The potential expected effects of telerehabilitation after total hip arthroplasty: A systematic review.

Abstract

IntroductionHip osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that significantly impacts quality of life. When conservative treatments fail, total hip arthroplasty becomes necessary to alleviate pain and improve mobility. Rehabilitation plays a crucial role in functional improvement after hip surgery, as it contributes to full motor recovery. However, traditional face-to-face rehabilitation can present several challenges. Telerehabilitation is an emerging approach, using e-Health tools to allow patients to perform exercises remotely. This technique could enhance accessibility, reduce costs, and increase adherence to rehabilitation programs, but it has yet to be fully investigated in terms of beneficial effects.Materials and methodsThis review was conducted following the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis (PRISMA) statement guidelines. The scientific articles were identified through the PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus and Cochrane Library databases. A qualitative assessment of the selected studies was performed using the modified Oxford quality scoring system. Five studies were included in this review. The risk of bias was evaluated using the Cochrane Collaboration tool. The protocol was registered at PROSPERO (n◦ CRD42025643872).ResultsThe review found that telerehabilitation is not inferior to traditional methods in improving functional outcomes and quality of life. Challenges include methodological differences, demographic variations, and the lack of long-term data.ConclusionsThe review suggests future research should focus on long-term outcomes, including older patients, to better understand telerehabilitation effectiveness in hip replacement rehabilitation.