Advice via video teleconference after knee replacement surgery can work as well as in-person rehabilitation

After knee replacement surgery, people who have rehabilitation via video teleconference (telerehabilitation) had comparable outcomes to people who had face-to-face rehabilitation, says a study in The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
Experts split 205 people who had just had a total knee replacement op into two groups. One group had face-to-face home visits (“standard” post-surgical rehabilitation) and the other group had in-home telerehabilitation using interactive video conferencing. Both groups had the same instructions and number of interactions with a physicotherapist for two months.

The results
Pain, function and stiffness scores were identical two months after hospital discharge in both groups. Four months after discharge, these outcomes remained comparable between the groups.
Range of motion, strength, activity and quality of life outcomes were similar between the groups at two and four months after discharge.

The implications
“This study is the first to provide strong evidence for use of telerehabilitation as an alternative to conventional face-to-face care following total knee replacement surgery,” says Dr Hélène Moffet, lead study author. “For patients, the advantages of telerehabilitation are numerous. First, they may receive the same quality services in their home environment with predetermined appointments and without travel. Many patients do not receive appropriate rehabilitation, or a limited number of rehabilitation appointments, because of the required travel time or a shortage of available therapists.

“Telerehabilitaiton also shows promise in rural or underserved regions, and may substitute for, or complement, face-to-face care. This is important information for patients, as well as surgeons, clinicians and clinic managers who are interested in incorporating this type of innovative service into their practice as it becomes more widely available.”

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Image credit: Sh4rp