ELECTRICAL-STIMULATION EFFECT ON EXTENSOR LAG AND LENGTH OF HOSPITAL STAY AFTER TOTAL KNEE ARTHROPLASTY

The effects of electrical stimulation in conjunction with traditional physical therapy, on knee extensor lag and length of hospital stay amo ng patients recovering from total knee arthroplasty were assessed. For ty patients who underwent total knee replacement (TKR) were randomly a ssigned to either an electrical stimulation group (16 females, 5 males ), or a control group (15 females, 4 males). Both groups received conv entional physical therapy including continuous passive motion (CPM) to the affected limb, ambulation training, range of motion exercises, an d activities of daily living (ADL) training. The experimental group ad ditionally received electrical stimulation during CPM treatment. Exper imental group subjects reduced their extensor lag from 7.5 to 5.7 degr ees, whereas control group extensor lag increased from 5.3 to 8.3 degr ees. These trends were significantly different (p <.01). Rehabilitatio n discharge criteria were reached in 6.7 days in the experimental grou p and 7.4 days in the control group. These differences were also signi ficant (p <.05). The results of this study indicate that the applicati on of electrical stimulation during recovery from TKR can effectively reduce extensor lag and decrease the length of hospital stay. (C) 1994 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation