Short term benefits of prehabilitation for Total Knee Joint Replacement (TKJR)

A Total Knee Replacement (TKJR) is a common treatment for advanced osteoarthritis of the knee. Osteoarthritis is the wearing of the joint surfaces in the knee, over time becoming painful and severely limiting a person’s mobility. In a TKJR, worn joint surfaces of the knee are replaced with synthetic components, removing the source of pain and allowing a person to return to higher levels of function. However, the nature of the surgery means rehabilitation is required to allow the person to return to previous levels of activity. A TKJR is an elective procedure with a long wait list in the public hospital system. Individuals with private health insurance can avoid a long wait for surgery and have the procedure conducted in a private hospital, with insurance covering the majority of the costs for surgery. Private health insurance also commonly covers some of the costs associated with physiotherapy treatment and rehabilitation. Prehabilitation is the practice of exercising prior to a procedure to increase the strength and function of the body in order to speed up recovery after surgery. In the case of a TKJR, prehabilitation equates to increasing knee joint flexion, increasing strength in the muscles around the knee and improving general cardiovascular fitness. The ultimate aim of prehabilitation is to speed the recovery after surgery through the strengthening of major muscles groups beforehand. It is current practice at St Vincent's Private, Kew, that patients undergoing a TKJR are given the option to undertake prehabilitation or not. This research aims to determine whether prehabilitation in a private hospital setting improves short -term outcomes after TKJR.