A Specific Inpatient Aquatic Physiotherapy Program Improves Strength After Total Hip or Knee Replacement Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Presented in part to the Australasian Centre on Ageing Conference, December 2, 2004, Brisbane, Australia; and the Australian Physiotherapy Association Symposium, August 27–28, 2005, Sydney, Australia.
Abstract
Rahmann AE, Brauer SG, Nitz JC. A specific inpatient aquatic physiotherapy program improves strength after total hip or knee replacement surgery: a randomized controlled trial.
Objective
To evaluate the effect of inpatient aquatic physiotherapy in addition to usual ward physiotherapy on the recovery of strength, function, and gait speed after total hip or knee replacement surgery.
Design
Pragmatic randomized controlled trial with blinded 6-month follow-up.
Setting
Acute-care private hospital.
Participants
People (n=65) undergoing primary hip or knee arthroplasty (average age, 69.6±8.2y; 30 men).
Interventions
Participants were randomly assigned to receive supplementary inpatient physiotherapy, beginning on day 4: aquatic physiotherapy, nonspecific water exercise, or additional ward physiotherapy.
Main Outcome Measures
Strength, gait speed, and functional ability at day 14.
Results
At day 14, hip abductor strength was significantly greater after aquatic physiotherapy intervention than additional ward treatment (P=.001) or water exercise (P=.011). No other outcome measures were significantly different at any time point in the trial, but relative differences favored the aquatic physiotherapy intervention at day 14. No adverse events occurred with early aquatic intervention.
Conclusions
A specific inpatient aquatic physiotherapy program has a positive effect on early recovery of hip strength after joint replacement surgery. Further studies are required to confirm these findings. Our research indicates that aquatic physiotherapy can be safely considered in this early postoperative phase.
Division of Physiotherapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
Correspondence to Ann E. Rahmann, BPhty, Division of Physiotherapy, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld, 4072 Australia
Supported by The Wesley Research Institute (grant no. 2002/05).
No commercial party having a direct financial interest in the results of the research supporting this article has or will confer a benefit on the authors or on any organization with which the authors are associated.
The Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry Trial Registration Number: ACTRN12608000354381.
ABSTRACT