A controlled evaluation of continuous passive motion in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty. Continuous passive motion following metacarpophalangeal joint arthroplasty. Effectiveness of continuous passive motion and conventional physical therapy after total knee arthroplasty: a randomized clinical trial. Beneficial effects of continuous passive motion after total condylar knee arthroplasty. Continuous passive motion after total knee arthroplasty. Continuous passive motion compared to active physical therapy after knee arthroplasty: similar hospitalization times in a randomized study of 68 patients. The influence of continuous passive motion on the results of total knee arthroplasty. Continuous passive motion as an adjunct to active exercises in early rehabilitation following total knee arthroplasty - a randomized controlled trial. Continuous passive motion versus physical therapy in total knee arthroplasty.
To evaluate the efficacy of continuous passive motion (CPM) in the postoperative management of patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty.
                A randomized controlled single-blind trial of CPM plus standardized rehabilitation vs standard rehabilitation alone.
                A referral hospital for arthritis and musculoskeletal care.
                Consecutive patients with end-stage osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis undergoing primary total knee arthroplasty who had at least 90 degrees of passive knee flexion. One hundred fifty-four patients were eligible and 102 patients agreed to participate and were randomized. Ninety-three patients completed the study protocol.
                Continuous passive motion machines programmed for rate and specified arc of motion within 24 hours of surgery with range increased daily as tolerated with standardized rehabilitation program compared with standardized rehabilitation program alone.
                Primary outcomes were pain, active and passive knee range of motion, swelling (or circumference), quadriceps strength at postoperative day 7, as well as complications, length of stay, and active and passive range of motion and function at 6 weeks.
                Use of CPM increased active flexion and decreased swelling and the need for manipulations but did not significantly affect pain, active and passive extension, quadriceps strength, or length of hospital stay. At 6 weeks there were no differences between the two groups in either range of motion or function. In this series, use of CPM resulted in a net savings of $6764 over conventional rehabilitation in achieving these results.
                For the average patient undergoing total knee arthroplasty, CPM is more effective in improving range of motion, decreasing swelling, and reducing the need for manipulation than is conventional therapy and lowers cost. To determine whether a postoperative rehabilitation protocol incorporating continuous passive motion would increase the total range of motion obtained 6 months following silicone interposition arthroplasty of the metacarpophalangeal joints in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, a prospective trial randomizing patients to receive either continuous passive motion or the standard dynamic splint protocol (modified Madden protocol) was undertaken. Fifteen hands (60 joints) were treated with the modified Madden protocol and 10 hands (40 joints) had continuous passive motion. The mean 6-month postoperative range of motion was 7 degrees in the modified Madden cohort compared with 39 degrees in the continuous passive motion cohort, representing an improvement of 22 degrees in the modified Madden cohort compared with an improvement of only 5 degrees in the continuous passive motion cohort. Residual ulnar deviation 8 degrees vs 12 degrees and grip strength (2.3 kgf v 3.7 kgf) were both lower in the continuous passive motion cohort. Incorporation of the continuous passive motion machine in the postoperative rehabilitation protocol does not offer sufficient advantages to justify the added costs. This randomized clinical trial was conducted to compare the effectiveness of 3 in-hospital rehabilitation programs with and without continuous passive motion (CPM) for range of motion (ROM) in knee flexion and knee extension, functional ability, and length of stay after primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA).
                Eighty-one subjects who underwent TKA for a diagnosis of osteoarthritis were recruited.
                All subjects were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups immediately after TKA: a control group, which received conventional physical therapy intervention only; experimental group 1, which received conventional physical therapy and 35 minutes of CPM applications daily; and experimental group 2, which received conventional physical therapy and 2 hours of CPM applications daily. All subjects were evaluated once before TKA and at discharge. The primary outcome measure was active ROM in knee flexion at discharge. Active ROM in knee extension, Timed "Up & Go" Test results, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index questionnaire scores, and length of stay were the secondary outcome measures.
                The characteristics of and outcome measurements for the subjects in the 3 groups were similar at baseline. No significant difference among the 3 groups was demonstrated in primary or secondary outcomes at discharge.
