Rehabilitation after total or hemi elbow arthroplasty: a systematic review

Karin Hesseberg; Inger Storronning; Silje Mari Urdal Sand; Geir Smedslund

doi:10.52965/001c.115597

Rehabilitation after total or hemi elbow arthroplasty: a systematic review

Orthop Rev (Pavia). 2024 Apr 3:16:115597. doi: 10.52965/001c.115597. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Karin Hesseberg^{1

2}, Inger Storronning¹, Silje Mari Urdal Sand¹, Geir Smedslund^{3

4}

Affiliations

¹ Division of Medical Services Diakonhjemmet Hospital.
² Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Rehabilitation Science and Health Technology OsloMet - Oslo Metropolitan University.
³ National Advisory Unit on Rehabilitation in Rheumatology Diakonhjemmet Hospital.
⁴ Norwegian Institute of Public Health.

Abstract

Introduction: Total and hemi elbow arthroplasty (TEA/HEA) are relatively uncommon orthopedic procedures, but physiotherapists are involved in both pre- and postoperative treatment of people who undergo TEA/HEA. The purpose of this article is to summarize existing knowledge about the effects of rehabilitation versus standard care after total and hemi elbow arthroplasty (TEA/HEA).

Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted searching Ovid MEDLINE ®, SweMED+, Cochrane, Embase, AMED and PEDro. "The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis" was followed.

Results: No one has studied the effects of rehabilitation after TEA/HEA. The aim of the only study included was to assess the safety and length of hospital stay (LOS) after omission of casting, start of early mobilization and implementation of functional discharge criteria. Results show that the non-casting cohort had a shorter mean LOS (5.4 days) than the index cohort (6.2 days). The cohort with functional discharge criteria had a shorter mean LOS (3.8 days) than the cohort without functional discharge (5.4 days).

Conclusion: Effects of rehabilitation components or programs after TEA/HEA are still unknown. It is important to focus on the lack of evidence in this field, and plan for more studies to come.

Keywords: Elbow arthroplasty; Physiotherapy; Rehabilitation; Systematic review.

Grants and funding

The authors, their immediate family, and any research foundation with which they are affiliated did not receive any financial payments or other benefits from any commercial entity related to the subject of this article.