Posts tagged arthritis

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“Prehabilitation” refers to exercise performed before surgery that helps reduce functional decline after surgery. The theory is that a higher level of function pre-operatively will provide a higher level of function post-operatively, thus shortening the rehabilitation process. Prehabilitation exercise has been shown effective at preventing functional decline in frail elderly individuals (Gill et al. 2002).

For the past 4 years , Dr. Robert Topp and his colleagues at the University of Louisville have been researching the effects of a “prehab” program for patients scheduled for total knee replacement surgery. Their exercise program features progressive Thera-Band resistance exercises performed over a period of 4 to 8 weeks before surgery. Last year, I featured Dr. Topp’s prehabilitation program in the Academy Blog after his publication in Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

Most recently, Dr. Topp’s colleague, Dr. Ann Swank was the lead author on a paper in the February 2011 issue of Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. The article described the pre-operative outcomes of 71 patients with severe knee arthritis who had pain that didn’t respond to medication. The patients were randomly assigned to either a More >