Expectations of recovery from revision knee replacement

To evaluate outcome expectations of patients undergoing revision total knee replacement (TKR) and to examine personal factors, patient functioning, previous experiences with knee replacement surgery, concerns about surgery, and general health as predictors of expectations.

Revision TKR patients (n = 184, 54% women; mean age 69 years) completed a questionnaire up to 2 weeks before surgery. This included demographics, experience with previous knee surgery, concerns about surgery, the Life Orientation Test (LOT), the Arthritis Helplessness Scale, the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index, and a rating of overall health. Outcome expectations were evaluated as 5 questions assessing global benefit; relief of pain; ease of disability; expectations of having complications; and whether the person expected to be fully recovered from surgery in <6 months, 6-12 months, >12 months, or did not expect to recover. Predictors of each of the 5 outcome expectations were evaluated using univariable and multivariable regression analyses.

Expectations are a multidimensional construct (Cronbach's alpha = 0.63). Expectation of global benefit of surgery was high, but was lower for benefits related to ease of pain and improved function. Concerns about surgery were a consistent predictor of all expectation outcomes in multivariable modeling. When concerns about surgery and general health were entered into the model as an interaction with expectation of recovery time as the outcome, past experience (P = 0.05), pain (P = 0.03), LOT (P = 0.03), and interaction between concerns about surgery and general health were significant predictors.

Clinicians need to understand and help patients shape appropriate expectations for recovery from revision TKR.