Influence of physiotherapy and cryotherapy on knee joint functional condition and swelling after knee joint arthroplasty

Research object: influence of different physiotherapy programmes on knee joint pain, swelling, muscle power, movement amplitude and function after knee joint replacement. Research aim: to detect changes in range of motion and muscle strength for patients after knee joint replacement. Research methods: 1. Analysis of medical documents; 2. “Visual Analog Scales (Vas)” for pain has been used for evaluating pain of operated knee joint of research patients. 3. Shin extensors and flexors muscle strength of patients’ has been evaluated according to “Lovett.” 4. Bending and straightening movement amplitude of operated knee joint has been evaluated. 5. Measuring tape has been used for evaluating swelling of operated foot. 6. Lower limbs function has been evaluated using modified Keitel functional test. 7. Patients’ daily functioning and self-moving abilities have been evaluated by Barthel index, Research results: 1. After 18 days of physiotherapy, range of motion of knee joint flexion and extension, flexion and extension of shin muscle strength increased, patients’ functional condition improved, pain and swelling in knee joint decreased, statistically meaningfully. 2. After 18 days of cryotherapy and physiotherapy, range of motion of knee joint flexion and extension, flexion and extension of shin muscle strength increased, patients’ functional condition improved, pain and swelling in knee joint decreased, statistically meaningfully. 3. After 18 days of cryotherapy and physiotherapy range of motion of knee joint flexion and extension, flexion and extension of shin muscle strength increased and patients’ functional condition was statistically insignificantly different from the group to which only physiotherapy was applied. However the results of knee joint extension movement amplitude between the groups were statistically meaningful. Research outcomes: 1. After 18 days of physiotherapy, range of motion of limb, muscle strength meaningfully increased, patients’ functional condition statistically meaningfully improved, pain and swelling statistically meaningfully decreased. 2. After 18 days of cryotherapy and physiotherapy, range of motion of limb, muscle strength meaningfully increased, patients’ functional condition statistically meaningfully improved, pain and swelling statistically meaningfully decreased. 3. After 18 days of cryotherapy and physiotherapy, knee joint extension range of motion statistically meaningfully increased, however other results between the groups were not statistically meaningfully different