Persistent pain and functional limitation are the two leading for patient dissatisfaction after primary joint replacement, according to a study in The Journal of Arthroplasty.
The study authors assessed 551 primary total hip and knee arthroplasty patients with a minimum of one-year follow-up who responded to a satisfaction survey.
The most common reasons for dissatisfaction after total hip arthroplasty were:
- Persistent pain — 41 percent
- Functional limitation — 35 percent
- Surgical complication/reoperation — 12 percent
- Staff or quality of care issues — 6 percent
- Slow recovery — 6 percent
The most common reasons for dissatisfaction after total knee arthroplasty were:
- Persistent pain — 41 percent
- Functional limitation — 26 percent
- Surgical complication/reoperation — 17 percent
- Staff or quality of care issues — 11 percent
- Unmet expectations — 4 percent
"Potential for incomplete pain relief or full functional recovery should be discussed during preoperative counseling," the study authors concluded.