An interventional study of Nurse-Led Early Standing Active Exercise Program and Routine Postoperative Rehabilitation in Lumbar Disc Herniation, Lumbar Spinal Stenosis and Lumbar Spondylolisthesis, sponsored by Xuanwu Hospital, Beijing. Completed at 1 site in China. Open to participants aged 65 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-10-13.
Sponsored by Xuanwu Hospital, Beijing · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
This single-center, randomized controlled trial aimed to evaluate the effects of a nurse-led early standing active exercise program on postoperative functional recovery in older adults undergoing short-segment lumbar fusion.
A total of 108 participants aged 65 years or older were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to an intervention group or a control group. Both groups received routine postoperative rehabilitation. The intervention group additionally received a nurse-led standing exercise program initiated 16-24 hours after surgery, following a clinical safety assessment, and continued daily until hospital discharge.
The primary outcome was the six-minute walk distance, assessed before surgery and one day before discharge. Secondary outcomes included functional disability, pain intensity, and exercise adherence.
This single-center, parallel-group randomized controlled trial was conducted in the Department of Orthopedics at Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
Eligible participants were adults aged 65 years or older undergoing elective one- or two-level lumbar fusion for degenerative lumbar disorders. Participants were randomly assigned to either routine postoperative rehabilitation or routine rehabilitation supplemented with a nurse-led early standing active exercise program.
The additional exercise program comprised four standing exercises, initiated 16-24 hours after surgery following a clinical safety assessment and continued daily until discharge. Exercise intensity was adjusted according to individual tolerance, with nurses providing on-site supervision.
Outcome assessments were conducted before surgery and one day before discharge. Pain intensity was additionally assessed on the morning of postoperative day 1. The study used an open-label design, with outcome assessments primarily performed by nurses involved in delivering the intervention.
489 studies on the registry are indexed under Intervertebral Disc Displacement; 104 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 108 is above the median of 64 across 353 interventional studies indexed under Intervertebral Disc Displacement.
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Participants received routine postoperative rehabilitation plus a nurse-led early standing active exercise program initiated after surgery following a clinical safety assessment. The program was supervised by nurses and continued during the postoperative hospital stay.
Behavioral: Nurse-Led Early Standing Active Exercise Program · Behavioral: Routine Postoperative Rehabilitation
Participants received routine postoperative rehabilitation according to the standard clinical care pathway during the postoperative hospital stay and did not receive the additional nurse-led early standing active exercise program.
Behavioral: Routine Postoperative Rehabilitation
A nurse-led early standing active exercise program provided in addition to routine postoperative rehabilitation. The program was initiated after surgery following a clinical safety assessment and was supervised by nurses during the postoperative hospital stay. Exercise was performed according to the study protocol and adjusted according to the participant's clinical condition and tolerance.
Routine postoperative rehabilitation provided according to the standard clinical care pathway during the postoperative hospital stay.
6-Minute Walk Distance (6MWD)
Functional walking capacity assessed using the 6-minute walk test. Participants walked as far as possible for 6 minutes in a quiet, level 30-m corridor under nurse supervision, and the total distance walked was recorded in meters.
Time frame: Baseline, pre-surgery; 1 day before hospital discharge
Oswestry Disability Index (ODI)
Lumbar functional disability assessed using the modified Oswestry Disability Index. The instrument contains 10 items, each scored from 0 to 5, with a total score ranging from 0 to 50; higher scores indicate greater functional disability.
Time frame: Baseline, pre-surgery; 1 day before hospital discharge
Pain Intensity (VAS)
Pain intensity assessed using a 10-cm visual analogue scale ranging from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst imaginable pain).
Time frame: Baseline, pre-surgery; postoperative day 1; 1 day before hospital discharge
Functional Exercise Adherence Scale for Orthopedic Patients (FEAS)
Functional exercise adherence assessed using the Functional Exercise Adherence Scale for Orthopedic Patients (FEAS), a 15-item self-report scale covering physical exercise adherence, psychological exercise adherence, and active learning adherence. Each item is rated on a 5-point Likert scale, yielding a total score of 15-75, with higher scores indicating better functional exercise adherence. The scale has demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.930).
Time frame: 1 day before hospital discharge
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
This study is completed, as verified in Oct 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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