Abstract
There is a paucity of research applying fully immersive virtual reality (VR) training to older adults with degenerative joint disease. This study investigated the effects of a training program utilizing fully immersive VR games on proprioception and gait ability in older patients with degenerative arthritis who had undergone total knee arthroplasty. This randomized controlled trial enrolled patients aged ≥65 years who were diagnosed with knee joint arthritis and had undergone knee arthroplasty followed by physical therapy. Participants were randomly assigned to an experimental group (receiving training using fully immersive VR games along with regular physical therapy) and a control group (receiving only regular physical therapy). The intervention was conducted five times a week for four weeks. Knee joint proprioception was measured using Biodex before and after the intervention. Spatial-temporal gait variables were collected using OptoGait for gait assessment. There was a significant decrease in the absolute error values of proprioception after the intervention in the experimental group, compared to before (p < 0.05), indicating improvement in proprioception. Gait speed, step count, and stride length improved significantly (p < 0.05, p < 0.01), demonstrating an enhancement in gait ability. The experimental group showed significantly greater improvements in gait speed, step count, and stride length than the control group (p < 0.01). Training using a fully immersive VR exercise program may have potential benefits for improving proprioception and gait parameters in patients who have undergone total knee arthroplasty. Fully immersive VR game-based training can be utilized as an effective rehabilitation intervention for patients undergoing knee arthroplasty in the future.