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Effects of Progressive Restricted Blood Flow Exercises in Post Total Knee Arthroplasty

NCT07601906 · Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 48

Last updated 2026-05-22

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a commonly performed procedure for advanced knee osteoarthritis. Despite successful surgery, many patients experience postoperative impairments including pain, reduced range of motion (ROM), swelling, impaired proprioception, and kinesiophobia, which may delay functional recovery.

Conventional physiotherapy is the standard rehabilitation approach following TKA; however, high-load strengthening exercises are often limited in the early postoperative phase due to pain and reduced tolerance.

Blood flow restriction (BFR) exercise is an emerging rehabilitation technique that enables low-load exercise to produce strength adaptations similar to high-intensity training. While evidence supports its effectiveness for improving muscle strength, its effects on other outcomes such as pain, swelling, proprioception, and kinesiophobia are not well established.

This randomized controlled trial will compare progressive BFR exercise combined with conventional physiotherapy versus conventional physiotherapy alone in patients following unilateral TKA. A total of 48 participants will be randomly allocated to two groups. The intervention will be delivered over 6 weeks with supervised sessions conducted three times per week.

Outcomes will include pain, knee ROM, swelling, proprioception, kinesiophobia, and functional performance. This study aims to determine whether BFR exercise provides additional benefits in postoperative rehabilitation following TKA.

Conditions

  • Total Knee Arthroplasty Recovery

Interventions

OTHER

Blood Flow Restriction Exercises and Conventional Physical Therapy

Participants in the experimental group will receive progressive blood flow restriction (BFR) exercise combined with conventional physiotherapy following total knee arthroplasty. BFR will be applied using a pneumatic cuff placed proximally on the operated thigh at 20-40% limb occlusion pressure. Low-load therapeutic exercises will be performed under cuff inflation, including quadriceps sets, straight leg raises, heel slides, ankle pumps, sit-to-stand training, gait training, and functional strengthening exercises. Sessions will be conducted three times per week for 6 weeks under physiotherapist supervision in addition to standard postoperative rehabilitation.

OTHER

Conventional Physical Therapy alone

Participants in the control group will receive conventional physiotherapy following total knee arthroplasty. The rehabilitation program will include early mobilization, pain and swelling management, range of motion exercises, strengthening exercises, gait training, and functional activities such as ankle pumps, heel slides, quadriceps sets, straight leg raises, sit-to-stand training, and walking practice. Sessions will be conducted three times per week for 6 weeks under physiotherapist supervision along with a home exercise program.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Lahore University of Biological and Applied Sciences

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Shoaib Waqas · Lahore University of Biological and Applied Sciences

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
50 Years
Max Age
65 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2026-05-04
Primary Completion
2026-10-25
Completion
2026-11-20

Countries

  • Pakistan

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07601906 on ClinicalTrials.gov