Individuals’ experience of living with osteoarthritis of the knee and perceptions of total knee arthroplasty

Abstract

This study investigated the physical and psychosocial consequences of living with osteoarthritis (OA) in daily life and peoples' views of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and the role of physiotherapy. In-depth interview data were used from a prospective qualitative study conducted by the senior author (KY). Participants were 15 volunteers with knee OA who were awaiting TKA at a specialized orthopaedic tertiary care facility in Toronto. A modified grounded theory method approach was used to analyze the interview data. The findings showed that experiences for the participants with OA were conceptualized as a "breakpoint." The breakpoint was centred on the experiences/processes of living with unremitting pain, the limitations of mobility, leisure and social activities, and the resulting consequences to the participant's physical and psychological well-being. In addition to the above experiences, participants also discussed their perceptions of TKA surgery. The findings showed that expectations of TKA were linked to participants' knowledge of the procedure and its outcomes. The participants listed acquaintances, friends, family members, and doctors as the main sources of knowledge for TKA. On the basis of the above analysis, recommendations are made for developing a preoperative physiotherapy program that would focus on minimizing preoperative disability and maximizing postoperative recovery.

The use of adaptive equipment following total knee replacement

“…Additionally Oxford Knee Score pre-operatively and one week post operatively were similar between the two groups. These results contradict the studies by Scott et al (2010) and Hall et al (2008) who stated that patients' level of pain and function pre-operatively is a predictor for post-operative level of function.…”

“…The study by Hall et al (2008) recruited 15 patients and used a grounded theory approach to interview patients who were listed for a total knee replacement. Neither of these studies completed functional assessments with their study group to gain objective data on patients' level of function, therefore, their findings on predictors for post-operative function are based on patient reports only.…”

“…Although previous studies have demonstrated favourable results, the degree of improvement has varied. It has been highlighted that poorer pre-operative function is a predictor for poorer post-operative function (Hall et al 2008, Scott et al 2010.…”

Physical activity perceptions and beliefs following total hip and knee arthroplasty: a qualitative study

“…Previous literature has reported pain as the major limitation to physical activity in people with OA (Demierre, Castelao, and Piot-Ziegler, 2011;Hall et al, 2008). Participants in this study were no longer living with a painful osteoarthritic joint.…”

Prevalence and Costs of Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy After Primary TJA

“…Achievement of further cost savings will require a variety, yet to be evaluated, of fast track modalities aimed at increasing home health utilization. These modalities may necessitate such strategies as increased use of preadmission education and training [30,[32][33][34], more attention to the psychosocial events surrounding the surgery [16,35], and changing patient and surgeon expectations [36][37][38]. Direct discharge to home with home care has been suggested to be an optimal strategy for patients after TJA who were healthy and had social support [39].…”