Exercise Necessary for Knee Replacement Surgery Recovery

by Ryan Halvorson

Making News:

Those who undergo knee replacement surgery may also receive an exercise prescription from their doctors, if wind of a study makes its way to the orthopedic wing. The Arthritis Care & Research study (2009; 61 [2], 174–83) has determined that post-op exercise could be a must for knee replacement patients looking to make a full recovery.

Scientists performed a randomized controlled trial between 2000 and 2005, and included 241 patients who had undergone total knee arthroplasty (TKA) to treat knee osteoarthritis. Patients were split into three groups: quadriceps strengthening, quadriceps strengthening with neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) and conventional rehabilitation. Each group was tested for quadriceps strength, knee range of motion and gait. Information on the types of strength training or methods of traditional rehabilitation used was not available.

Upon study completion both of the strengthening groups made greater overall improvements than those participating in conventional rehabilitation. “Strength, activation and function were similar between the exercise and exercise-NMES groups at 3 and 12 months,” stated the study authors. “The standard of care group was weaker and exhibited worse function at 12 months compared with both treatment groups.” As a result, authors suggested that TKA patients partake in a comprehensive quadriceps strengthening program to elicit efficient recovery. “Progressive quadriceps-strengthening with or without NMES enhances clinical improvement after TKA, achieving similar short- and long-term functional recovery and approaching the functional level of healthy older adults,” added the scientists. “Conventional rehabilitation does not yield similar outcomes.”