title: Recovery after total hip joint arthroplasty in elderly patients with osteoarthritis: positive effect of upper limb interval-training.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the influence of an interval training program for the upper limbs on cardiorespiratory fitness and walking ability in elderly patients after total hip joint arthroplasty.
  
  
  METHODS
  A randomized controlled trial. After surgery, control and training groups started general rehabilitation. Training group combined it with an arm-interval exercise program (3 sessions of 30 minutes per week, for 6 weeks).
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients were assigned randomly to control (n = 7) and training groups (n = 7).
  
  
  METHODS
  Incremental exercise tests were carried out until exhaustion on an arm crank ergometer 1 month before and 2 months after surgery. A 6-minute walk test was also performed 2 months after surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  VO2 peak increased significantly in the training group (p = 0.0424) and did not change in the control group. The difference in VO2 peak change between the groups was significant (p = 0.0362, +19.2% in the training group and -3.5% in the control group). In the walking test the training group covered a significantly longer distance than did the control group (p = 0.0055, 396.4 metres and 268.1 metres, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results stress the importance of physical training in a rehabilitation program after total hip joint arthroplasty and this should be considered for improving the current practices in rehabilitation.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire des Sciences du Sport, UFRSTAPS, Bâtiment Bichat, Besançon, France. jemaire@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Jérôme
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Maire
authors.forename: Benoit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dugué
authors.forename: Anne-Françoise
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Faillenet-Maire
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tordi
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Parratte
authors.forename: Juhani
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Smolander
authors.forename: Jean-Denis
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Rouillon
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019644:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000601:surgery; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D034941:Upper Extremity