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Measured ambulation and self-reported health status following total joint replacement for the osteoarthritic knee
D J Walker1, P S Heslop, C Chandler
1Musculoskeletal Unit, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE7 7DN and. University of Northumbria at Newcastle, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK.
Objective:
To quantify the increase in ambulation produced by total knee replacement for osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee and to compare this with questionnaire-derived data.
Methods:
We compared the measured ambulatory activity and self-reported Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) data of 19 subjects with OA of the knee before and after total knee replacement (TKR).
Results:
Subjects were considerably restricted in their measured activity before operation compared with subjects with less severe disease. At 6 months the activity had increased by an average of 79% (P=0.02). The pain scale of the NHP had significantly improved at 3 months, as had the mobility scale. Between 3 and 6 months, however, at the same time the measured activity was increasing, self-reported mobility declined.
Conclusions:
Replacement of a knee for OA is an effective way of improving ambulation. At 6 months the average increase amounted to 79%. Self-reported mobility did not correlate with mobility measured objectively.