Influence of a 6-week arm exercise program on walking ability and health status after hip arthroplasty: a 1-year follow-up pilot study.
The influence of an upper-limb interval-training program after total hip arthroplasty (THA) in elderly patients was studied during a 1 yr follow-up on health status and walking ability. After surgery, 14 patients were randomly assigned to the control group that started a 6 wk general rehabilitation program or the training group that combined it with an interval exercise program on an arm ergometer. A Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC) Osteoarthritis Index was completed 1 mo before and 2 mo and 1 yr after surgery. A 6 min walking test was performed at 2 mo and 1 yr after surgery. The training group covered a significantly longer distance than the control group in the 6 min walk test and obtained significantly lower WOMAC scores both at 2 mo and 1 yr after surgery. However, both groups significantly improved in WOMAC and in their performance during the survey. Endurance-type upper-body aerobic training in a rehabilitation program might be important after THA.
Maire
Jérôme
J
Laboratoire des Sciences du Sport, Université de Franche-Comté, Besançon, France.
Dugué
Benoit
B
Faillenet-Maire
Anne-Françoise
AF
Smolander
Juhani
J
Tordi
Nicolas
N
Parratte
Bernard
B
Grange
Céline
C
Rouillon
Jean-Denis
JD
D000368:Aged; D001132:Arm; D019644:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D013997:Time Factors; D016138:Walking