Objective:Total knee (TKA) and hip arthroplasty (THA) are successful procedures in
treating end-stage osteoarthritis when nonoperative treatments fail.
However, a growing body of literature has been reporting suboptimal outcomes
following TKA and THA. While pre- and post-operative rehabilitation is
imperative to recovery, little is known about their effectiveness for
patients at risk of poor outcomes. In the 2 systematic reviews with
identical methodology, we aim to evaluate the effectiveness of (a)
pre-operative and (b) post-operative rehabilitation interventions for
patients at risk of poor outcomes following TKA and THA.Methods:The 2 systematic reviews will follow the principles and recommendations
outlined in the Cochrane Handbook. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs)
and pilot RCTs will be searched in 6 databases: CINAHL, MEDLINE, Embase, Web
of Science, Pedro, and OTseeker. Eligible studies including patients at risk
of poor outcomes and evaluating rehabilitation interventions following and
preceding arthroplasty will be considered for inclusion. Primary outcomes
will include performance-based tests and functional patient-reported outcome
measures, and secondary outcomes will include health-related quality of life
and pain. The quality of eligible RCTs will be evaluated using the
Cochrane’s risk of bias tool, and the strength of evidence will be assessed
using the Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation
(GRADE).Discussion:These reviews will synthesize the evidence regarding the effectiveness of
pre-and post-operative rehabilitation interventions for patients at risk of
poor outcomes, which in turn may inform practitioners and patients in
planning and implementing the most optimal rehabilitation programs to
achieve the best outcomes after arthroplasty.Systematic Review Registration:PROSPERO CRD42022355574