Are surgeons equally satisfied after total knee arthroplasty?

Area of Science:

• Orthopaedic Surgery
• Patient Outcomes Research

Background:

• Clinical follow-up study assessing surgeon satisfaction post-total knee arthroplasty (TKA).
• Investigated potential disparities in satisfaction among three orthopaedic surgeons.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if orthopaedic surgeons exhibit equal satisfaction levels after performing total knee arthroplasty (TKA).
• To analyze surgeon assessment of patient outcomes using standardized clinical rating systems.

Main Methods:

• Reviewed 36 patients (39 TKAs) with a mean follow-up of 12 months.
• Utilized the Knee Society Clinical Rating System (KSCRS) for knee and function scores.
• Assessed surgeon satisfaction using a visual analogue scale (VAS).

Main Results:

• No significant difference was found in surgeon satisfaction levels.
• Significant differences observed in KSCRS knee and function scores between surgeons (p=0.006 and p=0.04).
• High correlation between knee scores and surgeon satisfaction indicates pain, range of motion, and deformity are key criteria.

Conclusions:

• Orthopaedic surgeons reported equal satisfaction following TKA.
• Surgeons' evaluations differed based on KSCRS scores, highlighting varied clinical judgment despite uniform satisfaction.