Functional assessment of patients after total knee replacement

Introduction
In the society of the 21st century, osteoarthritis is considered one of the primary causes of the occurrence of pain and disability. Arthroplasty is the treatment of choice for advanced degenerative changes. The aim of the study was to carry out a functional assessment of patients at early stages of rehabilitation after total knee replacement.

Material and methods
The research material included 35 individuals qualified for the total knee replacement. The group consisted of 26 females with an average age of 68.6 ± 7.0 and 9 males with an average age of 70.8 ± 9.1. To assess their functional status, the following tools were used: 100-point Lysholm-Gillquist scale, the VAS scale, the Timed Up and Go test, the Lovett scale and the range of motion measurement made with a goniometer. The level of significance was set at p<0.05.

Results
The research revealed statistically significant differences in the measurements of active and passive ranges of flexion and active extension in the knee joint, knee flexors and extensors muscle strength, the VAS scale and the 100-point Lysholm-Gillquist scale.

Conclusions
1 After applying the treatment in the form of a total knee replacement, the functional state of the patients improved at early stages of rehabilitation. 2 The study proved the effectiveness of treating advanced degenerative changes through total knee replacement and the patients’ functional improvement at early stages of rehabilitation.