Biofeedback Training for Partial Weight Bearing in Patients After Total Hip Arthroplasty

Pataky Z, De León Rodriguez D, Golay A, Assal M, Assal J-P, Hauert C-A. Biofeedback training for partial weight bearing in patients after total hip arthroplasty.

Objective

To evaluate a new biofeedback training method based on visual delivery of information in patients after total hip arthroplasty (THA).

Design

Intervention study with prepost design.

Setting

Hospitalized care in a university referral center.

Participants

Patients (N=11) (age 56.1±9.0y) shortly after THA.

Intervention

A mobile system has been used for biofeedback training with the predefined partial weight bearing (PWB) threshold of 20kg. After the learning period, 4 retention tests, consisting of 3 successive walking cycles without feedback, were recorded for each patient: (1) acquisition test, (2) early retention test (after 30min), (3) the day after, and (4) after 2 days.

Main Outcome Measure

The pressure error and the maximum pressure force at each step before and after biofeedback training.

Results

A significant difference of pressure errors between the beginning and the end of the learning period has been measured (42.5±22.5N vs 3.7±11.4N, P<.001). However, there was no difference between the beginning of the learning period and different retention tests (after 30 minutes, after 1 day, after 2 days). In terms of maximal pressure force, there was a difference between the beginning and the end of learning (251N vs 195N, P<.05). The retention tests did not show significant differences compared with the baseline values.

Conclusions

THA patients were able to use the defined PWB during a short period of time and shortly after stopping the training; both the pressure errors and the maximal pressure force attended the values before training. These results confirm the difficulties to achieve PWB in patients after THA.