Anti-gravity treadmill rehabilitation improves gait and muscle atrophy in patients with surgically treated ankle and tibial plateau fractures after one year: A randomised clinical trial

Abstract

Objective: To compare the one-year postoperative outcomes of anti-gravity treadmill rehabilitation with those of standard rehabilitation in patients with ankle or tibial plateau fractures.

Design: An open-label prospective randomised study.

Setting: Three trauma centres.

Subjects: Patients were randomised into the intervention (anti-gravity treadmill) or control (standard protocol) rehabilitation group.

Main measures: The primary endpoint was changes in the Foot and Ankle Outcome Score for ankle fractures and Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score for tibial plateau fractures from baseline to 12 months after operation. Secondary endpoints were the subscores of these scores, muscle atrophy (leg circumference at 20 cm above and 10 cm below the knee joint) and the Dynamic Gait Index.

Results: Initially, 73 patients (37 vs 36) underwent randomisation. After 12 months, 29 patients in the intervention group and 24 patients in the control group could be analysed. No significant difference was noted in the Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (80.8 ± 18.4 and 78.4 ± 21.1) and Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (84.8 ± 15.2 and 81.7 ± 17.0). The change in the Dynamic Gait Index from 12 weeks to 12 months differed significantly between the groups (P = 0.04). Patients with tibial plateau fractures had a 3 cm wider thigh circumference in the intervention group than those in the control group (95% confidence interval: -0.2 to 6.3 cm, P = 0.08).

Conclusion: One year after surgery, patients who had undergone anti-gravity treadmill rehabilitation showed better gait than patients in the control group, and those with tibial plateau fractures had less muscle atrophy.

Keywords: Anti-gravity treadmill; ankle fractures; gait analysis; muscular atrophy; tibial plateau fractures.