Abstract: Objective To investigate the effects of early functional exercise on joint function recovery in patients after total knee arthroplasty(TKA). Methods A randomized controlled trial was conducted in 120 TKA patients randomly divided into an experimental group(n=60)and a control group(n=60). The experimental group began early functional exercises within 24 hours post-surgery, while the control group followed a traditional rehabilitation protocol. Assessment indicators included range of motion(ROM), visual analog scale(VAS)for pain, knee society score(KSS), and Short Form-36(SF-36), evaluated pre-operatively and at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months post-operatively. Results ROM and KSS scores in both groups gradually increased over time, while VAS scores gradually decreased, with statistically significant differences(all P<0.001). At all post-operative time points, the experimental group showed significantly higher ROM and KSS scores and lower VAS scores compared with that of the control group(all P<0.001). At 3 months post-operatively, ROM in the experimental group was 118.2°±11.8° vs 108.5°±10.9° in the control group(P<0.001); KSS score was 89.7±12.3 vs 82.5±11.8(P<0.001); VAS score was 1.3±0.7 vs 1.8±0.8(P<0.001). SF-36 scores and quality of life in the experimental group were superior to that of the control group(P<0.05), with a lower incidence of complications(P<0.01). Conclusion Early functional exercise significantly improves joint function recovery, reduces pain, enhances quality of life, and lowers the incidence of complications in patients after TKA.

Key words: total knee arthroplasty, early functional exercise, joint function recovery, rehabilitation, randomized controlled trial