The benefits of cryotherapy after orthopedic surgeries such as total knee arthroplasty (TKA) are well-documented, and include reduced surgically-induced intra-articular inflammation, lower post-operative analgesia requirements and shortened post-operative lengths of stay. This study investigated whether a new computerized cryotherapy device with continuous cold flow (cTreatment) could improve post-operative rehabilitation outcomes, as compared to standard cold pack therapy, in patients undergoing TKA.

This randomized, prospective, single-blind, controlled trial, assigned 97 patients undergoing unilateral TKA to either conventional cold pack therapy (applied for 20 minutes TID) or the cTreatment, which was applied for two hours twice per day, until post-operative day six. Outcome measures included range of motion and pain reduction.

As compared to the cold pack group, the cTreatment group showed better improvement in post-operative range of motion (P＝0.021), and pain scores on post-operative day two (P＝0.034). There was no significant difference between groups in pain medication requirements. No adverse events were reported for either intervention.

This study found that a computerized cryotherapy device which regulates temperature can improve post-operative range of motion and pain reduction more than the traditional cold pack.