Return to work after total hip and knee arthroplasty: results from a clinical study.

The aim of this study was to measure return to work and duration until return to work in patients undergoing total hip or knee arthroplasty (THA or TKA). This prospective study included patients under 65 years of age, undergoing THA or TKA, who provided information on their work status preoperatively (paid work yes/no and working hours) and 1 year thereafter (paid work yes/no, working hours and time until return to work). Seventy-one THA and 64 TKA patients had a paid job preoperatively. The employment rates 1 year postoperatively were 64/71 (90 %) after THA and 53/64 (83 %) after TKA. Of those who returned to work, 9/64 (14 %) of THA patients and 10/53 (19 %) of TKA patients worked less hours than preoperatively [mean decrease of 16 (SD 11.5) and 14 (SD 13.0) hours, respectively]. The mean time to return to work was 12.5 (SD 7.6) and 12.9 (SD 8.0) weeks in THA and TKA, respectively. The majority of working patients who underwent THA or TKA returned to work, after approximately 12 weeks. A considerable proportion of the patients returning to work worked less hours than preoperatively. More research into patients who do not return or decrease their working hours is needed.

Are pain, functional limitations and quality of life associated with objectively measured physical activity in patients with end-stage osteoarthritis of the hip or knee?

OBJECTIVES: Physical activity is promoted in patients with hip or knee osteoarthritis (OA), yet little is known about its relationship with symptoms, functional limitations and Quality of Life (QoL). We investigated if OA-associated pain, functional limitations and QoL are associated with objectively measured physical activity in patients with end-stage hip/knee OA. METHODS: Cross-sectional study including patients scheduled for primary total hip/knee arthroplasty. Patients wore an accelerometer (Activ8) with physical activity assessed over waking hours, and expressed as number of activity daily counts (ADC) per hour, %time spent on physical activity i.e. walking, cycling or running (%PA), and %time spent sedentary (%SB). Pain, functional limitations and joint-specific and general QoL were assessed with the Hip disability/Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (HOOS/KOOS) and the Short Form (SF)-12. Multivariate linear regression models with the three to Z-scores transformed parameters of physical activity as dependent variables and adjusted for confounding, were conducted. RESULTS: 49 hip and 48 knee OA patients were included. In hip and knee OA patients the mean number of ADC, %PA and %SB were 18.79 ± 7.25 and 21.19 ± 6.16, 14 ± 6.4 and 15 ± 5.0, and 66 ± 10.5 and 68 ± 8.7, respectively. In hip OA, better joint-specific and general QoL were associated with more ADC, (ß 0.028; 95%CI:0.007-0.048, ß0.041; 95%CI:0.010-0.071). Also, better general QoL was associated with the %PA (ß 0.040, 95%CI:0.007-0.073). No other associations were found. CONCLUSION: Whereas QoL was associated with physical activity in hip OA, pain and functional limitations were not related to objectively measured physical activity in patients with end-stage hip or knee OA.

Determinants of return to work 12 months after total hip and knee arthroplasty.

Introduction A substantial number of patients undergoing total hip or knee arthroplasty (THA or TKA) do not or only partially return to work. This study aimed to identify differences in determinants of return to work in THA and TKA. Methods We conducted a prospective, observational study of working patients aged <65 years undergoing THA or TKA for osteoarthritis. The primary outcome was full versus partial or no return to work 12 months postoperatively. Factors analysed included preoperative sociodemographic and work characteristics, alongside the Hip Disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (HOOS)/Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), and Oxford Hip and Knee Scores. Results Of 67 THA and 56 TKA patients, 9 (13%) and 10 (19%), respectively, returned partially and 5 (7%) and 6 (11%), respectively, did not return to work 1 year postoperatively. Preoperative factors associated with partial or no return to work in THA patients were self-employment, absence from work and a better HOOS Activities of Daily Living (ADL) subscale score, whereas only work absence was relevant in TKA patients. Type of surgery modified the impact of ADL scores on return to work. Conclusions In both THA and TKA, absence from work affected return to work, whereas self-employment and better preoperative ADL subscale scores were also associated in THA patients. The impact of ADL scores on return to work was modified by type of surgery. These results suggest that strategies aiming to influence modifiable factors should consider THA and TKA separately.