Do Patients Return to Work After Total Knee Arthroplasty?

Abstract

Background Although there is extensive literature supporting a high success rate, there are limited data on return to work after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Questions/purposes We sought to determine (1) the percentage of patients who returned to work after TKA; (2) what percentage returned to their original job; (3) whether this varied based on the physical job demand category; and (4) whether there were differences between men and women in terms of the likelihood of returning to work after TKA. Methods A multicenter study was conducted of patients of working age (18-60 years) who underwent TKA 1 to 5 years previously. An independent third-party survey center with expertise in collecting healthcare data for state and federal agencies collected the data. Definitions from the US Department of Labor's Dictionary of Occupational Titles were used to determine physical job demand categories of sedentary, light, medium, heavy, and very heavy. Complete data were collected on 661 patients undergoing TKA (average age 54 years, 61% women). Results Seventy-five percent (494 of 661) were employed in the 3 months before their TKA and 98% (482 of 494) returned to work after surgery; 89% (440 of 494) returned to the same job. Before surgery, physical demand categories of

New Total Knee Arthroplasty Designs: Do Young Patients Notice?

“…However, TKA in younger individuals is associated with higher rates of revision and with decreased patient satisfaction [22,33,41]. Although TKA demonstrates survivorship above 90% at 10 years and beyond [25,27,42], recent studies focusing on patient satisfaction as the primary outcome measure have been less encouraging with Noble et al [33] reporting that only 75% are satisfied or very satisfied [8,30]. Several manufacturers have implemented specific design modifications in an attempt to improve patient outcomes, including the introduction of the gender-specific, high-flex, and rotatingplatform (RP) TKA designs.…”

How are we addressing ligament balance in TKA? A literature review of revision etiology and technological advancement

“…4 and 5). 7,23,[38][39][40][41] Recent technological advances have addressed the concerns of revision surgery and have made strides to target accurate alignment and correct for ligamentous instability (Tables 1-3). Yet inconsistent results in literature, additional charges, a steep learning curve, and questionable costeffectiveness have limited widespread use of systems such as computer-assisted surgery and patient specific instrumentation.…”

“…Return to work decreased after revision TKA to 78% versus 98% following primary TKA. 7,[38][39][40] Additionally, the average elapsed time before a patient does return to work is approximately 9 weeks following primary TKA versus 3 months following revision TKA. 40 The average indirect cost of revision TKA is estimated to be nearly $10,500 due to lost labor, productivity, and physical and mental suffering.…”

Return to Work Following Total Knee Replacement

“…This has been studied and reported in broad terms only. Lombardi [2] in the U.S. noted the average return to work was about three months, whereas Cameron [3] in Canada found a time twice as long. On comparing notes, it became clear that the main factor was the duration of benefits.…”