A Comparison Between Intensive and Conventional Therapies: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Regarding the Pre-operative Outcomes After Total Knee Replacement.

Joint degeneration characterized by cartilage deterioration and bone wear is the hallmark of osteoarthritis (OA), a condition that worsens over time. Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is the most common effective treatment for OA. Conventional therapy training (CTT) is the standard intervention; we are testing whether intensive therapy training (ITT) provides different results when used preoperatively. Our study compared intensive and standard preoperative physical therapy in randomized and non-randomized controlled trials, excluding various other study types. Two independent researchers assessed the risk of bias using appropriate tools (RoB 2 for RCTs (Cochrane Methods, London, UK) and ROBINS-I for non-randomized studies (Cochrane Methods, London, UK)). The analysis, conducted using ReviewManager 5.4 (Cochrane Methods, London, UK), presented results as mean differences (MD) with 95% CIs, employing fixed or random-effects models based on heterogeneity assessments. With a total number of 490 participants, ITT showed significant improvements in the six or 10-minute walk test (MD = 45.07m, P < 0.000001), quadriceps strength (MD = 0.07 Kg, P < 0.0001), range of motion (ROM) flexion (MD = 4.29, P = 0.03), isometric knee flexion (MD =2.32, P=0.04), SF-36 physical component (MD = 1.19, P <,0.0001), stair test (MD = -2.01, P = 0.01), timed up and go test (MD = -1.12, P = 0.02), and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) score (MD = -8.43, P = 0.002). Conversely, CTT showed better results in isometric knee extension (MD = 3.45, P = 0.02). No significant differences were found in ROM extension or visual analog score (VAS) pain scores. Preoperative ITT demonstrates overall superior outcomes compared to CTT for total knee arthroplasty patients. ITT significantly improved various functional and patient-reported outcomes, including walking capacity, quadriceps strength, range of motion, and quality of life measures. However, CTT showed superiority in isometric knee extension. We recommend implementing preoperative ITT protocols for TKA patients while acknowledging the need for further research to optimize exercise specifics, frequency, and duration for optimal results.