Robotic exoskeletons and total knee arthroplasty: The future of knee rehabilitation and replacement – A meta-analysis

Abstract

Objective: Exoskeletons can play a crucial role in post-TKA rehabilitation by accelerating recovery, improving mobility, and reducing further injury risk. This meta-analysis evaluated the effectiveness of exoskeletons in post-total knee replacement (TKR) rehabilitation. Design: Comprehensive searches were conducted on PubMed, OVID Medline, Cochrane Collaboration Library, and Embase (period: database inception to March 2023). Randomized controlled trials enrolling patients who underwent TKR and studies examining the effect of robot-assisted rehabilitation on physical function and pain outcomes were eligible for inclusion. Eight studies (302 patients) were thus included. Results: Exoskeletons significantly improved active range of motion (ROM) (SMD: 10.98, 95% confidence interval (CI): 7.81–14.16, P < .001), passive ROM (SMD: 4.11, 95% CI: 1.02–7.20, P = .009), Hospital for Special Surgery scores (SMD: 7.78, 95% CI: 5.87–9.68, P < .00001), and hospital stay length (SMD: −3.19, 95% CI: −4 to −2.38, P < .00001) compared with conventional rehabilitation. Active and passive ROM improvements suggest that exoskeletons aid knee function restoration and mobility post-TKR, whereas Hospital for Special Surgery score improvements support exoskeleton use in TKR rehabilitation. A shorter hospital stay was an important finding which could potentially reduce healthcare costs and improve outcomes. Conclusion: Despite the inclusion of a limited number of studies, our findings suggest that exoskeletons can enhance post-TKR rehabilitation outcomes and improve quality of life. Robot-assisted rehabilitation may be effective following TKR. Further research should confirm these findings.