Tele-rehabilitation versus Face To Face Rehabilitation after Knee Joint Replacement

Background: Joint substitution of lower limbs like hip and knee replacements are viewed as a high volume surgery with great achievement rates and physical restoration assumes a significant role in recovery of these patients. However, access to recovery and follow up is restricted. Post joint substitution patients living in remote territories and those with the danger of joint dislocation find difficulty to recovery benefits once they are released from emergency clinic. Access issues produce extra burden. The purpose of current study was to evaluate whether telerehabilitation performed from a health center to patient’s place after discharge from hospital among knee replacement was practically effective as alternative treatment. Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted on 50 post total knee replacement patients for a period of 6 months at Ghurki hospital. Patients were divided into two groups. Group A received telerehabilitation. Group B received face to face rehabilitation for 2 months. Ranges, muscle strength and functional status were measured through goniometer, manual muscle testing and timed get up and go test. Assessment was done using Fischer exact test at baseline, after 2 weeks and followed up after 2 months. Results: p-value for knee flexion came out to be 0.03 where as for quadriceps it was 0.02 after 2 weeks, which was found to be statistically significant. After 2 months, p-value for knee flexion was 0.016 and 0.000 for functional status. Conclusion: Use of telerehabilitation is found to be equally effective as compared to face to face rehabilitation among knee replacement patients.