Effectiveness of Anti-Gravity Treadmill Exercise After Total Knee Arthroplasty: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Abstract

Background: Postoperative rehabilitation following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) varies worldwide. In Finland, patients receive guidance on safe walking and home exercises from a physiotherapist both before and after TKA. These are performed independently after surgery. However, a sedentary lifestyle is rather common among patients who have undergone TKA, with pain often limiting postoperative walking, training, and activities of daily living.

Objective: This randomized controlled trial aimed to investigate the effectiveness of anti-gravity exercise, precisely the AlterG anti-gravity treadmill, on postoperative rehabilitation following TKA and to obtain new knowledge on this form of rehabilitation to better use it in the future.

Methods: This randomized controlled trial study divided the patients into two groups: the intervention group and the control group. The follow-up period was 12 months. Research data were collected through questionnaires and functional tests. All patients in both groups responded to the questionnaires and participated in functional tests before surgery as well as 4 and 12 months after surgery. Patients in the intervention group exercised on the AlterG treadmill 10 times after the surgery. All the patients in this study performed the exercises as instructed when they were in the hospital. The primary outcomes were perceived pain, walking ability, and quality of life.

Results: The data collection process began in 2018 and concluded in 2022, intending to obtain valuable information regarding the effect of AlterG training after TKA and determine whether it, along with traditional exercises, could be an effective form of rehabilitation that can be performed at home. We hypothesized that AlterG training would lead to faster rehabilitation, better walking quality, improved quality of life, improved physical activity, and improved overall functioning. The results of this study will be analyzed in 2025 and 2026.

Conclusions: This study provides information on how AlterG training can be used in rehabilitation after TKA, further enhancing the rehabilitation program for patients undergoing TKA in general.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03904030; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03904030.

International registered report identifier (irrid): DERR1-10.2196/59935.