Purpose: Presentation of the results of clinical study on new supplementary method applied in the physical rehabilitation of patients who underwent total hip arthroplasty. The standard rehabilitation program was supplemented with the lower limb loading symmetry training based on the follow-up posturography with an adaptively modified visual biofeedback, performed on a double plate posturographic platform.
Methods: The research involved 60 randomly selected patients included in prospective and comparative clinical study in the scheme of the parallel groups. The subjects were divided into two groups comprised of 30 patients each. In both groups a conventional 21-day rehabilitation was carried out. Additionally, in experimental group the limb loading symmetry restoration training based on the follow-up posturography with an adaptively modified biofeedback was implemented. The biofeedback coefficient reflected the distribution of loading exerted on a given patient's legs and was evaluated during the static posturography examinations carried out before each symmetry training session.
Results: The eyes-open static posturography examinations indicated significant improvement in the lower limb loading symmetry in 29 (97%) patients from the experimental group ( p = 0.000003). In the control group, such an improvement was observed in 20 (67%) patients ( p = 0.034796). In the eyes closed examinations correction in the limb loading symmetry was evident in 23 (77%) patients from the experimental group ( p = 0.000247) and 18 (60%) patients from the control group ( p = 0.043327).
Conclusions: Significant improvement in the lower limb loading symmetry was observed in patients who underwent rehabilitation supplemented with the herein discussed training method.