Total Knee Arthroplasty: Does preoperative physical therapy intervention reduce postoperative recovery time?

Background/Purpose: One of the most common chronic health problems in the United States is Osteoarthritis (OA). Total knee joint arthroplasty (TKA) is the only effective treatment for long term relief of the pain. As TKA procedures increase, providers are under mounting pressure to identify the most cost-effective method of delivering high-quality, value-based health care. The purpose of this case study and literature review is to investigate the effectiveness of a pre-operative physical therapy program in reducing recovery times after a TKA. Case Description: Mr. M, a 59-year-old male underwent total knee arthroplasty to his left knee. He had physical therapy rehabilitation post-operatively in the hospital for 3 days before returning home with outpatient PT. Upon his orthopedic check up 10 days later he was still using a walker and had left knee range of 5-75 degrees. Outcomes: Included time dependent objective knee measures, functional values, patient reported values, length of stay in hospital, associated costs, and unexpected adverse outcomes. Discussion: Although most evidence suggests preoperative prehabilitation for TKA is beneficial for post operative recovery speeds, more research needs to be done to pin point the most effective interventions for increasing rehab potential and speed. Despite the lack of concrete interventions and uniform evidence, the PICO question was satisfactorily answered showing physical therapy intervention appears to reduce the recovery times in patients with a TKA