Return to Work after Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty: The First Polish Pilot Retrospective Study

Abstract

(1) Background: Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) performed on working-age patients significantly affects the participation of such patients in social life. A retrospective study was conducted to determine the return to work (RTW) rate after TKA. The goal of this study was to provide reference data for the Polish population and identify the factors impacting patients’ decisions to return to or resign from work, relative to their functional performance. (2) Methods: This retrospective study involved 48 patients. An interview related to RTW was carried out to identify the factors impacting a patient’s decision to return to or resign from work. Functional performance was assessed using the Knee Outcome Survey–Activities of Daily Living (KOS-ADL) scale. (3) Results: Before TKA, 15 individuals (31.25%) qualified for the study did not work and were receiving welfare benefits. After the surgery, 23 individuals (47.9% of those working prior to TKA) did not return to work. The number of those who did not work after TKA increased to 38 (79.17%), which was a significant change. The mean level of functional performance after TKA assessed using KOS-ADL was 75.89. (4) Conclusions: The findings show that the rate of RTW after TKA in Poland is significantly lower than that in other countries. The reasons for this situation, as shown in the study, may be related to the lack of an occupational rehabilitation system, resulting in a paucity of information about the possibility to return to work and about opportunities for retraining.