Abstract
BACKGROUND: Patients with nonsurgical pain (NSP) after a total knee arthroplasty (TKA) report different patterns of pain interference than those without NSP.
PURPOSE: This study explores the severity and ways in which NSP interferes with activities 48 hours and 6-7 weeks post surgery.
ANALYSIS: Univariate and multivariate analyses were used. The mean score for intensity at 48 hours was 1.78, and at 6-7 weeks it was 1.15. The mean score for interference with activities at 48 hours was 1.62 and at 6-7 weeks it was 0.91. Highest NSP pain interference at 48 hours was for "activity," "sleep," and "enjoyment of life." At 6-7 weeks, the highest scores were for "activity," "sleep," and "walking." No significant differences were noted for age, race, education, or gender.
IMPLICATIONS: Although rated "mild," this pain should be addressed. The NSP indicates a baseline of chronic and persistent pain, which is an opportunity to work with our patients to mitigate this pain. Total knee arthroplasty, a common and effective treatment for painful knee conditions attributed to various forms of arthritis, is known to be a painful surgical procedure. Two of the major concerns voiced by patients awaiting TKA are about postoperative pain management and rehabilitation efforts after the procedure (J. Rudan, M. Harrison, & H. Grant, 2009). Healthcare providers offer a range of methods and strategies to deal with postoperative TKA pain, yet to date no single method offers complete satisfaction (H. Anderson, J. Gyrn, B. Christensen, & D. Zaric, 2013; H. B. J. Fischer et al., 2008; I. Koh et al., 2010; A. Maheshwari, Y. Blum, L. Shekhar, A. Ranawat, & C. Ranawat, 2009).