How do occupational demands affect return to work after total knee arthroplasty?

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Occupational Health

Background:

• Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a common procedure for knee osteoarthritis.
• Return-to-work timelines after TKA vary significantly based on job demands.
• Patient satisfaction and functional limitations post-TKA are crucial outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate patient satisfaction after returning to work following TKA.
• To assess limitations experienced by patients returning to work based on occupational intensity.
• To compare return-to-work experiences across different job types.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of patients undergoing primary TKA (June 2011-January 2022).
• Survey of 914 respondents with at least 1-year follow-up regarding return to work.
• Stratification of 507 preoperative workers into high (HI), standard (SI), and low (LI) intensity groups.

Main Results:

• 88.2% of patients returned to work post-TKA; 11.8% did not.
• High-intensity workers (HI) were younger, more likely male, and more often smokers.
• HI workers experienced more return-to-work hindrance (30.8%) and lower satisfaction (11.5% very unsatisfied) compared to SI (23.1%, 10.8%) and LI (7.7%, 8.1%) groups.

Conclusions:

• TKA generally improves work function and satisfaction across all occupational intensities.
• High-intensity occupations are associated with longer recovery periods post-TKA.
• Patients in high-intensity jobs report comparatively lower satisfaction with their return to work.