Effects of Elastic Band Exercise on Lower Limb Rehabilitation of Elderly Patients Undergoing Total Knee Arthroplasty.

Purpose: The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of elastic band exercise activities on lower extremity rehabilitation in elderly patients subjected to an elastic band exercise intervention 2 and 4 weeks after total knee arthroplasty.
Design: A quasiexperimental study was conducted. Participants were recruited from southern Taiwan who were over 65 years old and had a first unilateral total knee arthroplasty for osteoarthritis.
Methods: The control and experimental groups comprised 25 patients each. The control group received conventional treatment after total knee arthroplasty; by contrast, the experimental group engaged in elastic band exercise activities demonstrated by instructors, in addition to receiving conventional treatment. Effects of the lower extremity rehabilitation of the two groups were evaluated 2 and 4 weeks after total knee arthroplasty.
Findings: Most of the participants were above 70 years of age, 17 of whom were in the control group (68%) and 16 in the experimental group (64%). The active and passive knee flexion angles of the experimental group were greater than those of the control group (p < .001) 2 and 4 weeks after surgery. The muscle strength of the quadriceps of the experimental group was higher than that of the control group (p < .001) 2 and 4 weeks after surgery. The experimental group exhibited significantly higher physical function than that of the control group 2 and 4 weeks after surgery (p < .001).
Conclusions: The elastic band exercise program shows promising effects on improving the lower limb rehabilitation of elderly patients with total knee arthroplasty.
Clinical Relevance: Healthcare professionals who work with elderly patients with total knee arthroplasty may consider recommending and implementing the elastic band exercise program as a home rehabilitation method for this population. However, we recommend further testing of the long-term effects of this program on a larger population.