Testing the feasibility and safety of the Nintendo Wii gaming console in orthopedic rehabilitation: a pilot randomized controlled study

Abstract

IntroductionThe Nintendo Wii game console is already used as an additional training device for e.g. neurological wards. Still there are limited data available regarding orthopedic rehabilitation. The authors’ objective was to examine whether the Nintendo Wii is an appropriate and safe tool in rehabilitation after orthopedic knee surgery.Material and methodsA prospective, randomized, controlled study comparing standard physiotherapy vs. standard physiotherapy plus game console training (Wii group) in patients having anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) repair or knee arthroplasty was conducted. The subjects of the Wii group (n = 17; mean age: 54 ±19 years) performed simple knee exercises daily under the supervision of a physiotherapist in addition to the normal rehabilitation program. The patients of the control group (n = 13; 52 ±18 years) were treated with physiotherapy only. The participants of both groups completed a questionnaire including the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score, the Modified Cincinnati Rating System and the Tegner Lysholm Knee Score prior to the operation, before discharge from hospital and four weeks after treatment.ResultsThere was no significant difference in the score results between the Wii and the control group (p > 0.05).ConclusionsWe demonstrated that physiotherapy using the Nintendo Wii gaming console after ACL reconstruction and knee arthroplasty does not negatively influence outcome. Because training with the Wii device was highly accepted by patients, we see an opportunity whereby additional training with a gaming console for a longer period of time could lead to even better results, regarding the training motivation and the outcome after orthopedic surgery.

A Portable System for Remote Rehabilitation Following a Total Knee Replacement: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Clinical Study

“…However, non-adherence with the prescribed home exercise regimen may be as high as 70% [26][27][28] and the factors contributing to non-adherence are multifactorial. Early evidence suggests that tele-rehabilitation and/or remote rehabilitation using mobile health technologies has the potential to overcome these barriers and improve access, accountability, and value [29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39].…”

Home-based Rehabilitation With A Novel Digital Biofeedback System versus Conventional In-person Rehabilitation after Total Knee Replacement: a feasibility study

“…While there have been some advances in novel technologies for neurological rehabilitation, there is scant validation on solutions for musculoskeletal disorders, apart from those based on electromyography feedback 29 – 31 . For lower limb disorders, there is only preliminary validation of the Nintendo ® Wii ® Fit console as an adjunct to conventional physiotherapy after TKA 32 , 33 or anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction 33 , 34 . Apart from this, we have found no validation for camera-based systems and only one study published on a solution based on inertial motion trackers 23 .…”

The Effect of Longer versus Shorter Duration of Supervised Physiotherapy after ACL Reconstruction on the Vertical Jump Landing Limb Symmetry

“…The studies mostly concerned clinical and functional outcome based on anterior tibial translation, ROM, thigh circumference, muscle strength, hopping tests, and knee scores [ 15 – 19 ]. Some authors have also studied the usefulness and safety of the Nintendo Wii in rehabilitation after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction [ 20 ]. The good results are being explained by some authors by patients' motivation and taking responsibility for their own progress [ 7 ].…”