RESEARCH - Quality of life after TKA for patients with JRA

[Guest guest]

Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2008 Jan;466(1):167-78. Epub 2008 Jan 3.

Quality of Life After TKA for Patients With Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Jolles BM, Bogoch ER.

Hôpital Orthopédique de la Suisse Romande, Centre Hospitalier

Universitaire Vaudois, University of Lausanne, 4 avenue Pierre Decker,

1005, Lausanne, Switzerland

Total knee arthroplasty frequently is required during early adulthood

in patients with advanced juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. We queried

patients on issues of importance to them, asked whether they were

satisfied with surgical outcomes, and ascertained their postoperative

status. We retrospectively reviewed 14 adult patients (22 knees) with

severe juvenile rheumatoid arthritis who were treated with primary

total knee arthroplasty between 1989 and 2001. All patients were

evaluated by pain and stiffness visual analog scales, range of motion,

the Patient-Specific Index, Hospital for Special Surgery knee score,

WOMAC Osteoarthritis Index, EuroQuol in five dimensions, and SF-36

Health Survey. Preoperative scores were assessed by recall. Patients

had a minimum followup of 2 years (mean, 8 years; range, 2-13 years).

Quality of life improved after TKA as measured by the Patient-Specific

Index. Eighteen of 22 patients rated themselves satisfied with the

functional outcome of their surgery; all patients were satisfied with

pain relief. Final SF-36, EuroQuol in five dimensions, and WOMAC

scores were low compared with age-matched population norms. A mean

postoperative flexion arc of 77 degrees (range, 30 degrees -130

degrees ) was observed. Total knee arthroplasty had a major positive

impact on quality of life as reported by patients. Level of Evidence:

Level IV, therapeutic study. See the Guidelines for Authors for a

complete description of levels of evidence.

PMID: 18196390

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18196390

--

Not an MD