The estimates for risk of manipulation and adverse events are very imprecise and the estimate for the risk of adverse events does not distinguish between a clinical ly important increase and decrease in risk .
There was insufficient evidence to determine the effect of CPM on participants ' global assessment of treatment effectiveness .
CPM does not have clinical ly important effects on active knee flexion ROM , pain , function or quality of life to justify its routine use .
BACKGROUND Arthritis of the knee is a common problem causing pain and disability .
If severe , knee arthritis can be surgically managed with a total knee arthroplasty .
Rehabilitation following knee arthroplasty often includes continuous passive motion ( CPM ) .
CPM is applied by a machine that passively and repeatedly moves the knee through a specified range of motion ( ROM ) .
It is believed that CPM increases recovery of knee ROM and has other therapeutic benefits .
However , it is not clear whether CPM is effective .
OBJECTIVES To assess the benefits and harms of CPM and st and ard postoperative care versus similar postoperative care , with or without additional knee exercises , in people with knee arthroplasty .
This review is an up date of a 2003 and 2010 version of the same review .
Postoperative use of continuous passive motion, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, and continuous cooling pad following total knee arthroplasty.
Three rehabilitation modalities relating to in-hospital postoperative care following unilateral total knee arthroplasty ( UTKA ) were studied regarding their effect on pain management and UTKA outcome : ( 1 ) continuous passive motion ( CPM ) ; ( 2 ) CPM with transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation ( TENS ) ; and ( 3 ) CPM with continuous cooling pad ( CCP ) . Phase I : CPM .  Twenty-two UTKA patients were r and omized into two postoperative care groups : ( 1 ) 12 with CPM ; and ( 2 ) 10 with no CPM .  Total hospitalization pain medication consumption was significantly less for the CPM group ( P less than .05 ) . Phase II : CPM With TENS .  Forty-eight UTKA patients were r and omized into three postoperative care groups : ( 1 ) 18 with an ipsilateral thigh TENS unit delivering sensory threshold stimulation ; ( 2 ) 18 with a subthreshold TENS unit ; and ( 3 ) 12 with no TENS unit . All groups used CPM . No significant difference was found regarding pain medication consumption . Phase III : CPM With CCP .  Thirty consecutive UTKA patients were divided into two postoperative care groups : ( 1 ) 15 with a CCP unit ; and ( 2 ) 15 with no CCP unit . Both groups used CPM . No significant difference was found regarding total or intramuscular hospitalization pain medication consumption . However , oral hospitalization pain medication consumption was significantly less for the CCP group ( P less than .01 ) . This postoperative UTKA study demonstrates significantly decreased total in-hospital pain medication consumption when comparing CPM vs no CPM , significantly decreased oral in-hospital pain medication consumption when comparing CPM with CCP vs CPM without CCP , but no difference when comparing CPM with TENS vs CPM without TENS . ( ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS
The estimates for risk of manipulation and adverse events are very imprecise and the estimate for the risk of adverse events does not distinguish between a clinical ly important increase and decrease in risk .
There was insufficient evidence to determine the effect of CPM on participants ' global assessment of treatment effectiveness .
CPM does not have clinical ly important effects on active knee flexion ROM , pain , function or quality of life to justify its routine use .
BACKGROUND Arthritis of the knee is a common problem causing pain and disability .
If severe , knee arthritis can be surgically managed with a total knee arthroplasty .
Rehabilitation following knee arthroplasty often includes continuous passive motion ( CPM ) .
CPM is applied by a machine that passively and repeatedly moves the knee through a specified range of motion ( ROM ) .
It is believed that CPM increases recovery of knee ROM and has other therapeutic benefits .
However , it is not clear whether CPM is effective .
OBJECTIVES To assess the benefits and harms of CPM and st and ard postoperative care versus similar postoperative care , with or without additional knee exercises , in people with knee arthroplasty .
This review is an up date of a 2003 and 2010 version of the same review .