Does patient perception of alignment affect total knee arthroplasty outcome?

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Biomedical Engineering
• Patient-Reported Outcomes

Background:

• Postoperative radiographic limb alignment in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) may not always correlate with patient satisfaction.
• A significant number of patients report dissatisfaction with leg alignment and appearance after TKA, despite satisfactory radiographic outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate patient perception of limb alignment following TKA.
• To determine if satisfaction with perceived alignment influences clinical outcomes and patient-reported measures.

Main Methods:

• Prospective survey assessing patient self-rated alignment and satisfaction using visual analogue scales (VAS).
• Utilized validated outcome measures including Knee Society Score (KSS), Oxford Knee Score (OKS), and SF-12.
• Correlated patient perception of alignment with clinical and functional outcome scores.

Main Results:

• 23% of patients were dissatisfied with their leg alignment post-TKA, reporting poorer pain perception and range of motion.
• No significant differences in KSS and OKS were observed between satisfied and dissatisfied groups.
• A trend towards lower SF-12 scores was noted in patients dissatisfied with their limb alignment.

Conclusions:

• Patient satisfaction with perceived limb alignment is a significant factor influencing outcomes after TKA.
• Current outcome scales may not fully capture the impact of perceived alignment on patient experience.
• Preoperative patient counseling regarding expected limb alignment and appearance after TKA is recommended.