Application of Smart Wearable Device-Based Remote Rehabilitation in Postoperative Recovery After Arthroscopic Surgery for Discoid Meniscus

Summary

This study is designed as a single-center, prospective, randomized controlled trial. The aim of this clinical trial is to evaluate the effectiveness, safety, and feasibility of a wearable device-based telerehabilitation approach for postoperative recovery in patients undergoing arthroscopic surgery for discoid meniscus injury. The core research questions to be addressed are: to compare the effects of two postoperative rehabilitation methods (clinic rehabilitation versus telerehabilitation) on knee function scores in patients after arthroscopic discoid meniscus surgery; and to compare patient satisfaction, rehabilitation adherence, and clinical benefit between the two postoperative rehabilitation interventions. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the clinic rehabilitation group or the telerehabilitation group. The telerehabilitation group will undergo digital rehabilitation using wearable devices and a telerehabilitation system postoperatively, while the clinic rehabilitation group will receive one-on-one exercise rehabilitation sessions in an outpatient setting. Both groups will be followed up for six months postoperatively, with assessments scheduled at multiple time points: preoperatively, and at 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks postoperatively. The primary outcome measures focus on clinical functional improvement, including range of motion (ROM), weight-bearing progression, muscle strength, swelling, limb circumference, functional scores (Visual Analog Scale \[VAS\] for pain, Tegner activity scale, International Knee Documentation Committee \[IKDC\] subjective form, Lysholm knee score, Ikeuchi meniscus postoperative functional score), three-dimensional gait analysis parameters, and return-to-sports evaluation. Secondary outcomes include patient satisfaction, rehabilitation adherence, imaging findings, and complication assessment.

Conditions

• Discoid Meniscus of Knee

Interventions

OTHER

Telerehabilitation intervention based on wearable devices

This model integrated 5G network connectivity, mobile terminal applications, and wearable devices, enabling patients to perform rehabilitation exercises under real-time video and audio guidance. Patients underwent systematic telerehabilitation training assisted by wearable devices, following the same rehabilitation protocol as the on-site rehabilitation group. The patients installed the software on their smartphones and received a 24-week daily exercise program through the software platform. The rehabilitation training content for each phase was developed by a therapist on the software backend and then delivered to the patient via the application.

OTHER

Clinic rehabilitation

Patients in the on-site rehabilitation group attended outpatient follow-up visits at 2, 6, 12, and 24 weeks postoperatively. During these visits, they received one-on-one, face-to-face systematic exercise rehabilitation training and guidance from a uniformly trained rehabilitation therapist, with at least one session per time point, each lasting 40 minutes. After mastering the essential techniques of the prescribed exercises, patients continued rehabilitation at home independently according to the established protocol.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• West China Hospital

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

10 Years

Max Age

60 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-05-01

Primary Completion

2028-03-31

Completion

2028-03-31