Developing and evaluating effectiveness of 3D game-based rehabilitation system for Total Knee Replacement Rehabilitation patients

With the development and popularization of virtual reality and motion capture technology, physical therapists have had a new option to improve patient rehabilitation effectiveness. However, there were few studies in the past focusing on total knee replacement (TKR) rehabilitation solutions and many restrictions on the assistance devices. This paper aims to explore how users' motivation and perception of system usability affect rehabilitation performance in a 3D game-based rehabilitation environment. Further, we examine the feasibility of applying Kinect-based method in rehabilitation activities to improve performance. A system called the Physical Rehabilitation System (PRS) was developed and deployed in a one-week TKR rehabilitation process. 27 TKR rehabilitants were divided into a control group (N = 11), and an experimental group, which was rehabilitated with a PRS (N = 16), and had, also, to fill out a questionnaire. The group with higher performances generally had stronger motivation and a better evaluation on a PRS (p < .05). The experimental group showed greater improvement with an average knee-bending angle of 109.38. This study shows that motivation influences the effectiveness of rehabilitation, and that PRS acceptance by rehabilitants was indeed able to strengthen their motivation and improve their rehabilitation outcomes.