A Comparison of Water & Land Therapy Verses Land Therapy on the Outcome of Total Knee Arthroplasty
The number of Total Knee Arthroplasty surgeries continues to grow each year. Currently, there is a lack of objective data that supports the effectiveness of combining aquatic physical therapy with land therapy verses land therapy alone.
This Randomized Clinical Trial was performed to determine the effectiveness of combining aquatic physical therapy with land based therapy verses solely land therapy in changing of pain, range of motion, swelling and function in 30 patients that had undergone unilateral total knee arthroplasty.
30 subjects were randomly assigned to either the integrated (Water & Land) group, or the control (Land) group (15 subjects in each group). Range of motion was measured using a goniometer with the subject in a supine position. Pain was assessed using the NPRS (numeric pain rating scale). Swelling was evaluated using a non-elastic tape measure. Function was measured using the Knee Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) at baseline, 6 weeks, and 6 months.
Individual participating in the integrated group demonstrated greater improvement in active and passive knee flexion ROM, swelling, pain, and function at 6 weeks. Additionally, the integrated group presented with a greater carryover of function at 6 months.
