Effect of weekend physical therapy treatment on postoperative length of stay following total hip and total knee arthroplasty.

Postoperative length of stay (LOS) may be affected by more intensive physical therapy following surgery. This study was designed to assess whether LOS could be affected by weekend physical therapy following surgery in patients who had undergone total hip arthroplasty (THA) or total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Weekend coverage for these patients was made possible by increased staffing in the Physical Therapy Department. The study group consisted of 84 patients who had undergone THA or TKA and had physical therapy treatment the weekend following surgery. The Control group consisted of 53 patients who had undergone THA or TKA prior to the implementation of the weekend intervention program. A retrospective chart audit was used to obtain pertinent information about control group patients. In the total sample mean LOS following weekend therapy (10.84 days) was significantly different (p < 0.05) from mean LOS prior to implementation of the study (12.28 days). Significant decreases in postoperative LOS were also found within the two subgroups of patients who had undergone THA and TKA. The results indicate that physical therapy treatment the weekend following THA or TKA significantly decreases postoperative LOS when physical therapy resources are increased to accommodate this increase in coverage.