Background: Physical performance measures play an important role in the measurement of outcome in patients undergoing hip and knee arthroplasty. However, many of the commonly used measures lack information on their psychometric properties in this population. The purposes of this study were to examine the reliability and sensitivity to change of the six minute walk test (6MWT), timed up and go test (TUG), stair measure (ST), and a fast self-paced walk test (SPWT) in patients with hip or knee osteoarthritis (OA) who subsequently underwent total joint arthroplasty.

Gender, preoperative function, and other variables were explored as predictors of recovery after total hip and knee arthroplasty. One hundred fifty-two subjects (63.8 +/- 10.2 years) were repeatedly assessed in the first 4 postoperative months. Average recovery curves for the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index, 6-minute walk test, and timed up and go test were characterized using hierarchical linear modeling. Recovery predictors were sequentially modeled after validation of the basic developmental models. Gender was a significant predictor (P < or= .003) of physical performance measure scores 1 week after surgery. Thereafter, men and women had similar rates of improvement. Preoperative score was a significant predictor (P < or= .001) in all models. Patients' and surgeons' expectations of outcome need to take preoperative function into account.

No abstract

Objective. The purpose of this study was to determine whether acupuncture was more effective than sham acupuncture in the reduction of pain in persons with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. Methods. Forty subjects (20 men, 20 women) with radiographic evidence of OA of the knee were stratified by gender and randomly assigned to either the experimental (real acupuncture) or control (sham acupuncture) groups. Subjects were treated three times per week for 3 weeks and evaluated at three test sessions. Outcome measures were: 1) the Pain Rating Index of the McGill Pain Questionnaire, 2) the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC) Osteoarthritis Index, and 3) pain threshold at four sites at the knee. Results. The analyses of variance showed that both real and sham acupuncture significantly reduced pain, stiffness, and physical disability in the OA knee, but that there were no significant differences between groups. Conclusions. Acupuncture is not more effective than sham acupuncture in the treatment of OA pain.

Background: Information on early recovery after arthroplasty is needed to help benchmark progress and make appropriate decisions concerning patient rehabilitation needs. The purpose of this study was to model early recovery of physical function in patients undergoing total hip (THA) and knee (TKA) arthroplasty, using physical performance and self-report measures.