Total Knee Arthroplasty Rehab: Prehab, NMES, CPM & More, with CPG Authors Ally Bove & Michael Bade

Total knee replacements are climbing about 4% a year, and the updated 2026 Total Knee Arthroplasty Clinical Practice Guideline is here to help clinicians keep up. In this episode of Did You Know?, Lori Thein Brody and Jill Thein-Nissenbaum talk with guideline authors Dr. Allie Bove (University of Pittsburgh) and Dr. Michael Bade (University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus).

They explain how a CPG is built, why some recommendations were downgraded since 2020, and what the evidence now says about:

- Prehab: benefits, limits, and research gaps

- Why CPM and extension bracing are out

- Manual therapy, cryotherapy, and kinesio taping

- Resting the knee in flexion in the first 72 hours

- NMES: strong evidence, but low uptake in practice

- Physical activity coaching and wearables

- Group vs. one-on-one care, telehealth, and skipping home health

A practical look at applying the new guideline in acute, home health, and outpatient settings.

Target Audience:

Physical therapists and PTAs treating patients before and after total knee replacement, in acute, home health, SNF, and outpatient orthopedic settings, DPT students and faculty, PT researchers, and residents and fellows in orthopedics and geriatrics