Findings from a study conducted in Australia and published in the March 14 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association suggest that a monitored, home-based rehabilitation program may be as effective as inpatient rehabilitation for patients who undergo uncomplicated total knee arthroplasty (TKA). 

The authors conducted a randomized trial of 165 patients who received inpatient hospital rehabilitation and home-based rehabilitation (n = 81) or home-based rehabilitation alone (n = 84), and 87 nonrandomized patients enrolled in an observation group, which included only the home-based program. At 26-week follow-up, the authors found no significant difference between the three cohorts in a 6-minute walk test, Oxford Knee Score, or EuroQol Group 5-Dimension Self-Report Questionnaire. Learn more...