Return to Work after Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty: The First Polish Pilot Retrospective Study

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Public Health

Background:

• Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) impacts the social and economic participation of working-age individuals.
• Assessing return to work (RTW) rates is crucial for understanding post-TKA outcomes in this demographic.
• Limited data exists on RTW post-TKA specifically within the Polish population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the RTW rate following TKA in a Polish cohort.
• To identify factors influencing the decision to return to work or resign post-TKA.
• To correlate functional performance, measured by the Knee Outcome Survey-Activities of Daily Living (KOS-ADL) scale, with RTW status.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective study involving 48 patients undergoing TKA.
• Interviews conducted to gather information on RTW decisions and influencing factors.
• Functional status assessed using the KOS-ADL scale post-surgery.

Main Results:

• Prior to TKA, 31.25% of participants were not working and received welfare.
• Post-TKA, 47.9% of previously employed individuals did not return to work.
• The overall non-working population post-TKA increased to 79.17%.
• Mean KOS-ADL functional performance score was 75.89.

Conclusions:

• The RTW rate after TKA in Poland is notably lower than reported internationally.
• Potential contributing factors include the absence of a structured occupational rehabilitation system.
• Lack of information regarding work reintegration and retraining opportunities may hinder RTW.