title: Recovery of mobility after knee arthroplasty: expected rates and influencing factors.
abstract: Mobility was measured in 79 people 6 months after knee arthroplasty using timed tests of stair climbing and walking speed. Recovery rates were calculated in comparison with a preoperative assessment. Changes in leg extensor power, knee flexion range, and pain were tracked simultaneously. Stair climbing speed improved on average by 53% during the first 6 months, and walking speed by 45%. In multivariate models, 2 preoperative factors emerged as being influential on recovery of mobility: leg extensor power and body mass index. A marked loss of flexion in the postoperative period was not a significant determinant of mobility speed. At 6 months, body mass index was the most significant determinant of stair speed, and leg extensor power was the most significant determinant of walking speed.
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Research Centre in Health, Coventry University, Coventry, UK.
authors.forename: Sarah E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Lamb
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Frost
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009068:Movement; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000503:physiopathology; D016138:Walking