A new study published in The Journal of Arthroplasty found fitness trackers may improve postoperative activity levels in patients who underwent knee or hip arthroplasty surgeries.
Researchers split 163 patients into two groups. Each patient received a fitness tracker to monitor their activity for up to six months after surgery. One group received feedback on their daily activity and were given daily step goals. The other received no feedback and wasn't encouraged to achieve goals.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Out of the 163 subjects, 95 had total hip replacement surgery, and 68 had total knee replacement surgery.
2. Of those who received feedback on their daily step count, 43 percent had a higher daily step count in the first week compared those who did not receive feedback. Six months after surgery, 17 percent of the feedback group had higher step counts.
3. Ninety-one percent of those in the feedback group said they were satisfied with the results of the surgery, and 83 percent of those in the non-feedback group said they were satisfied.
4. Six months after surgery, 70 percent of patients had greater daily step counts compared to their preoperative level.
"Subjects who received feedback from a commercial activity tracker with a daily step goal had significantly higher activity levels after hip and knee arthroplasty over 6 weeks and 6 months, compared to subjects who did not receive feedback in a randomized controlled trial. Commercial activity trackers may be a useful and effective adjunct after arthroplasty," the authors concluded.
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