Does Rehabilitation After Total Hip Or Knee Arthroplasty Work (DRAW2)

Overall frame: The overall or "parent" DRAW-project is a large-scale project run in Denmark that aims to provide substantial level 1A evidence-data related to the question: Does rehabilitation after total hip and knee replacements work? In the DRAW project, the authors challenge the belief that physical rehabilitation is clinically important - and surely better than "no physical rehabilitation". To challenge this belief thoroughly, the DRAW project holds many individual work packages centered around the same question. These work packages will be conducted in collaboration with municipality rehabilitation centers in Denmark so that specific usual care strategies are reflected in the different trials and local clinical relevance is as well as implementation potential are increased. Explanatory statement: Because the DRAW2 trial was conceived as a direct methodological replication of DRAW1, early administrative procedures mistakenly linked the new cohort to the existing DRAW1 registration (NCT03750448). This was an internal administrative misunderstanding rather than an attempt to obscure trial conduct or outcomes. Following guidance from the Regional Ethics Committee, it became clear that DRAW2 should be registered as an independent study to ensure transparent reporting of its distinct protocol, sample, and analyses. Consequently, a separate ClinicalTrials.gov entry was created once this requirement was identified. We like to document the administrative origin of the discrepancy while confirming that it had no impact on blinding, allocation concealment, or the scientific integrity of the trial.

Inclusion Criteria: Patients having had primary, unilateral THA or TKA due to osteoarthritis. Patients being referred to receive postoperative rehabilitation at our institution. Patients being able to speak, read and understand Danish language. Patients aged ≥ 18 years. Exclusion Criteria: Patients not able to comply with exercise instructions. Patients who are discharged to a nursing-home facility or receiving in-home rehabilitation by home care.