A Portable System for Remote Rehabilitation Following a Total Knee Replacement: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Clinical Study.

Rehabilitation has been shown to improve functional outcomes following total knee replacement (TKR). However, its delivery and associated costs are highly variable. The authors have developed and previously validated the accuracy of a remote (wearable) rehabilitation monitoring platform (). The present study's objective was to assess the feasibility of utilizing for the remote management of rehabilitation after TKR and to determine a preliminary estimate of the effects of the system on the value of rehabilitation. Specifically, we tested post-operative outpatient rehabilitation supplemented with (n = 13) by comparing it to a standard post-operative outpatient rehabilitation program (n = 12) using a randomized design. Attrition rates were relatively low and not significantly different between groups, indicating that participants found both interventions acceptable. A small (not statistically significant) decrease in the number of physical therapy visits was observed in the Group, therefore no significant difference in total cost could be observed. All patients and physical therapists in the Group indicated that they would use the system again in the future. Therefore, the next steps are to address the concerns identified in this pilot study and to expand the platform to include behavioral change strategies prior to conducting a full-scale randomized controlled trial. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02646761 ": A Portable Joint Function Monitoring and Training System for Remote Rehabilitation Following TKA" 6 January 2016.