Rehabilitation Outcome in Patients undergone Hip or Knee Replacement Surgery using Inertial Technology for Gait Analysis

Modern biomedical technologies are increasingly spreading to overcome the limitation based on the use of qualitative methods such as clinical scales, in fact in the clinical practice wearable inertial systems for gait analysis are spreading to support the clinical-therapeutic decision and to control the follow-up of patients. The purpose of this study is to investigate the rehabilitation outcome of patients under examination in terms of spatiotemporal parameters using the Stand and Walk test. A population-based sample of 30 post-surgical patients undergone hip or knee replacement surgery was studied; gender, age, weight, drug therapy and physiotherapy treatment were recorded. Data were calculated using a wearable inertial system for gait analysis: Opal System by APDM and analyzed using ANOVA test. Overall, ANOVA test between admission phase and discharge one, it emerges that there is a significant statistical difference on six spatiotemporal parameters related to gait, turning and anticipatory postural adjustments (APA). Study results suggest that there is an improvement in mobility of patients hospitalized at the Operating Rehabilitation and Functional Recovery Unit of ICS Maugeri Institute of Care and Scientific Research of Bari (Italy) after only a month of rehabilitation treatment. This result suggest the importance of rehabilitation and of the rehabilitation institutes in the follow-up of post-surgical patients.