Hydrotherapy after total knee arthroplasty. A follow-up study

• Published in: Archives of gerontology and geriatrics 2010-07, Vol.51 (1), p.59-63
• Main Authors: Giaquinto, S, Ciotola, E, Dall’Armi, V, Margutti, F
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Admissions; Aged; Arthroplasty; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee - methods; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Functional impairment; Humans; Hydrotherapy; Hydrotherapy - methods; Internal Medicine; Knee replacement; Knees; Male; Osteoarthritis; Osteoarthritis, Knee - epidemiology; Osteoarthritis, Knee - surgery; Pain - diagnosis; Pain - etiology; Postoperative Care; Prospective Studies; Severity of Illness Index; Statistical analysis; Statistics, Nonparametric; Surveys and Questionnaires
• ISSN: 0167-4943; 1872-6976
• DOI: 10.1016/j.archger.2009.07.007

Abstract The study evaluated the subjective functional outcome following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in participants who underwent hydrotherapy (HT) six months after discharge from a rehabilitation unit. A total of 70 subjects, 12 of which were lost at follow-up, were randomly assigned to either a conventional gym treatment ( N = 30) or HT ( N = 28). A prospective design was performed. Participants were interviewed with Western-Ontario McMasters Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC™) at admission, at discharge and six months later. Kruskal–Wallis and Wilcoxon tests were applied for statistical analysis. Both groups improved. The WOMAC™ subscales, namely pain, stiffness and function, were all positively affected. Statistical analysis indicates that scores on all subscales were significantly lower for the HT group. The benefits gained by the time of discharge were still found after six months. HT is recommended after TKA in a geriatric population.