Evaluation of health outcomes in osteoarthritis patients after total knee replacement: a two-year follow-up

ObjectivesTo quantify the improvement in health outcomes in patients after total knee replacement (TKR).MethodsThis was a two-year non-randomized prospective observational study in knee osteoarthritis (OA) patients undergone TKR. Patients were interviewed one week before, six months after, and two years after surgery using a standardized questionnaire including the SF-36, the Oxford Knee Score (OKS), and the Knee Society Clinical Rating Scale (KSS). A generalized estimating equation (GEE) model was used to estimate the magnitudes of the changes with and without the adjustment of age, ethnicity, BMI, and years with OA.ResultsA total of 298 (at baseline), 176 (at six-months), and 111 (at two-years) eligible patients were included in the analyses. All the scores changed significantly over time, with the exception of SF-36 social functioning, vitality, and mental health. With the adjustment of covariates, the magnitude of changes in these scores was similar to those without the adjustment.ConclusionsBoth general and knee-specific physical functioning had been significantly improved after TKR, while other health domains have not been substantially improved after the surgery.