Patient Dissatisfaction Following Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Dissatisfaction following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is common. Approximately 20% of patients report dissatisfaction following primary TKA.

R Gunaratne, DN Pratt, J Banda, DP Fick, RJK Khan, BW Robertson

This review found that patient dissatisfaction pertains to several key factors. Patient expectations prior to surgery, the degree of improvement in knee function, and pain relief following surgery were commonly cited in the literature. Fewer associations were found in the socioeconomic and surgical domains.

Conclusion
Identifying who may be dissatisfied after their TKA is mystifying; however, we note several strategies that target factors whereby an association exists. Further research is needed to better quantify dissatisfaction, so that the causal links underpinning dissatisfaction can be more fully appreciated and strategies employed to target them.

The Journal of Arthroplasty
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.arth.2017.07.021