Knee-Extension Training with a Single-Joint Hybrid Assistive Limb during the Early Postoperative Period after Total Knee Arthroplasty in a Patient with Osteoarthritis

Tomokazu Yoshioka; Hisashi Sugaya; Shigeki Kubota; Mio Onishi; Akihiro Kanamori; Yoshiyuki Sankai; Masashi Yamazaki

doi:10.1155/2016/9610745

Knee-Extension Training with a Single-Joint Hybrid Assistive Limb during the Early Postoperative Period after Total Knee Arthroplasty in a Patient with Osteoarthritis

Case Rep Orthop. 2016:2016:9610745. doi: 10.1155/2016/9610745. Epub 2016 Sep 28.

Authors

Tomokazu Yoshioka¹, Hisashi Sugaya¹, Shigeki Kubota¹, Mio Onishi², Akihiro Kanamori², Yoshiyuki Sankai³, Masashi Yamazaki²

Affiliations

¹ Division of Regenerative Medicine for Musculoskeletal System, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan; Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan.
² Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan.
³ Faculty of Systems and Information Engineering, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan.

Abstract

The knee range of motion is an important outcome of total knee arthroplasty (TKA). According to previous studies, the knee range of motion temporarily decreases for approximately 1 month after TKA due to postoperative pain and quadriceps dysfunction following surgical invasion into the knee extensor mechanism. We describe our experience with a knee-extension training program based on a single-joint hybrid assistive limb (HAL-SJ, Cyberdyne Inc., Tsukuba, Japan) during the acute recovery phase after TKA. HAL-SJ is a wearable robot suit that facilitates the voluntary control of knee joint motion. A 76-year-old man underwent HAL-SJ-based knee-extension training, which enabled him to perform knee function training during the acute phase after TKA without causing increased pain. Thus, he regained the ability to fully extend his knee postoperatively. HAL-SJ-based knee-extension training can be used as a novel post-TKA rehabilitation modality.