                The results of this study do not support the addition of CPM applications to conventional physical therapy in rehabilitation programs after primary TKA, as applied in this clinical trial, because they did not further reduce knee impairments or disability or reduce the length of the hospital stay. A randomised, controlled study of the use of postoperative continuous passive motion (CPM) and immobilisation regimen after total condylar knee arthroplasty was performed. CPM resulted in a significant increase in both the early and late range of knee flexion. This increase occurred in both rheumatoid and osteoarthritic patients. The improvement of 10 degrees at 12 months allowed additional important function to be attained. CPM resulted in significantly earlier discharge from hospital. It did not increase the clinical incidence of wound healing problems, nor did it significantly increase the postoperative fixed flexion deformity or the extension lag. CPM can be recommended as a safe and effective modality to achieve more rapid and more successful postoperative rehabilitation after knee arthroplasty. Sixty-two patients undergoing primary total knee arthroplasty were studied prospectively. There were 42 patients in whom continuous passive motion (CPM) was used after surgery and 20 controls. The two groups were comparable with respect to age, diagnosis, sex, weight, and preoperative deformity and motion. The mean length of time required for CPM patients to achieve 90 degrees of flexion (9.1 days) was shorter than that for the control group (13.8 days). At the time of discharge from the hospital, however, there was no significant difference between the groups in amount of either flexion or extension. All patients had venograms performed after arthroplasty; the incidence of positive studies indicating thrombophlebitis was 45% in CPM patients and 75% in controls. These data demonstrate that CPM after knee arthroplasty enables patients to recover motion more quickly and affords some protection against deep vein thrombosis. 68 consecutive patients who had primary knee arthroplasties because of arthrosis were randomized to postoperative continuous passive motion (CPM) or active physical therapy (APT). Rehabilitation in both groups was initiated on the first postoperative day. The CPM group sustained less postoperative knee swelling with more rapid initial improvement in knee flexion than did the APT group, but there were no differences between the groups in knee flexion at discharge. Postoperative pain rating and hospitalization times were similar in the two groups. Twenty-two primary total knee arthroplasties were prospectively randomized into one of two treatment protocols. Ten of these patients were managed in the hospital after surgery by means of a postoperative splint. The remaining 12 patients were placed immediately postoperatively in the recovery room into the continuous passive motion (CPM) device. The study compares the range of motion, analgesic use, hospital stay, and the volume of hemovac output in the two groups. These cases demonstrated two statistically significant findings with the use of CPM: (1) decreased use of narcotic analgesics and (2) decreased length of hospital stay. Continuous passive motion is frequently used post-operatively to increase knee range of motion after total knee arthroplasty in spite of little conclusive evidence. The aim of this study was to examine whether continuous passive motion (CPM) as an adjunct to active exercises had any short time effects (after one week and three months) on pain, range of motion, timed walking and stair climbing.
                A randomized controlled trial was conducted. A total of 63 patients undergoing primary TKA were randomly assigned into an experimental group receiving CPM and active exercises and a control group receiving active exercises only. Outcomes were assessed by goniometer, visual analogue scale (VAS), timed 'Up and Go' test (TUG), timed 40 m walking distance and timed stair climbing.
                There were no statistical differences between the treatment groups for any outcome measures either at one week or after three months. For the whole group, a significant and 50% reduction in pain score was found after three months (p < 0.01). Compared with before surgery, a significantly impaired knee flexion range of motion (p < 0.01) and a significantly decreased number of patients able to climb stairs were found after three months (p < 0.01).
                CPM was not found to have an additional short-time effect compared with active physiotherapy. After three months considerable pain relief was obtained for the whole group, the patients preoperative ROM was not restored and the number of patients able to climb stairs had decreased. To determine the justification of a continuous passive motion machine in the treatment of postoperative total knee arthroplasties, a comparative study of 50 consecutive patients with simultaneous bilateral total knee arthroplasties was undertaken. The patients served as their own controls because one randomly selected knee was placed in the machine while the remaining knee was treated with physical therapy only. There was no significant difference in the range of motion during the eight days of hospitalization or the follow-up visits at two weeks, two months, six months, and one year. There was a significant decrease in the swelling about the knee. The continuous passive motion treated knees appeared to be generally weaker as revealed by more extensor lags and flexor tightness at discharge from the hospital. Also, increased costs incurred from the need for additional equipment and increased staff time made the machine neither cost-effective nor beneficial.
Well-designed randomised controlled trials which compare the efficacy of different therapeutic splinting programmes following MCP arthroplasty are required. At this time, the results of one study (silver level evidence) suggest that continuous passive motion alone is not recommended for increasing motion or strength after MCP arthroplasty.