Effect of knee joint icing on knee extension strength and knee pain early after total knee arthroplasty: a randomized cross-over study

Objective: To investigate the acute effect of knee joint icing on knee extension strength and knee pain in patients shortly after total knee arthroplasty. Design: A prospective, single-blinded, randomized, cross-over study. Setting: A fast-track orthopaedic arthroplasty unit at a university hospital. Participants: Twenty patients (mean age 66 years; 10 women) scheduled for primary unilateral total knee arthroplasty. Interventions: The patients were treated on two days (day 7 and day 10) postoperatively. On one day they received 30 minutes of knee icing (active treatment) and on the other day they received 30 minutes of elbow icing (control treatment). The order of treatments was randomized. Main outcome measures: Maximal knee extension strength (primary outcome), knee pain at rest and knee pain during the maximal knee extensions were measured 2–5 minutes before and 2–5 minutes after both treatments by an assessor blinded for active or control treatment. Results: The change in knee extension strength associated with knee icing was not significantly different from that of elbow icing (knee icing change (mean (1 SD)) –0.01 (0.07) Nm/kg, elbow icing change –0.02 (0.07) Nm/kg, P = 0.493). Likewise, the changes in knee pain at rest ( P = 0.475), or knee pain during the knee extension strength measurements ( P = 0.422) were not different between treatments. Conclusions: In contrast to observations in experimental knee effusion models and inflamed knee joints, knee joint icing for 30 minutes shortly after total knee arthroplasty had no acute effect on knee extension strength or knee pain.