Effect of Outpatient Rehabilitation on Functional Mobility After Single Total Knee Arthroplasty

Key Points Question Are there short-term clinically significant rehabilitation outcome differences following total knee arthroplasty among patients in a standard rehabilitation care group and patients in any of 3 intervention groups using different types of equipment? Findings This randomized clinical trial compared post–total knee arthroplasty functional mobility on discharge from outpatient rehabilitation among 363 patients who were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 groups using different types of equipment (ie, a recumbent bike, a body weight–adjustable treadmill, a patterned electrical neuromuscular stimulation device, and a combination of a body weight–adjustable treadmill and a patterned electrical neuromuscular stimulation device). The Activity Measure for Post-Acute Care scores (measuring functional mobility) and ambulatory distances (measuring functional capacity) at discharge were not statistically different across groups. Meaning This randomized clinical trial found no statistically significant differences in functional outcomes on discharge based on the type of equipment used during patients’ post–total knee arthroplasty outpatient rehabilitation.