Impaired proprioceptive accuracy could be a risk factor for progression of gait limitations in knee osteoarthritis patients, even after the Total Knee Replacement (TKR). Recent studies on Virtual Reality (VR) in rehabilitation show its efficacy in restoring proprioceptive capacity, postural control and gait. However, literature lacks such studies in TKR patients. This preliminary study aims to evaluate the efficacy of a VR system for the enhancement of motor skills in TKR patients compared to a traditional approach of rehabilitation.
In this randomized controlled trial (RCT), the randomization of the sample will be performed by a local software and in a single blind design. Forty patients will be enrolled and after giving the informed consent, assigned to two groups : * the experimental group (VRG), which will be undergone to treatment with virtual reality for the recovery of load distribution and proper gait pattern; * the control group (CG), which will be undergone to a traditional rehabilitation addressed to recovery of correct gait pattern for the same time period as VRG. Both treatments consist in 15 sessions, at least 5 per week , each lasting 45 minutes. Both VRG or CG will last for 21 days from the start of treatment. All patients, in adjunction to Virtual Reality Rehabilitation (EG) or Traditional Rehabilitation (CG), will execute a global rehabilitation project, consisting in Physiotherapy, Physical Therapies for pain and inflammation control, and Occupational Therapy, personalized by a multidisciplinary rehabilitation team for a minimum of 150-180 minutes per day, and according to their clinical conditions for them. The purposes of this study in detail are: 1. Observing differences in the distribution of the bi-podalic load in the group that performs a re-education with virtual reality compared to those who perform the traditional treatment. 2. Observing differences in the recovery time of a correct pattern of gait in the group that performs a re-education with virtual reality compared to those who perform a traditional treatment. 3. Observing changes in neurophysiological patterns in the two groups.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
Virtual Reality Rehabilitation System
IRCCS San Raffaele Pisana
Roma, RM, Italy
Change in Time Up and Go (TUG)
The TUG is a timed test used to assess mobility, balance, and walking in people with balance impairments. The subject must stand up from a chair (which should not be leaned up against a wall), walk a distance of 3 meters, turn around, walk back to the chair and sit down - all performed as quickly and as safely as possible.
Time frame: Session 1 (baseline) and session 15 (day 21)
Change in 10 Meter Walk Test (10-MWT)
The 10-MWT examine the patient's gait speed. Patients will be directed to walk at their preferred maximum but safe speed. Patients will be positioned 1 meter before the start line and instructed to walk the entire distance and past the end line approximately 1 meter. The distance before and after the course are meant to minimize the effect of acceleration and deceleration. Time will be recorded using a stopwatch and recorded to the one hundredth of a second (ex: 2.15 second). The test will be recorded 3 times, with adequate rest in between. The average of the 3 times should be recorded.
Time frame: Session 1 (baseline) and session 15 (day 21)
Change in Medical Research Council scale (MRC)
The MRC will be used to evaluate the muscle strength of Quadriceps Femoris (QF) and Tibialis Anterior (TA). The muscle scale grades muscle power on a scale of 0 to 5 in relation to the maximum expected for that muscle.
Time frame: Session 1 (baseline) and session 15 (day 21)
Change in Visual Analog Scale (VAS)
VAS is a 0-10 rating scale for pain which is used to gain a subjective report of the intensity of a person's pain. Zero represents "no pain" and ten represents "the most intense pain imaginable". A meaningful change would be plus or minus 3 points.
Time frame: Session 1 (baseline) and session 15 (day 21)
Change in Barthel Index (BI)
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SINGLE
Enrollment
48
The BI is an ordinal scale used to measure performance in activities of daily living (ADL). Each performance item is rated on this scale with a given number of points assigned to each level or ranking. It uses ten variables describing ADL and mobility. A higher number is associated with a greater likelihood of being able to live at home with a degree of independence following discharge from hospital.
Time frame: Session 1 (baseline) and session 15 (day 21)
MiniMental State evaluation (MMSE)
The MMSE (Folstein et al., 1975), is a 30-point questionnaire that is used extensively in clinical and research settings to measure intellectual efficiency disorder as well as cognitive impairment.
Time frame: Session 1 (baseline)