title: The effect of educational intervention on the pain and rehabilitation performance of patients who undergo a total knee replacement.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the effects of health education on postoperative pain, the practice of rehabilitative exercises and functional recovery of total knee-replacement patients.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Most total knee-replacement patients experience pain and limited physical activities during recovery and rehabilitation. Many patients fail to implement an effective rehabilitation plan because of the pain and a lack of practical knowledge regarding the rehabilitation process.
  
  
  METHODS
  Quasi-experimental design.
  
  
  METHODS
  We recruited 92 total knee-replacement patients for our study. The experimental group (n = 42) received a health-educational intervention. The control group (n = 50) received routine care.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The experimental group reported lower levels of postoperative pain than the control group. The stair-climbing ability of the experimental group was superior to that of the control group. The experimental group also had superior scores for regular straight-leg raises and muscle power of the affected leg, compared with the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The preoperative health-educational intervention reduced the level of postoperative pain experience by total knee-replacement patients, increased the regularity with which they performed rehabilitative exercises and accelerated the recovery of their physical functioning.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The health-educational model can be included in regular clinical management and care of total knee-replacement patients.
authors: School of Nursing, Master program in Long-term care, College of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors: Su-Ru
authors: SR
authors: Chen
authors: Chyang-Shiong
authors: CS
authors: Chen
authors: Pi-Chu
authors: PC
authors: Lin
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000534:rehabilitation; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D013624:Taiwan
keywords: functional recovery; functional status; health education; knee movement; muscle power; pain; quadriceps setting; rehabilitation exercise; straight-leg raises; total knee replacement