Systematic Team-Approach Rehabilitation After Knee Fracture Surgery Is Associated With Better Functional Outcomes

Purpose: In Western developed countries, patients commonly receive rehabilitation after orthopedic surgery to improve functional dysfunction. In China, however, rehabilitation is widely neglected. An appropriate perioperative rehabilitation model for early orthopedic rehabilitation is urgently needed in China. We evaluated the outcomes of perioperative rehabilitation patterns and promoted the functional recovery of orthopedic patients in China. Methods 668 patients from 9 centers who underwent internal fixation surgery because of knee joint fracture were assigned to 2 groups: 1) control group: received the standard postoperative treatments, or 2) trial group: received perioperative rehabilitation in team-based approach. The visual analog scale (VAS), Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) knee and Berg Balance Scale (BBS) scores were assessed 12 and 24 weeks postoperatively. Results The VAS scores at 12 and 24 weeks postoperative showed that the trial group had significantly less pain than control group ( P  < 0.001). Compared to the control group, the trial group had significantly better HSS knee scores at 12 weeks ( P  < 0.05) and significantly better BBS scores at both 12 and 24 weeks postoperative ( P  < 0.05). Conclusions Compared to common postoperative treatments, patients with systematic team-approach rehabilitation had better functional outcomes and pain relief after knee fracture surgery.