This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Socioeconomic status may correlate with pain and function after TKA
Recently published data indicated that the socioeconomic status of patients who underwent total knee arthroplasty correlated with the levels of pain and function they exhibited postoperatively.
Researchers analyzed 316 patients (mean age: 65.9 years) who underwent total knee arthroplasty (TKA) at a single institution. Education level was used to determine individual socioeconomic status (SES), and a model linking patient addresses to U.S. Census data was used to indicate area SES. Additionally, WOMAC, pain catastrophizing values and mental health index values were used to determine postoperative pain and functional outcome levels.
Overall, 62% of patients were college graduates, whereas 17% had less than a college education. Patients with higher SES (individual and area) were observed to have higher functional outcomes, lower levels of pain and less pain catastrophizing after undergoing TKA than those with lower SES, according to the researchers. – by Christian Ingram
Disclosures: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.