Does Multimodal Therapy Influence Functional Outcome After Total Knee Arthroplasty?

Abstract

Psychosocial health may influence the outcomes after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). We investigated the hypothesis that multimodal therapy influences the quality of life and function in patients diagnosed with osteoarthritis of the knee joint. Secondly, in patients who then proceed to have TKA post-multimodal therapy, does the response to the multimodal therapy influence the overall functional outcome of surgery? Patients diagnosed with osteoarthritis of the knee were enrolled in the study and prospectively followed-up. A total of 526 patients were enrolled and available for the study. All participants were enrolled for 12 classes of 60-minute duration over 6-weeks. Apart from an exercise program, the class also included physiotherapist-led education and a 'weight management' lecture by a dietitian. In summary, the multimodal therapy program improved the SF-12, OKS, pain scores (visual analogue scale) and WOMAC scores significantly. The multimodal therapy protocol can optimize patients' psychological scores prior to TKA and may enhance ultimate functional outcome.