Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation After Total Hip Arthroplasty

The study included patients who underwent THA surgery in the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA) and met the study eligibility criteria. The sample was randomly divided into experimental group, which received conventional physical therapy associated with the application of TENS, and control group, which held only conventional physical therapy, both on the first day after the surgery. The pain level, the range of motion of the operated hip and the administration of morphine. The experimental group received TENS application held by four self-adhesive electrodes size 5x9cm positioned about five centimeters from the edges of the surgical scar. TENS was applied in conventional mode, emitting a pulsed biphasic, symmetrical rectangular wave with frequency of 100 Hz and pulse duration of 100 µs, for 30 minutes. The intensity was set according to the tolerance of the patient and was gradually increased during the application. The device used was the Neurodyn II model, by Ibramed. Subsequently, the conventional physical therapy was performed. The patients realized active exercises of plantar flexion and dorsal flexion of the ankles, flexion and extension of the knees and adduction and abduction of the hips, in both lower limbs. All exercises were performed with the patient in the supine position in the bed, in one serie of 10 repetitions. Control group received only conventional therapy consisting of the exercises in both lower limbs, identical to those performed in the experimental group.