Tailoring Post-Op TKA Goals to Return to High-Intensity Interval Training: A Case Report

Background: A projected 1.06 million total knee arthroplasties were performed in 2020. With inactivity-related obesity numbers continuing to rise, it is important to have high-quality physical therapy rehabilitation that allows patients to have an active lifestyle after total knee arthroplasty. Case Description: An obese 51-year-old female presented to physical therapy with left knee pain following left total knee arthroplasty. The patient’s primary goal for physical therapy was to return to high intensity interval training (HIIT) to prevent further weight gain. Outcome Measures: Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS). Discussion: The goal of physical therapy is to guide patients towards being as strong and as mobile as they can be to live an active lifestyle, which furthermore decreases healthcare costs associated with obesity. During their initial evaluation, physical therapists should create a plan of care tailored toward movements their patient is planning to return to. By tailoring the patient in this case’s interventions toward her goal of returning to movements done in HIIT classes, the patient was able to return to HIIT 10 weeks post-op.