To explore the application effect of health education based on protective motivation theory(PMT) in rehabilitation exercise of patients after total knee arthroplasty.

Seventy-two patients with knee osteoarthritis who underwent unilateral total knee arthroplasty in Guangdong Second Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital from July 2021 to February 2022 were selected and randomized to control group and experimental group according to random number table, 36 patients in each group. The control group received routine health education, while the experimental group received health education based on PMT besides the routine health education. The rehabilitation self-efficacy score, rehabilitation exercise compliance score and knee joint function score of the two groups were compared. The independent sample t test was used for measurement data, and chi square test was used for counting data.

There was no significant difference in the scores of rehabilitation self-efficacy, rehabilitation exercise compliance or knee function between the two groups before intervention (all P>0.05). After intervention, the scores of all dimensions of rehabilitation self-efficacy, rehabilitation exercise compliance and knee joint function of patients in the experimental group were higher than those in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (t=4.865, 3.984, 5.901, 5.514, 5.304, 4.183, all P<0.05).

Health education based on PMT can improve the sense of rehabilitation self-efficacy and rehabilitation exercise compliance of patients after total knee arthroplasty, and effectively promote the recovery of knee joint function.