Measuring tools for functional outcomes in total knee arthroplasty

Total knee arthroplasty has come under increasing scrutiny attributable to the fact that it is a high-volume, high-cost medical intervention in an era of increasingly scarce medical resources. Health-related quality-of-life outcomes have been developed such that healthcare providers might determine how good an intervention is and whether it is cost-effective. Total knee arthroplasty has been subjected to disease-specific, patient-specific, global health, functional capacity, and cost-to-utility outcome measures. Patient satisfaction is high (90%) after total knee arthroplasty and 93% of patients would have this operative procedure again. Large improvements in preoperative to postoperative WOMAC scores occurred (over 39 of 100 points in 82% of patients). Cost-to-quality outcomes demonstrated total knee arthroplasties are extremely cost-effective. This analysis documents total knee arthroplasty is a highly efficacious procedure that competes favorably with all medical and surgical interventions.