Knee replacement is a common operation for patients with osteoarthritis. It is a major operation with a long recovery period. Physiotherapy is an important part of the recovery process because it can help improve strength and movement in the replaced knee and allow people to gain the maximum benefit from the operation. However, not all hospitals offer physiotherapy to patients once they have been discharged after their knee replacement operation.

In this research study, we wanted to find out whether it is possible to run a randomised controlled trial (RCT) to assess long-term effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of group based outpatient physiotherapy after total knee replacement. Further information can be found in this poster which was presented at the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) conference in April 2014.

‌The study started in February 2015 and results showed that a larger trial was indeed feasible. You can read more here in our 2017 publication: 

Comparison of group-based outpatient physiotherapy with usual care after total knee replacement: a feasibility study for a randomized controlled trial Clinical Rehabilitation 2017 Apr;31(4):487-499

Later, the main ARENA trial was funded by the NIHR Research for Patient Benefit Programme and further details can be found here.