Effects of an 8-Week Exercise Program on Dynamic Balance and Activities of Daily Living in Obese and Normal-Weight Older Women Following Total Knee Arthroplasty

OBJECTIVES This retrospective study examined whether obesity influences the effects of an 8-week exercise program on dynamic balance, knee function, and activities of daily living (ADL) in older women during early rehabilitation following total knee arthroplasty (TKA).METHODS Records of 30 older women who completed supervised exercise training after TKA were retrospectively reviewed. Participants were classified by body mass index into an obesity group (OG; BMI ≥ 25.0 kg/m², <i>n</i> = 15) and a normal-weight group (NWG; BMI 18.5-22.9 kg/m², <i>n</i> = 15). Both groups completed the same 8-week weight-bearing functional exercise program (5 sessions/week for weeks 1-4 and 2 sessions/week for weeks 5-8, 30 minutes per session). Dynamic balance was assessed using the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, and knee function and ADL were evaluated using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) and the Knee Outcome Survey-Activities of Daily Living Scale (KOS-ADLS). Data were analyzed using two-way repeated measures ANOVA.RESULTS Significant improvements over time were observed in TUG, WOMAC, and KOS-ADLS scores in both groups (all p <0.001). However, no significant group × time interactions were found for any outcome (all p > 0.05), indicating comparable improvements regardless of obesity status.CONCLUSIONS Dynamic balance, knee function, and ADL improved over the 8-week period in older women during early rehabilitation after TKA, irrespective of obesity status. However, because this retrospective study did not include a non-exercise control group, the extent to which these improvements reflect the exercise program itself versus the natural course of early post-surgical recovery cannot be determined. Given the retrospective, non-randomized design and small sample size, these findings should be interpreted cautiously, and larger prospective controlled studies are needed to confirm the effects of the exercise program itself.