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. 2017 Feb;26(2):403-417.
doi: 10.1007/s11136-016-1380-9. Epub 2016 Aug 5.

Expectations of younger patients concerning activities after knee arthroplasty: are we asking the right questions?

Suzanne Witjes  1   2   3   4 , Rutger C I van Geenen  1 , Koen L M Koenraadt  1 , Cor P van der Hart  3   5 , Leendert Blankevoort  2   3   4   6 , Gino M M J Kerkhoffs  2   3   4 , P Paul F M Kuijer  7   8
Affiliations

Expectations of younger patients concerning activities after knee arthroplasty: are we asking the right questions?

Suzanne Witjes et al. Qual Life Res. 2017 Feb.

Abstract

Purpose: Indications for total and unicondylar knee arthroplasty (KA) have expanded to younger patients, in which Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) often show ceiling effects. This might be due to higher expectations. Our aims were to explore expectations of younger patients concerning activities in daily life, work and leisure time after KA and to assess to what extent PROMs meet and evaluate these activities of importance.

Methods: Focus groups were performed among osteoarthritis (OA) patients <65 years awaiting KA, in which they indicated what activities they expected to perform better in daily life, work and leisure time after KA. Additionally, 28 activities of daily life, 17 of work and 27 of leisure time were depicted from seven PROMS, which were rated on importance, frequency and bother. A total score, representing motivation for surgery, was also calculated.

Results: Data saturation was reached after six focus groups including 37 patients. Younger OA patients expect to perform better on 16 activities after KA, including high-impact leisure time activities. From the PROMs, daily life and work activities were rated high in both importance and motivation for surgery, but for leisure time activities importance varied highly between patients. All seven PROMs score activities of importance, but no single PROM incorporates all activities rated important.

Conclusion: Younger patients expect to perform better on many activities of daily life, work and leisure time after KA, and often at demanding levels. To measure outcomes of younger patients, we suggest using PROMs that include work and leisure time activities besides daily life activities, in which preferably scored activities can be individualized.

Keywords: Activity; Knee arthroplasty; Knee replacement; PROMs; Patient expectations.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest or further financial relationship with the organization that funded the research. The authors prepared and submitted this manuscript independently from the study sponsors.

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