Rehabilitation Techniques Before and After Total Knee Arthroplasty for a Better Quality of Life

Abstract

The most important gold standard treatment following advanced knee osteoarthritis is total knee arthroplasty. Following surgery of total knee replacement, the majority of patients report decreased pain and successful long-term results, but recovery is unpredictable, and most patients continue to exhibit muscle weakness in their lower limbs and functional limitations in comparison to similarly aged control individuals. The goal of this review article was to systematically review different articles containing controlled and randomized studies to find out the effectiveness of outpatient care postoperatively on short- and long-term functional recovery. The purpose of this review article is to investigate the possible advantages of pre- and postoperative rehabilitation as well as the value of exercise regimen recommendations following total knee replacement. The following interventions after total knee arthroplasty are discussed in this review article: preoperative education and exercises, continuous passive movement, strengthening interventions, aquatic therapy, balanced training, tourniquet exposure, use of alignment and implants, role of apps in phones and different wearable devices, influence of postoperative protocols, knee bracing, neuromuscular electrical stimulation, and clinical environment. Strengthening and intense functional exercises for patients above 45 years of age, in land or water programs like aquatic activities, with the increasing intensity of the exercises in accordance with the patient's progress, should be included in the best outpatient physical therapy protocols. Because these exercises are so precisely personalized, the best long-term effects after surgery may come from outpatient physiotherapy performed in a clinical setting under the supervision of a registered physiotherapist or medical professional. This review article also includes the change in the quality and well-being of a patient's life who has undergone total knee arthroplasty and practiced the rehabilitation techniques.

Keywords: osteoarthritis; perturbation drill; prehabilitation; rheumatoid arthritis; strengthening exercises.

Figure 1. PRISMA flow diagram for the process of selection

PRISMA: Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses.