INVESTİGATİON OF LONG TERM FALL PREVALENCE AFTER TOTAL KNEE ARTHROPLASTY İN HATAY: A CROSS-SECTİONAL STUDY

Introduction: Falls and fractures caused by falls in the elderly affect their daily activities, creating fear of movement and alienating the individual from social participation. Fall related-injuries are some of the main afraid complications after total knee arthroplasty surgery. The aim of this study is to determine the incidence of falling and fear of movement in the long period (one year and more after surgery) in patients who had total knee arthroplasty surgery Materials and Methods: Patients who had total knee arthroplasty surgery in Hatay Mustafa Kemal University Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology between 01.01.2016 and 01.10.2020 enrolled in the study. Demographic information was recorded from the patient file or asked the patients/caregivers via telemedicine. The falls before the surgery, falls after the surgery within 3 months, within 3 to 6 months, within 6 to 12 months which caregiver/relatives remember recorded via telemedicine. Fear of movement assessed with the Tampa Kinesiophobia Scale was asked. Results: 149 Patients with, mean age 67.06±8.72 years, female (85,9%), mostly housewives (80,5%) was the cohort. Their education time (89,8 %) were less than 5 years, and the huge majority of the patients did not have exercise habits (83,2%). The fall rate before the surgery was (35,6%), after the surgery was (36,9%), within the first 3 months (6,7%), 3 to 6 months (6%) and 6 to 12 months (11,7%). 7, 4 % of our patients had a fall related-fractures including: 2 radius distal fractures (1.3%), 3 hip fractures (2%), 3 periprosthetic fractures (2%), 1 patella fracture (0, 7%) and 2 vertebral compression fractures (1.3%). Tampa Kinesiophobia Scale score was 41(38-44). There was a positive correlation between kinesiofobia and those who did not have exercise habits and those who fell preoperatively (p:0.01 r: 0.31, ). Conclusion: Some TKA patients were falling and had fear of movement. New researches should be conducted about what is the reason that makes the patients posture and movement more stable or which mechanism alters the balance. In order to prevent complications that may occur due to falls, new studies, treatment modalities and rehabilitation programs focusing on the aetiology of falling in the elderly individuals should be organized.

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