Treatment of Severe Flexion Deficits Following Total Knee Arthroplasty

Abstract

To determine whether passive knee flexion and knee-specific outcome scores differ in TKA patients experiencing arthrofibrosis treated with differing intensity of stretch exercises. Randomized Controlled Trial Twenty patients who volunteered and met inclusion criteria were randomly assigned to an intervention group. Group 1 received high-intensity stretch home mechanical therapy (n = 11) and Group 2 received low-intensity stretch home mechanical therapy (n = 9). The HIS group demonstrated significantly greater gains in both passive knee flexion and outcome scores. The change in passive knee flexion significantly correlated with the change in outcome scores, and a significantly greater number of patients in the HIS group (91%) were able to achieve a functional range of motion >110° than those in the LIS group (22%, p < .001). Treatment of postoperative arthrofibrosis with an HIS home mechanical therapy device was more effective and resulted in significantly improved outcomes when compared with LIS devices.