NCT03565380

Effectiveness of a Community-based Multi-modal Tai Chi Rehabilitation Program for Patients After Total Knee Arthroplasty

Acceptability and Feasibility of a Community-based Strength, Balance and Tai Chi Rehabilitation Program in Improving Physical Function and Balance of Patients After Total Knee Arthroplasty: a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 53 (actual)
• Sponsor: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 60 Years – 80 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The rate of falls in patients after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is high and related to lower limb muscle weakness and poor balance control. However, since routine post-TKA rehabilitation is uncommon, it is paramount to explore alternative strategies to enhance balance and physical functioning in post-TKA patients. As Tai Chi is a proven strategy for improving balance in older people, the proposed study aims to determine the feasibility and acceptability of a 12-week community-based post-TKA multimodal Tai Chi program and to collect preliminary data with respect to the efficacy of such a program in improving balance and physical functioning in post-TKA patients as compared to usual postoperative care.

Detailed description

This is a single-blinded 2-arm RCT. TKA participants will be randomized to either a 12-week community-based rehabilitation program starting at 12 weeks after TKA, or usual post-operative care without outpatient physiotherapy. A third group of asymptomatic controls will be recruited to provide comparisons at various time points. All post-TKA participants will undergo five clinical assessments: 1 week before TKA, and at 6, 12, 24 and 52 weeks after TKA. The untreated asymptomatic controls will be assessed at baseline, and 12 and 52 weeks from baseline

Conditions

• Total Knee Arthroplasty

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	12-week community-based multi-model Tai Chi rehabilitation program	Participants will receive 12 x 90 minute sessions of supervised exercises over 12 weeks. In addition to usual care, supervised exercise will be held at the Center of Sports Training and Rehabilitation inside the University and each class will be restricted to no more than 8 participants to ensure sufficient personalized attention. Each training session involves warm-up together with stretching of lower extremity muscles, strengthening exercises of the major lower extremity muscle groups by Theraband, balancing exercise, Tai Chi training, and rest/ cool-down. All lower-extremity exercises will be performed bilaterally.
OTHER	Usual post-operative care	No intervention will be provided
OTHER	Untreated asymptomatic controls	No intervention will be provided

Timeline

• Start date: 2018-11-11
• Primary completion: 2021-06-30
• Completion: 2021-08-30
• First posted: 2018-06-21
• Last updated: 2022-03-25

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Hong Kong