Effectiveness of Reduced Frequency Physical Therapy in Total Knee Arthroplasty

January 23, 2020 updated by: Bradley Myers, Campbell University, Incorporated

Effectiveness of Reduced Frequency Physical Therapy Supplemented With In-home Exercise Equipment Compared to Standard Care Physical Therapy in Total Knee Arthroplasty

Rehabilitation after Total Knee Arthroplasty surgery involves physical therapy services to address limitations in range of motion, strength, and participation in normal daily activities. This investigation will compare the outcomes from standard physical therapy intervention in comparison to reduced frequency physical therapy sessions supplemented with in-home exercise equipment.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a common surgical procedure for individuals experiencing pain and reduced physical abilities related to knee pain, most commonly osteoarthritis. Common physical impairments associated with post-operative TKA rehabilitation include: reduced knee range of motion (ROM), reduced strength, reduced participation in activities of daily living, and pain. TKA surgery is routinely paired with physical therapy (PT) interventions post-operatively in order to facilitate recovery for patients electing to undergo this intervention. The Total Range Exerciser (T-REX) is a medical device aimed at reducing the need for post-operative physical therapy services while promoting outcomes.

A successful outcome after total knee arthroplasty requires symptom relief and restoration of physical function. Measurement of pain and function can be achieved through patient-reported outcomes measures and objective functional testing. The Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) is a patient-reported outcomes measure intended to capture the individual patient's perception of progress throughout the rehabilitative process. Objective measurements of physical function are necessary to quantify the magnitude of physical impairment associated with the patient's perceived status. Physical function can be measured through standardized assessment of knee ROM, strength, and ambulation. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of standard physical therapy compared to reduced frequency physical therapy supplemented with the (T-REX) after in total knee arthroplasty in subjective and objective measurements of physical function.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

51

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

    • North Carolina
      • Durham, North Carolina, United States, 27704
        • EmergeOrtho

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

No older than 65 years (Child, Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Individual is to undergo TKA by a licensed physician at Participating hospital group
  • Participating primary health insurance provider
  • Patient is < 64.5 years of age
  • Willingness to participate in study protocol

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Previous or current history of cancer
  • High risk for cardiovascular disease as determined by the American College of Sports Medicine
  • Individuals with documented mental, psychiatric, or emotional disabilities
  • Inability to read and write in English

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Standard Care Physical Therapy
The participants randomized to the Standard Care Physical Therapy group will begin outpatient physical therapy services after discharge from inpatient care, on day 4 or 5 post-Total Knee Arthroplasty. The frequency of sessions will be 2-3 x per week for the initial 2 weeks, followed by 2 x per week until the culmination of physical therapy. The frequency and duration of sessions will be determined by the treating physical therapist based upon the clinical needs and progress of the specific participant.
Physical therapy includes both the in-person and home-based interventions prescribed for each individual participant in order to maximize overall patient outcomes including: ambulation, range of motion, strength, functional activities, pain, swelling, balance, patient safety, and other items within the scope of physical therapy practice.
Experimental: Physical Therapy and in-Home Equipment
The participants randomized to the experimental group will begin outpatient physical therapy services after discharge from inpatient care, on day 4 or 5 post-Total Knee Arthroplasty. The frequency of physical therapy sessions will be 1 x per week throughout the duration of the study period. In addition, this group will utilize in-home exercise equipment daily.
Physical therapy includes both the in-person and home-based interventions prescribed for each individual participant in order to maximize overall patient outcomes including: ambulation, range of motion, strength, functional activities, pain, swelling, balance, patient safety, and other items within the scope of physical therapy practice.
The in-home exercise component of the study will supplement physical therapy services. This exercise equipment will be utilized daily for up to 90 minutes as guided by the healthcare team
Other Names:
  • Total Range Exerciser Arc
  • T-REX Arc

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS)
Time Frame: Pre-surgery to 3 months post-surgery
The KOOS measurement is a patient-reported questionnaire that contains 42 questions covering 5 categories (pain, symptoms, activities of daily living, sports and recreation, and quality of life
Pre-surgery to 3 months post-surgery

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Self-reported home exercise compliance/adherence
Time Frame: 1 month post-surgery, 2 months post-surgery, 3 months post-surgery
Basic questions regarding the percent compliance with home exercises, amount of exercise time per week, and amount of days the participant performed exercise each week.
1 month post-surgery, 2 months post-surgery, 3 months post-surgery
Change in Knee Active Range of Motion (AROM)
Time Frame: Pre-surgery to 3 months post-surgery
Measurement of the range of motion that the participant can perform (in degrees) when maximally bending and straightening the knee.
Pre-surgery to 3 months post-surgery
Change in Knee Passive Range of Motion (PROM)
Time Frame: Pre-surgery to 3 months post-surgery
Measurement of the range of motion (in degrees) that the participant's knee can maximally bend and straighten as a result of a manually applied movement.
Pre-surgery to 3 months post-surgery
Change in Timed Up-and-Go Test (TUG)
Time Frame: Pre-surgery to 3 months post-surgery
The TUG is a physical performance test that consists of the participant rising from a chair, ambulating 9 meters, turning around, returning to the chair and sitting. It is recorded in seconds.
Pre-surgery to 3 months post-surgery
Change in 6-minute Walk Test (6MWT)
Time Frame: Pre-surgery to 3 months post-surgery
The 6MWT is an assessment of longer duration ambulation and cardiorespiratory endurance. The test measurement is the total amount of distance that the participant ambulates within a 6-minute period.
Pre-surgery to 3 months post-surgery
Change in 30 second Chair Stand Test (30s-CST)
Time Frame: Pre-surgery to 3 months post-surgery
The 30s-CST is a test of strength, endurance and functional balance. The maximum number of sit to stand repetitions performed over a 30 second period represents the score for this test. Pre-test positioning includes placement of a 44 cm (17 inch) chair, measured from floor to seat surface, against a wall to inhibit movement of the chair during the test.
Pre-surgery to 3 months post-surgery

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Bradley Myers, PT, DPT, DSc, Assistant Professor

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

October 1, 2017

Primary Completion (Actual)

October 1, 2019

Study Completion (Actual)

October 1, 2019

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

September 22, 2017

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

October 4, 2017

First Posted (Actual)

October 5, 2017

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

January 27, 2020

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 23, 2020

Last Verified

January 1, 2020

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 313

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

No data is intended to be shared with other researchers

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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