Quality of Life Following High-Intensity Rehabilitation Programme After Total Knee Arthroplasties

<ns3:p>Introduction: Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a leading cause of disability. In advanced knee OA, the preferred treatment is total knee arthroplasty (TKA) when conservative therapies fail. Although TKA reduces pain, achieving full functional recovery is challenging.Objectives: The aim of this study is to examine the impact of a high-intensity (HI) rehabilitation protocol on quality of life (QoL) and functional outcomes in post-TKA patients.Materials and Methods: This prospective, single-centre cohort study included 41 patients undergoing unilateral TKA in a hospital unit. Patients participated in an HI rehabilitation programme involving supervised exercises during hospitalisation and outpatient follow-ups over 12 weeks. Assessments of QoL and function were conducted preoperatively and at 4, 12, and 24 weeks postoperatively using the Western Ontario McMaster Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), 12-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) and Barthel Index.Results: Significant improvements were observed in pain, stiffness, physical function, and overall QoL at all post-intervention time points (p&lt;0.05). Regarding the percentage of change, the median in total WOMAC was 96 (80.92-98.48), in total SF 12, it reached 167.65 (79.57-295.65), and in total Barthel index, the value was 25 (17.65-42.86). QoL gains were consistent regardless of demographic factors such as age, body mass index (BMI) or prior TKA history; however, mental health composite scores correlated positively with age and inversely with BMI. No correlation was found between preoperative measures and patient variables such as age, duration of illness or BMI (p≥0.05).Conclusion: HI rehabilitation post-TKA effectively enhances QoL and functional outcomes, supporting its role in postoperative care. Given the observed benefits, implementing structured rehabilitation protocols can optimise recovery for TKA patients. Future research should focus on identifying optimal rehabilitation strategies for certain subgroups, exploring how adjustments to protocol parameters (e.g., exercise type, intensity, progression) based on individual patient characteristics to optimize recovery</ns3:p>