Does physical therapy visit frequency influence acute care length of stay following knee arthroplasty? A systematic review

The prevalence of knee arthroplasty (KA) surgery has risen dramatically over the past decade. Despite implementation of clinical care pathways, the costs associated with KA procedures continue to present a financial burden to society. One area of cost savings that has invited considerable attention is length of stay (LOS). This article systematically reviewed the evidence to determine the efficacy of twice-daily and weekend physical therapy on acute care LOS following KA. Results identified no evidence that twice-daily physical therapy is superior to once-daily visits, whereas weak evidence exists to suggest a benefit of weekend services on LOS.