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Study finds prehabilitation prepares TKA candidates for stresses of surgery
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A study conducted at the University of Louisville showed that elderly patients gained substantial pre- and post-operative function when they performed increased intensity exercises before undergoing total knee arthroplasty for osteoarthritis.
The study, which was published in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning, showed the prehabilitation exercise program improved patients’ leg strength and functional ability.
“We designed this program to be easily transferred to a home environment,” Ann Swank, PhD, CSCS, of the University of Louisville in Ky., stated in a university press release. “It is very possible for many patients preparing for knee replacement surgery to participate in this exercise program and experience increased strength and functionality such as getting up from a chair or climbing stairs.”
However, Swank noted the prehabilitation program did not significantly improve functional tasks such as walking speed or going downstairs.
According to the abstract of the study, such a program, if effective, could potentially aid postoperative recovery.
Swank and colleagues included 71 patients scheduled for total knee arthroplasty in the study. One group of patients was assigned to a comprehensive prehabilitation program involving light resistance training, flexibility and step exercises, and light walking. Another group received standard preoperative care while continuing with their usual activities. Investigators then compared the groups’ knee strength and performance using standard functional tests.
At 1-week preoperatively, the prehabilitation group showed various improvements, such as a 10% increase in knee extension strength in the knee indicated for surgery compared with a 10% decrease in extension strength in the traditional group. In addition, those in the prehabilitation group had less pain than the traditional group when performing the functional tests, according to the release.
“The next step in this research is to determine whether this comprehensive prehabilitation exercise program translates to a savings in health care dollars,” Robert Topp, PhD, RN, an investigator for the study noted in the release. “For example, reducing the number of days a patient stays in the hospital or reducing the number of physical therapy sessions.”
References:
Disclosure: This study was funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research (R01NR008135) and the Hygenic Corporation.
- Swank AM, et al. J Strength Cond Res. 2011; 25(2):318-325.
- www.louisville.edu
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