2025 ISAKOS Biennial Congress ePoster
Utilizing Mobile Apps to Monitor Recovery After Knee Osteotomy: Challenges and Time to Return to Preoperative Step Counts
Takaaki Hiranaka, MD, PhD, Sydney, NSW AUSTRALIA
Nicola Denese Mackay, BMSc (Hons), MB ChB (Hons), FRCS (Tr&Orth) UNITED KINGDOM
Adit Rajesh Maniar, MBBS, MS Orthopaedics, DNB Orthopaedics, Mumbai INDIA
Alan Getgood, MD, FRCS(Tr&Orth), DipSEM, Doha QATAR
Fowler Kennedy Sports Medicine Clinic, Western University, London, ON, CANADA
FDA Status Cleared
Summary
A mobile app data showed patients took approximately 5 months to return to their preoperative step counts after knee osteotomy; however, the limited adoption (19% download rate, 7% complete data) poses challenges for its feasibility in tracking recovery.
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Abstract
Background
Mobile application (app) has facilitated step count analysis and provided a mobile health system to support patient recovery. However, no study has evaluated the recovery process after knee osteotomy using mobile app. This study aimed to assess the feasibility of using mobile app technology for monitoring recovery after knee osteotomy and to determine the time required for patients to return to their preoperative step counts.
Methods
This retrospective study included 329 patients who underwent coronal realignment surgery, including high tibial osteotomy (HTO) or distal femoral osteotomy (DFO), and from whom informed consent was obtained with a minimum follow-up of 1 year. The patients were grouped based on the type of osteotomy performed, i.e., HTO and DFO groups. Step count data were collected using the MyRecovery app and analyzed preoperatively and at 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months postoperatively. Statistical analyses included one-way analysis of variance to compare step counts at each time point and univariate linear regression models to assess the relationship between step counts at each time point and the duration required to return to their preoperative step counts.
Results
Of the 329 patients included in the study, a total of 62 patients (19%) downloaded the app and 24 patients (7%) with complete step count data. Of the 24 patients with complete data, 18 were included in the HTO group and 6 were included in the DFO group. Bone union was achieved in all cases. The mean correction distance was 7.2 ± 1.6 mm for HTO and 5.8 ± 1.2 mm for DFO, with no significant difference. Patients took an average of 153 ± 112 days to return to preoperative step counts, with the HTO group taking 174 ± 121 days and the DFO group 113 ± 77 days. Step counts increased significantly over time, with percentages of preoperative step counts reaching 143.9% at 12 months postoperatively. No significant associations were found between recovery duration and preoperative step count or step counts at 1, 6, and 12 months. However, a significant correlation was observed between recovery duration and step count at 3 months (R = 0.241; P = 0.015).
Conclusion
This study found that patients took approximately 5 months to return to their preoperative step counts after knee osteotomy. However, the adoption of app was limited, with only 19% of patients downloading the app and just 7% providing complete data, posing a significant barrier to the feasibility of mobile apps for tracking recovery.