Effect of Different Physiotherapy Programs on Balance, Limb Pain and Function after Knee Joint Endoprosthesis

Abstract

Background. Since the number of degenerative joint diseases has been increasing, knee replacement surgery is the most common procedure for effectively reducing pain and restoring THE function properly. In postoperative care, most rehabilitation involves physiotherapy immediately following knee replacement surgery, which is accepted as a standard treatment in most Research aim was to evaluate the effects of different physiotherapy programs on balance and limb pain and function after knee joint Methods. The study involved 20 participants after knee joint endoprosthesis surgery. They were randomly divided into 2 groups: experimental group (physiotherapy applied in the room and in water) and control group (physiotherapy applied in the room). The average age of the experimental group was 67.3 ± 4.9 m, while the average age of control group was 67.4 ± 4.5 m, according to other factors the groups were homogeneous. Testing of functional factors was performed at the beginning and the end of rehabilitation. During functional indicators testing, Visual Analog Scale "VAS" was used, goniometer for motion amplitude measurement, muscle strength assessment on Lowett scale, Tinetti test (equilibrium and gait) were performed at the beginning and the end of Results. After rehabilitation, statistically significant results of both groups were obvious. After the study, the pain decreased in both groups by 4 points (p < 0.05). Range of motion at the knee joint flexion increased in the experimental group by 34 points and in the control group by 31 points, at the knee joint extension – in the experimental group it decreased by 6 points, in the control group by 7 points (p < 0.05). After the rehabilitation, the strength of the flexural muscles in the experimental group increased by 1 point, and in the control group by 2 points, the muscle strength in both groups increased by 2 points (p < 0.05). The balance of the experimental group increased by 7 points and that of the control group by 8 points (p < 0.05). Patient progression after the research showed that the gait results improved for the experimental group by 7 points and for the control group by 6 points (p < Conclusion. After physiotherapy in the room and physiotherapy in the room with water physiotherapy, limb pain decreased, muscle strength and range of motion at knee joint increased, the balance and gait improved after knee joint endoprosthesis surgery. Comparing the effects of different physiotherapy programs between both groups the difference in significance were not observed.

Keywords: knee joint endoprosthesis, physiotherapy in water, osteoarthritis, physiotherapy.