Development of reference charts for monitoring quadriceps strength with handheld dynamometry after total knee arthroplasty.

To develop reference charts that describe normative quadriceps strength recovery after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) as measured by handheld dynamometry (HHD). We conducted a retrospective analysis of post-TKA quadriceps strength recovery in a longitudinal dataset consisting of both clinical and research HHD data. We created sex-specific models for recovery using Generalized Additive Models for Location, Scale, and Shape.

Examination of exclusion criteria in total knee arthroplasty rehabilitation trials: influence on the application of evidence in day-to-day practice.

Objective: Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) rehabilitation trials use exclusion criteria, which may limit their generalizability in practice. We investigated whether patients seen in routine practice who meet common exclusion criteria recover differently from TKA compared to research-eligible patients. We hypothesized that research-ineligible patients would demonstrate poorer average postoperative function and slower rate of functional recovery compared to research-eligible patients.

Influence of Diabetes Mellitus on the Recovery Trajectories of Function, Strength, and Self-Report Measures After Total Knee Arthroplasty.

Objective: As the proportion of individuals with diabetes mellitus (DM) in the aging population and the number of total knee arthroplasties (TKAs) both continue to grow, understanding the outcomes for these patient populations is critical. The purpose of this study was to determine whether patients with and without DM differed in the recovery of 3 physical performance measures during the first 90 days following a TKA.

Methods: Data collected at ATI Physical Therapy from 169 patients (37 with DM, and 132 without) were available.