The investigators are looking to see if using a mirror during knee exercises after a knee replacement helps participants with less pain and/or better knee range of motion.
Purpose: To examine the effectiveness of mirror therapy combined with standard care physical therapy on knee range of motion (ROM), pain levels, and physical function in individuals following a total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Background: Following a TKA, patients often present with numerous impairments including joint stiffness, pain, decreased strength, and impaired mobility. These limitations can inhibit functional progress during rehabilitation and recovery. Mirror therapy is a potential treatment option that may assist in reducing these impairments and improving recovery following TKA. Study Activities: Active and sham group activities will add-on to the physical therapy session and are considered part of standard care, with no change to the current billing process. Both groups will participate in ROM activities, consistent with standard PT care, as part of a billable treatment. The active group with do standard practice ROM activities while looking at a mirror and the sham group will perform ROM activities without a mirror. Interventions: * Treatment will start within 2 weeks (14 days) of the total knee replacement. * There will be 8 sessions within a 4-week time frame. Data Analysis: Demographic information will be reported using descriptive statistics. Analyses will use linear mixed-effects models with fixed effects for Group, Time, and the Group × Time interaction, and with subject-level random effects to account for repeated measures. The primary inference will be the Group × Time interaction.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
30
Using a mirror while participating in ROM activities.
Using a covered mirror, unable to see reflection. subject will perform all ROM activities
Pain NRS (Pain Numerical Rating Scale)
Subject rates pain from 0-10 with 0 being no pain and 10 being the worst pain
Time frame: Every visit, visits 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8. Visits start within 14 days of the TKA and occur a total of 8 times within a 4 weeks time frame.
Knee Flexion and Extension Goniometry
A measurement of knee flexion and knee extension, using a goniometer, will be completed.
Time frame: Every visit, visits 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8. Visits start within 14 days of the TKA and occur a total of 8 times within a 4 weeks time frame.
Gait Speed
Subject's gait speed will be measured in meters/second.
Time frame: Visit 1 and visit 8. Visits start within 14 days of the TKA and occur a total of 8 times within a 4 weeks time frame.
Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score, Junior (KOOS Jr)
Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score, Junior (KOOS Jr) is a short, 7-question survey used by doctors to quickly assess a patient's knee pain, stiffness, and daily function. The raw score is converted to a 0-100 scale with a score of 0 = total disability and 100 = full function without pain.
Time frame: Visit 1 and visit 8. Visits start within 14 days of the TKA and occur a total of 8 times within a 4 weeks time frame.
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