Benefits and limitations of knee replacement surgery revealed in long-term study

A new insight into the long-term benefits and limitations of total knee replacement surgery for people with arthritis has been outlined in a study from Arthritis Research UK.

About 20% of people are not happy with the long-term effects of knee replacement surgery. So a group of experts looked to identify medical and social factors that could predict long-term outcomes of the procedure.

The study

A total of 1,980 people receiving total knee replacement surgery were assessed before the procedure and 10 years later. The researchers found that:

• All of those receiving knee replacement surgery reported substantial improvements in pain over 10 years, but pain did begin to worsen over time;
• Knee function was improved but less so than pain relief;
• Factors associated with poorer long-term outcomes and dissatisfaction with the procedure included obesity, poor mental wellbeing, living in a deprived area, experiencing other unrelated disorders, a history of knee surgeries and experiencing more severe knee problems;
• These factors also predicted reduced function and increased pain in the short, medium and long term.

The implications

“Knee replacement surgery offers greater mobility and reduced pain in the majority of people who undergo this operation,” says Natalie Carter from Arthritis Research UK. “It’s reassuring to see in this study that these immediate benefits continue into the longer term.

“Despite this high success rate, we need to do more to ensure that people who are not fully satisfied with their surgery in the long term do better in future. We hope that in identifying the factors that affect the outcomes of treatment, this study will lead to new and improved understanding in how to address this and further push back the limits of arthritis.”

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