What does this research mean for the field?

Adding short-term blood flow restriction training to conventional rehabilitation improves knee function, maintains quadriceps muscle thickness and strength, and enhances quality of life in older adults with tibial plateau fractures. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.INCREMENTAL. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

March 1, 2026Scientific Reports0 citationsOpen Access

The effects of short-term blood flow restriction training on knee function and quality of life in older adults patients with tibial plateau fractures

Q: What is the clinical evidence from this study?

Study design: RCT. Population: Older adults patients (age ≥60) with Schatzker type III-V tibial plateau fractures who underwent surgical treatment (n=92). Intervention: Blood flow restriction (BFR) training plus conventional postoperative rehabilitation vs. Conventional postoperative rehabilitation and exercise measures alone. Primary outcome: Knee joint function measured by Lysholm Knee Scoring Scale (0-100) (p=0.002).

HCHaitao Cao TLTingting Li PWPanpan Wang

Key Result

Blood flow restriction training added to conventional rehab improved knee function scores at 4 weeks (Lysholm score 83.91 vs 80.09, p=0.002) in older adults with tibial plateau fractures.

Key Points

This study aims to explore the effects of short-term blood flow restriction training on knee function and quality of life in older adults with tibial plateau fractures.
Participants ranged from older adults with tibial plateau fractures, randomized into two groups: experimental and control.
The experimental group received blood flow restriction training alongside conventional rehabilitation for 4 weeks.
One-way ANOVA assessed differences in knee joint function, quadriceps muscle thickness, strength, and quality of life before and after the intervention.
Knee joint function scores significantly improved in the experimental group after 2 weeks and 4 weeks of intervention.
Quadriceps muscle thickness increased significantly in the experimental group compared to control after 4 weeks.
Quality of life scores were significantly higher in the experimental group at week 4, demonstrating enhanced overall well-being.

Study Design

Type

RCT (n=92)

Blinding

Open-label (patients and intervention providers not blinded, outcome assessors blinded)

Randomization

Computer-generated randomisation sequence (Excel RAND function) with sealed opaque envelopes

Multicenter

Structured PICO

Does adding short-term blood flow restriction training to conventional rehabilitation improve knee function and quality of life in older adults with tibial plateau fractures?

Population

92 older adults (age ≥ 60 years) with Tibial Plateau Fractures (TPF) who underwent surgical treatment (Schatzker classification type III to V), 2-3 weeks post-injury.

Intervention

Blood flow restriction (BFR) training added to conventional postoperative rehabilitation for 4 weeks (3 days/week, 20 minutes per session). Cuff pressure was set at 40% of limb occlusion pressure (LOP) for the first two weeks, and 50% LOP for the third and fourth weeks.

Comparator

Conventional postoperative rehabilitation and exercise measures alone.

Outcome

Knee joint function assessed by the Lysholm Knee Scoring Criteria at 4 weeks.patient reported

Adding short-term blood flow restriction training to conventional rehabilitation improves knee function, preserves quadriceps strength and thickness, and enhances quality of life in older adults recovering from tibial plateau fractures.

Main Result

Absolute Event Rate: 83.91% vs 80.09%

p-value: p=0.002

Limitations

Short follow-up period of 4 weeks limits assessment of long-term benefits
No adverse events systematically recorded or reported
Single-center study limits generalizability
Study population limited to surgically treated Schatzker III-V fractures excludes other fracture types and conservatively treated patients
Exclusion of patients with significant comorbidities introduces selection bias and limits applicability to frailer patients

Abstract

Tibial Plateau Fractures (TPF) are a common type of lower limb fracture, which has a significant impact on the quality of life of patients. Blood flow restriction (BFR) training is a recently developed training method that achieves high-intensity effects through low-load training. However, the scope of its application in the rehabilitation of older adults patients suffering from TPF has not yet been thoroughly explored. The objective of this study was to examine the impact of 4 weeks of BFR training on knee function and quality of life in older adults patients with TPF. A total of 92 older adults patients with TPF were randomly divided into the experimental group (EXP, n = 46) and the control group (CON, n = 46). The CON group received the conventional postoperative rehabilitation and exercise measures, while the EXP group adopted BFR in addition to the measures of the CON group. The intervention period was 4 weeks. BFR was measured using limb occlusion pressure. In the first two weeks, the pressure was 40% of the limb occlusion pressure (LOP), and in the third to fourth weeks, it was 50%. One-way ANOVA was used to evaluate the differences in knee joint function, quadriceps muscle thickness, quadriceps muscle strength, and quality of life scores between the two groups before and after the intervention. Significant differences in knee joint function scores were observed after 2 weeks of intervention (EXP: 80.13 ± 5.34, CON: 76.72 ± 5.88, p = 0.004) and 4 weeks of intervention (EXP: 83.91 ± 5.04, CON: 80.09 ± 6.32, p = 0.002). After the fourth week, the proportion of reaching the Minimal Clinically Important Difference (MCID) was higher in the EXP group (EXP: 52.2%, CON: 39.1%). The thickness of the quadriceps muscle showed that after 4 weeks of intervention, the thickness of the EXP group was significantly greater (EXP: 17.63 ± 1.05 mm, CON: 16.24 ± 1.74 mm, p < 0.001). Meanwhile, the strength of the quadriceps muscle showed that the reduction in strength in the EXP group was significantly less than that in the CON group (p < 0.001). The results of quality of life (SF-36 score) indicated that in the fourth week, the score of the EXP group was significantly higher (EXP: 79.63 ± 5.67, CON: 74.65 ± 7.16, p < 0.001). At the same time, the proportion of reaching MCID was higher in the EXP group (EXP: 89.1%, CON: 80.4%). Over four weeks, adding BFR to conventional rehabilitation can help older adults with TPF maintain quadriceps muscle thickness and strength. Moreover, this therapy may also improve knee joint function and provide strong support for their rehabilitation and quality of life. It is recommended that further studies be conducted to determine the reliability of long-term BFR therapy. Trial registration: The study is registered and the registration number is: ChiCTR2400077538.

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Cite This Study

Cao et al. (Fri,) conducted a rct in Older adults patients (age ≥60) with Schatzker type III-V tibial plateau fractures who underwent surgical treatment (n=92). Blood flow restriction (BFR) training plus conventional postoperative rehabilitation vs. Conventional postoperative rehabilitation and exercise measures alone was evaluated on Knee joint function measured by Lysholm Knee Scoring Scale (0-100) (p=0.002). Blood flow restriction training added to conventional rehab improved knee function scores at 4 weeks (Lysholm score 83.91 vs 80.09, p=0.002) in older adults with tibial plateau fractures.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69a3d8d8ec16d51705d301b7 https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-41589-x

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