• Su-Ru Chen, Chyang-Shiong Chen, and Pi-Chu Lin.
• School of Nursing, Master program in Long-term care, College of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
• J Clin Nurs. 2014 Jan 1; 23 (1-2): 279-87.

Aims And ObjectivesTo determine the effects of health education on postoperative pain, the practice of rehabilitative exercises and functional recovery of total knee-replacement patients.BackgroundMost total knee-replacement patients experience pain and limited physical activities during recovery and rehabilitation. Many patients fail to implement an effective rehabilitation plan because of the pain and a lack of practical knowledge regarding the rehabilitation process.DesignQuasi-experimental design.MethodsWe recruited 92 total knee-replacement patients for our study. The experimental group (n = 42) received a health-educational intervention. The control group (n = 50) received routine care.ResultsThe experimental group reported lower levels of postoperative pain than the control group. The stair-climbing ability of the experimental group was superior to that of the control group. The experimental group also had superior scores for regular straight-leg raises and muscle power of the affected leg, compared with the control group.ConclusionThe preoperative health-educational intervention reduced the level of postoperative pain experience by total knee-replacement patients, increased the regularity with which they performed rehabilitative exercises and accelerated the recovery of their physical functioning.Relevance To Clinical PracticeThe health-educational model can be included in regular clinical management and care of total knee-replacement patients.© 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

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