Objective: Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has shown good clinical results when utilized in osteoarthritis (OA). However, limited data regarding the efficacy of TKA in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been reported. The purpose of this study was to assess the patient-based score of TKA in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA group) compared to patients with osteoarthritis (OA group).
Methods: 50 knees of 50 patients diagnosed with RA or OA, undergoing TKA from June 2013 to December 2014, were included in this study. The RA group included 24 RA knees of 24 patients (6 male and 18 female 66.3±9.2 years old) and the OA group included 26 OA knees of 26 OA patients (4 male and 22 female 73.2±5.6 years old). All the patients were assessed using the 2011 Knee Society Score (2011 KSS) preoperatively and at 6 months postoperatively. The 2011 KSS includes four parts: an objective knee indicator, a patient satisfaction score, a patient expectation score, and a functional activity score. Both groups were compared preoperatively and at 6 months postoperatively. The correlations between each part of the 2011 KSS pre- and postoperative scores were examined in both groups.
Results: Preoperatively, the RA group patient expectation score was significantly lower in comparison with the OA group (P=0.029). Postoperatively, there were no significant differences in all parts of the 2011 KSS between either group. In the RA group, the postoperative functional activity score had positive correlations with the preoperative functional activity score (P=0.023). In the OA group, the postoperative objective knee indicator and the functional activity score had positive correlations with the preoperative functional activity score (objective knee indicator; P=0.024, functional activity score; P=0.010).
Conclusion: In view that RA patients appeared to have more negative views about the outcome of surgery to ameliorate their disease in the preoperative period, as health professionals, we should strive to provide better explanations to RA patients to reduce their anxiety. Postoperative functional activity scores had positive correlations with preoperative functional activity scores in both groups, indicating that encouraging preoperative functional activity scores had the possibility to increase postoperative functional activities.
