2.Effects of Pulsed Ultrasound with Low-Intensity on Recovery of Physical Impairments After Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Preliminary Quasi-Experimental Study
Munayati Munajat ; Nor Azlin Mohd Nordin ; Nor Hamdan Mohamad Yahaya ; Ahmad Hafiz Zulkifly
Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences 2021;17(No.2):162-168
Introduction: Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) commonly cause physical impairments, which necessitate physiotherapy
post-operatively. Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound is an adjuvant treatment to conventional physiotherapy; however, its effects on TKA recovery require further investigation. The study aimed to ascertain the outcome of adding
low-intensity pulsed ultrasound therapy into conventional physiotherapy on recovery from physical impairments
after TKA. Methods: This assessor-blinded quasi-experimental study was conducted in a tertiary medical centre in
Central Malaysia. Patients with TKA due to grade III and IV knee osteoarthritis (Kellgren-Lawrence grading system)
were alternately allocated into either an experimental group (n=10) or a control group (n=10). Other than low-intensity pulsed ultrasound as received by the experimental group’s participants, the two groups received the same
amount and content of conventional physiotherapy. Participants’ pain, knee swelling, active knee flexion range,
and quadriceps strength were assessed at baseline, week 1 of the intervention, and the 1-week follow-up. The two
interventions’ effects were analysed using a mixed model ANOVA. Results: The pain score and knee swelling decreased (P<0.05), while the knee flexion range and quadriceps strength increased significantly (P<0.001) after both
interventions. The experimental group had a significantly lower pain score [3.07(2.18) at visual analogue scale] and
a greater active knee flexion range [80.48(26.42) degrees] compared to the control group [pain score=4.29(1.54);
knee flexion=67.00(25.15) degrees] following the interventions. There were no significant interaction effects for all
outcomes. Conclusion: The combination of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound into a conventional physiotherapy program demonstrated more promising results in pain alleviation and knee motion recovery following TKA.