title: Total knee replacement--the evolving sub-Saharan experience.
abstract: Patients with moderate to severe osteoarthritis of the knee underwent primary elective knee arthroplasty in a well-equipped hospital in Accra, Ghana. Our main outcome measures was the new modified Oxford Knee scores (preoperative and postoperative scores). Median preoperative and postoperative knee scores were 10 and 42.5, respectively, at last follow-up with a P value<0.05 showing the reliability and significance of the scores. The average duration of inpatient hospital stay was 10 days. Of the seven patients who had surgery, one patient developed a chest infection postoperatively and another had failure of bone graft and required a revision. There was no postoperative wound infection or joint instability. The clinical outcome for this series of patients among other factors has been good within the prevailing circumstances and this shows that knee arthroplasty in developing Africa is a reality in the horizon.
authors.affiliation: Darlington Memorial Hospital, Darlington, County Durham, UK. akin.george@gmail.com
authors.forename: Akintunde Oladipo
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: George
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ofori-Atta
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005869:Ghana; D006801:Humans; D007718:Knee Injuries / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007720:Knee Prosthesis; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D020127:Recovery of Function; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome