Traditional PT v Internet Based PT After Total Knee Arthroscopy

Comparison of Traditional Physical Therapy to Internet-Based Physical Therapy After Knee Arthroscopy: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Patient Outcomes and Satisfaction

Knee arthroscopy results in significant improvements in functional outcomes, pain relief and quality of life for patients suffering from mechanical symptoms associated with meniscal tears. Patients are able to return to their activities of daily living, occupation, or sport without significant limitations. Traditionally, patients have undergone formal physical therapy (PT) after knee arthroscopy to regain function. There is a significant cost and time commitment associated with traditional outpatient physical therapy. An internet based therapy program allows patients to perform therapy at home on their own time schedule. A recent study demonstrated that patients who undergo internet based PT after total knee arthroplasty performed as well patients receiving traditional physical therapy. These findings have not been studied in the knee arthroscopy patient population. The goal of this study is to compare traditional outpatient physical therapy rehabilitation to Internet-based rehabilitation in patients undergoing knee arthroscopy for partial meniscectomy.

The purpose of this study is to compare functional outcome, and patient satisfaction, internet-based rehabilitation program vs. standard outpatient physical therapy after unilateral knee arthroscopy for meniscal tear.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Physical Therapy
• Intervention / Treatment: Procedure: Traditional Outpatient Physical Therapy; Procedure: FORCE therapeutics (physical therapy)

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 167
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Pennsylvania
    • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 19107
      • Rothman Orthopaedic Institute

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Any patient undergoing unilateral primary knee arthroscopy for meniscal tear
• Any patient 18 years or older

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients without access to the Internet
• Post-traumatic osteoarthritis
• Patients with ligamentous injury
• Patients with full thickness cartilage defects
• Patients with osteoarthritis or inflammatory arthritis
• Revision or conversion knee arthroscopy
• Patients receiving workers compensations
• Patients discharged to a rehabilitation unit or other form of respite care such as a skilled nursing facility, acute rehabilitation center, convalescent home, long-term care facility or nursing home.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Traditional Physical Therapy; Participants who have undergone primary unilateral knee arthroscopy will undergo 6 weeks of formal outpatient physical therapy	Procedure: Traditional Outpatient Physical Therapy; 6 weeks of outpatient physical therapy following arthroscopic knee surgery
Active Comparator: Internet Based Physical Therapy; Participants who have undergone primary unilateral knee arthroscopy will undergo 6 weeks of internet based rehabilitation regime in the home through the online recovery program, FORCE Therapeutics	Procedure: FORCE therapeutics (physical therapy); 6 weeks of internet based physical therapy following arthroscopic knee surgery

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Postoperative Knee Function	Investigators will be measuring whether there is an increase in participants function as assessed by the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) Subjective Knee Evaluation. This will be measured on a scale of 0-100 with 0 being the lowest level of function and 100 being the highest level of function	4 months
Cost analysis	cost analysis survey will be completed by participants to determine if there is a difference in outpatient physical therapy versus internet based physical therapy	4 months
Postoperative Physical therapy Patient Satisfaction	Participant satisfaction with physical therapy will be assessed using the physical therapy satisfaction evaluation. This consist of a single question asking the participant how satisfied they are with their surgery on a scale of 0-10. 0 being not satisfied at all and 10 being extremely satisfied.	4 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Rothman Institute Orthopaedics

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): July 30, 2017
• Primary Completion (Actual): February 19, 2019
• Study Completion (Actual): February 19, 2019

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 31, 2021
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 12, 2021
• First Posted (Actual): April 13, 2021

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 13, 2021
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 12, 2021
• Last Verified: April 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Dermatologic Agents; Keratolytic Agents; Coal Tar
• Other Study ID Numbers: DMAZ17D.288

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No