title: A randomized controlled trial of home telerehabilitation for post-knee arthroplasty.
abstract: We compared the effectiveness of home telerehabilitation with conventional rehabilitation following knee replacement surgery (total knee arthroplasty, TKA). Forty-eight patients (mean age 66 years) who received TKA were recruited prior to discharge from hospital after surgery and were randomly assigned to telerehabilitation or usual care. Telerehabilitation sessions (16 per participant over two months) were conducted by trained physiotherapists using videoconferencing to the patient's home via an Internet connection (512 kbit/s upload speed). Disability and function were measured using standardized outcome measures in face-to-face evaluations at three times (prior to and at the end of treatment, and four months after the end of treatment). Clinical outcomes improved significantly for all subjects in both groups between endpoints. Some variables showed larger improvements in the usual care group two months post-discharge from therapy than in the telerehabilitation group. Home telerehabilitation is at least as effective as usual care, and has the potential to increase access to therapy in areas with high speed Internet services.
authors.affiliation: Research Centre on Aging, Sherbrooke Geriatric University Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sherbrooke, 1036 Belvédère Sud, Québec J1H 4C4, Canada. michel.tousignant@usherbooke.ca
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tousignant
authors.forename: Hélène
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Moffet
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Boissy
authors.forename: Hélène
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Corriveau
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cabana
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Marquis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008875:Middle Aged; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000601:surgery; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D011182:Postoperative Care; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology*; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D049269:Videoconferencing