PhD Conferral Mrs. Danielle D.P. Berghmans, MSc.

“Functions and physical functioning after total knee arthroplasty surgery” 

The thesis describes functions and physical functioning till one year after a total knee arthroplasty. One of the most important findings of our research is that patients in our cohort study were doing well after TKA surgery, implying that TKA can really be regarded as an effective solution for patients with end stage osteoarthritis. All functional parameters improved significantly over time. Some residual complaints remained, however, as the patient-reported outcome measures we used did not reach maximal values. However, the most striking finding was the quadriceps and hamstring muscle strength deficit after TKA surgery. Next, we investigated the impact of a progressive strength training on the muscle strength and on physical functioning.