The effect of visual stimulation on kinesiophobia level and functional outcomes after total knee arthroplasty in patients with high kinesiophobia

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of the video of full flexion-extension movement of the operated knee on kinesiophobia level and functional results in the postoperative rehabilitation period in patients with high level of kinesiophobia who underwent total knee prosthesis surgery. For this purpose sixty patients with a preoperative Tampa Kinesiophobia Scale score above 39.5 and who underwent total knee replacement were included in this prospective study. The patients were randomly divided into two groups based on whether the video of their knee motion was captured. All patients were evaluated by using Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia, SF-36 short form, Visual Analogue Scale, Range of Motion and 2-minute walk test before and 6 months after the surgery. As a results of the study the reduction in kinesiophobia level was not significant in either of the groups. There were significant improvements in both groups in terms of pain reduction, better range of motion and 2-minute walk test results. There was no significant difference between the two groups in the 2-minute walk test, but the improvement in pain reduction, knee flexion angle and quality of life were observed to be superior in the study group compared to the control group at the 6 month evaluation. At the end: Our results suggest that the rehabilitation performed with the help of the video as a visual stimulus is effective on increasing range of motion, reducing pain level and improving quality of life but not effective on levels of kinesiophobia.