[Total knee arthroplasty - GPs' views in Germany: a questionnaire-based study]

To assess general knowledge and individual views of general practitioners (GPs) on total knee arthroplasty (TKA), we conducted a questionnaire-based survey involving 170 GPs in Germany. Eighty-one GPs returned the questionnaire. They treat a mean of 10.6+/-8.3 patients with TKA. General knowledge can be estimated as good. Compared with the data in the literature, GPs assessed the rate of satisfied patients as lower and the risk for revision surgery as higher. The mean risk of potential complications (infection, instability, persistent pain) in association with TKA was estimated correctly. Seventy-eight percent of GPs consider an allergic reaction to the implant or bone cement as problematic. The number of cases per year, personal experience with the surgeon, and - less important - local accessibility are important factors for GPs when recommending an operating centre to a patient.A broad spectrum of individual responses indicates the need to improve the information transfer between orthopaedic surgeons and referring GPs.