FACE-TO-FACE EXERCISES ARE NOT SUPERIOR TO TELE-REHABILITATION IN RECENT POST-OPERATIVE TOTAL HIP ARTHROPLASTY: A RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL

TL;DR

This study found that telerehabilitation is just as effective as in-person exercise for recovering after hip replacement surgery.

Contribution

The study demonstrates that telerehabilitation is non-inferior to face-to-face rehabilitation for post-THA recovery.

Findings

Telerehabilitation improved TUG test results significantly (p = 0.018; d = 1.744).

Both telerehabilitation and face-to-face groups improved HHS results significantly.

Telerehabilitation is a low-cost and accessible alternative for early post-THA rehabilitation.

Abstract

compare a face-to-face exercise program (face-to-face group [FG]) to telerehabilitation (telerehabilitation group [TG]), in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA).

randomized clinical trial with 24 participants: 14 in the FG, which held weekly exercise sessions with face-to-face supervision in the clinic; and 10 in the TG, which performed exercises at home, with guidance from the booklet and weekly calls from the researchers. All participants underwent 6 weeks of intervention and were evaluated, by a blinded evaluator, in the pre- and post-intervention moments for: pain; kinesiophobia; functional; joint range of motion (ROM); and peak muscle torque (PT).

post-intervention only the TG (p = 0.018; d = 1,744) showed improvement in the results of the TUG, however both TG (p = 0.043; d = 1,876) and FG (p = 0.002; d = 1,854) showed improvement in the HHS results.

telerehabilitation proved to be as effective as face-to-face rehabilitation in improving PT, ROM and functional capacity of patients in the initial stage of THA rehabilitation. It can be considered a low-cost and easy access alternative in this post-operative phase.
Level of Evidence I, Randomized control trial.

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