The purpose of this study is to compare two different methods of rehabilitation after total knee arthroplasty, the intelligent wearable project and the traditional way of rehabilitation.

Ninety patients with knee osteoarthritis were prospectively collected from the department of orthopedics in the first affiliated hospital of AHMU from June 2017 to December 2018. They were randomly divided into study group (smart wearable group) and control group (traditional rehabilitation group). Forty-five cases were enrolled in the study group, and 40 cases completed the study (age 68±7 years), while 45 cases were enrolled in the control group, and 39 cases were completed (age 71±5 years). Patients in smart wearable group completed the rehabilitation plan with intelligent wearable devices; Patients in traditional rehabilitation group received the traditional rehabilitation. Assessments was compared between the two groups at pre-opration, 3 months and 6 months after surgery. Including Time-Up and Go score, KOOS score and the ROM measurement of the knee.

Seventy-nine patients completed the study (40 in smart wearable group and 39 in the control group). There was no significant difference in the general data, TUG score and ROM between the two groups (P>0.05). Three months after the operation, the effect of smart wearable group was better than that of traditional rehabilitation group, including TUG score (F=5.914, P<0.05) and KOOS score (F=7.845, P<0.05), also the ROM was better (F=18.018, 2178, 9.532, 45.356, P<0.05). Six months after the operation, the TUG score (F=7.845, P<0.05) of smart wearable group was better than that in traditional rehabilitation group, but the difference in KOOS score (F=54.744, P>0.05) was not statistically significant. The ROM of smart wearable group was better than that of traditional rehabilitation group (F=5.634, P<0.05) just in standing position and bending.

The results of this study show that the intelligent wearable program is feasible to guide the rehabilitation program after knee replacement and has advantages over the traditional way of rehabilitation, which is worthy of further study.