title: Improvement in health-related quality of life after unilateral total knee arthroplasty in patients with bilateral knee osteoarthritis.
abstract: To review the outcome of unilateral total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in patients with bilateral knee osteoarthritis (OA) to determine whether unilateral TKA can achieve good health-related quality of life (HRQoL).
  
  
  
  Records of 68 women and 25 men with severe bilateral knee OA who underwent unilateral TKA on the more symptomatic knee by a single surgeon and did not return for the second TKA within 2 years were reviewed. Outcome at 6 months and 2 years was assessed using the mental and physical component summary (MCS and PCS) of the Short-Form 36 (SF-36) for HRQoL as well as the Oxford Knee Score (OKS) and Knee Society Score (KSS) for knee-specific outcome.
  
  
  
  The SF-36, OKS, and KSS improved significantly after unilateral TKA. Respectively for MCS and PCS of SF-36, OKS, and KSS knee and function scores, 65%, 89%, 98%, 98%, and 98% of patients reported absolute improvement at 2 years. Respectively for PCS, OKS, and KSS function score that a minimal clinically important difference (MCID) was established, 77%, 96%, and 80% of patients achieved MCID at 2 years.
  
  
  
  Unilateral TKA achieves good outcome in HRQoL at 2 years in patients with bilateral knee OA.
authors.affiliation: Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Desmond
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Thiam
authors.affiliation: Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Daniel Jing Wen
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Teh
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore.
authors.forename: Hamid Rahmatullah
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Bin Abd Razak
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore.
authors.forename: Andrew Hwee Chye
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Tan
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery*; D011788:Quality of Life; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: arthroplasty, replacement, knee; osteoarthritis, knee; quality of life