IMPACT OF STATIC PROGRESSIVE STRETCH ON RANGE OF MOTION AFTER TOTAL KNEE REPLACEMENT IN PATIENTS WITH HAEMOPHILIA

BACKGROUND: Haemophilic arthropathy is often associated with a loss of range of motion. Total knee arthroplasty is an effective treatment option for patients with end-stage haemophilic arthropathy of the knee. However, even after arthroplasty, the range of motion sometimes remains insufficient. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate static progressive stretch as a treatment method for haemophilic patients with decreased range of motion after total knee arthroplasty. METHODS: Static progressive stretch was used to improve range of motion in patients with a postoperative extension lag of more than 10° and flexion of less than 80°. A total of 7 knees were treated for a mean of 21.7 weeks. RESULTS: Statistically significant increases in range of motion and in Knee Society Score were observed when comparing pre-treatment and post-treatment values. CONCLUSIONS: Static progressive stretch using an orthotic device could be a successful adjuvant method for treating joint stiffness in patients with haemophilia after total knee arthroplasty.