Evaluation of health outcomes in osteoarthritis patients after total knee replacement: a two-year follow-up.
OBJECTIVE
To quantify the improvement in health outcomes in patients after total knee replacement (TKR).


METHODS
This 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.


RESULTS
A 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.


CONCLUSIONS
Both general and knee-specific physical functioning had been significantly improved after TKR, while other health domains have not been substantially improved after the surgery.
Xie
Feng
F
Programs for Assessment of Technology in Health, St, Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, L8P 1H1, Canada. fengxie@mcmaster.ca
Lo
Ngai-Nung
NN
Pullenayegum
Eleanor M
EM
Tarride
Jean-Eric
JE
O'Reilly
Daria J
DJ
Goeree
Ron
R
Lee
Hin-Peng
HP
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D019370:Observation; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000601:surgery*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D016896:Treatment Outcome