 1.34 times that of the MET group. One month post-intervention, the HSS scores of the MET group were 22.2% higher than those of the control group. At 3 months postoperatively, the MET group's HSS scores remained 14.2% higher, and the conventional group's pain score was 3.67 times that of the MET group.

This preliminary study indicates that MET can enhance knee joint functionality. It demonstrated short-term efficacy in improving knee function by activating and strengthening key muscle groups, thereby improving joint mobility, muscle strength, stability, and alleviating pain.