THE USE OF WEARABLES AND SMART PHONE APPS FOR A NON-INFERIOR RECOVERY AFTER LOWER LIMB TOTAL JOINT ARTHROPLASTY: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS

Background: With an increasing trend toward home-based rehabilitation, it is important to distinguish non-inferior and improved virtual rehabilitation methods. A Systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to examine the effect of combined digital rehabilitation, including smartphone applications and wearable devices, on quality of life following total joint arthroplasty (TJA), total knee arthroplasty (TKA), and total hip arthroplasty (THA) in comparison to standard of care physical therapy (PT). Methods: A systematic review and single-proportion meta-analysis was conducted employing the PRISMA 2020 guidelines in January 2024. A comprehensive review of the literature was conducted, yielding four randomized controlled trials, encompassing a sample size of 496 patients who underwent combined digital rehabilitation. Results: Differences in quality of life using EQ-5D-5L were non-significant between groups ([Formula: see text] = 0.35, [Formula: see text] = 0.56). In the combined digital group, knee ROM was non-significantly increased ([Formula: see text] = 0.23, [Formula: see text] = 0.63) and KOOS JR was non-significantly decreased ([Formula: see text] = 1.04, [Formula: see text] = 0.31). Conclusions: Adhering to specified inclusion and exclusion criteria, there was limited data available regarding the impact of applications and wearable devices on THA patients. Consequently, our analysis included a single available study that employed the EQ-5D-5L measurement for THA patients. More studies involving wearable devices and digital applications should be considered in order to further test the efficacy of these treatments for TJA compared to standard treatment modalities. Despite this limitation, the findings of this review indicate that at-home treatment using wearable devices and digital applications yields outcomes comparable to those achieved through conventional treatment models for patient rehabilitation. Furthermore, at-home wearable and digital treatments may present a cost-effective and convenient alternative to in-person treatment.