Do Sociodemographic Factors Relate to Walking Ability in Individuals Who Underwent Total Knee Arthroplasty?

Knee osteoarthritis is one of the most common health problems in older adults and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is able to improve walking ability in these individuals. There have been few studies investigating whether sociodemographic factors influence walking ability after TKA. The aim of this study was to examine which sociodemographic factors relate to walking ability in Japanese older adults following TKA during the acute stage of recovery.

This prospective cohort study included 388 participants, from a multicenter database, who underwent TKA. The Timed Up and Go test 2 weeks after TKA was the dependent variable. Sociodemographic factors including age, sex, body mass index, marital status, and academic qualification were independent variables. In addition, type of surgery and severity of osteoarthritis were measured as confounding variables. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was used to predict the factors that have the greatest influence on walking ability. Models were examined with and without confounding factors.

In the final regression model, older age, conventional TKA approaches, increased severity of Kellgren-Lawrence grade, and women were associated with longer Timed Up and Go time. Academic qualification and marital status were not related to walking ability.

Our results suggest that age, type of surgery, severity of osteoarthritis, and sex are related to Timed Up and Go time during the acute stage following TKA and need to be assessed.