Stair-Climbing Training System Using Visual VR Display for Total Knee Arthroplasty Patients

Abstract

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is the primary treatment for knee osteoarthritis. However, TKA is highly likely to result in prolonged chronic postoperative pain. The one-foot-one-step walking style is likely to induce fear of movement because of pain, leading to catastrophic thinking about the actual activity and consequently limiting movement. The aim of this study is to develop a system to induce the sensation of stair climbing through the interaction of the visual and kinesthetic senses. By controlling the amount of movement of the foot and the point of view in virtual space, the system can present a visual image of stair climbing even when the patient steps in a fixed position. This system enables easy motor imagery intervention even for early postoperative patients who have difficulty with the actual stair climbing movement. The clinical intervention experiment confirmed that the smoothness of the knee joint motion during descent was improved by intervening with motor imagery during stair ascent and descent for TKA patients.