Total knee arthroplasty rehabilitation protocol: Whatmakes the difference?

The goals of any rehabilitation protocol should be tocontrol pain, improve ambulation, maximize range of motion,develop muscle strength, and provide emotional support. Over 85%of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients will recover kneefunction regardless of which rehabilitation protocol is adopted.However, the remaining 15% of patients will have difficultyobtaining proper knee function secondary to significant pain,limited preoperative motion, or the development ofarthrofibrosis. This subset will require a special,individualized rehabilitation program that may involve prolongedoral analgesia, continued physical therapy, additional diagnosticstudies, and occasionally manipulation. Controlling pain is themainstay of any treatment plan. The program described herein hasbeen used at the Ranawat Orthopaedic Center over the past 10years in more than 2,000 TKAs. © 2003 Elsevier Inc. Allrights reserved.