Can Chinese patients restore normal knee function 1 year after total knee arthroplasty?

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Health Outcomes Research

Background:

• Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a common procedure to alleviate knee pain and improve function.
• Existing knee function assessments may not adequately capture culturally specific activities relevant to Chinese populations.
• Developing localized assessment tools is crucial for effective postoperative rehabilitation and evaluating TKA outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a culturally adapted assessment tool for one-year postoperative knee function in Chinese patients undergoing TKA.
• To establish a foundation for localized evaluation protocols and targeted early postoperative interventions.
• To identify high-frequency activities and compare functional performance between TKA patients and healthy controls.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving systematic review of knee function assessment items.
• Development of a self-administered questionnaire based on expert and patient focus group discussions.
• Recruitment of 1-year post-TKA patients and age-matched healthy controls for activity assessment.

Main Results:

• A 39-item culturally relevant knee function assessment was developed.
• No significant functional differences were found in TKA patients under 65 compared to controls.
• Older TKA patients (≥65 years) showed deficits in specific daily activities like squatting and picking up objects, with variations by age and sex.

Conclusions:

• Most patients achieve functional recovery one year after TKA, but older individuals face persistent limitations.
• The identified 14 culturally relevant activities provide a basis for localized TKA assessments.
• Further research should focus on longitudinal validation and clinical integration for personalized rehabilitation.