Improving patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) in total knee replacement by changing implant and preserving the infrapatella fatpad: a quality improvement project

Introduction NHS England uses the Oxford Knee Score (OKS) as part of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) to evaluate ‘health gains’ following total knee replacement. Policy makers use this to guide healthcare funding and resource allocation. Our study aims to undertake a qualitative and quantitative analysis of OKS among patients who experienced a negative outcome after a total knee replacement at our centre. Materials and methods Between April 2017-March 2018, 19 of 189 (10%) patients had a worsened OKS at our centre. We retrospectively and prospectively reviewed 14 of these patients. Structured telephone interviews with a repeat OKS were carried out in September 2019 (18–29 months post-operation). Results Eight patients were female and the total age range was 57–95, mean average 75.6 (SD 9.9 years). Of 48 (higher scores meaning better outcomes), the average preoperative OKS was 24.2 and the average postoperative OKS at 6 months was 19.4 (decrease of 20%). The average postoperative OKS at 18–29 months was 35.6 (an increase of 83.5% from 6 months). Discussion The OKS was developed and validated over 20 years ago in Oxford. In our study, four patients asked for clarification of questions 4, 6 and 10 owing to ambiguous language. All 14 patients who had negative OKS outcomes had positive outcomes when retested after 18 months, depicting ‘health gains’ not conveyed in PROMs analysis. Conclusion The OKS needs to be revalidated on current patient groups for accurate and reliable data. Further prospective studies should be undertaken on larger cohorts to understand the recovery course and whether PROMs should be carried out later.

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The effect of numbness on outcome from total knee replacement

Annals of The Royal College of Surgeons of England ◽

10.1308/rcsann.2017.0026 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 99 (5) ◽

pp. 385-389 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

J Blackburn ◽

V Wylde ◽

R Greenwood ◽

AW Blom ◽

A Levy

Keyword(s):

Total Knee Replacement ◽

Knee Replacement ◽

Functional Limitations ◽

Patient Reported Outcome Measures ◽

Patient Reported Outcome ◽

Self Report ◽

Pain Subscale ◽

Patient Reported ◽

Total Knee ◽

The Impact

INTRODUCTION Some patients report continuing pain and functional limitations after total knee replacement (TKR). While numbness around the TKR scar is common, the impact of numbness is less clear. One particular activity that could be influenced by numbness is kneeling. The aim of this study was to explore the impact of numbness around TKR scars on health related quality of life and kneeling ability. METHODS Fifty-six patients were recruited one year after primary TKR. Sensation around the knee was assessed through patient self-reporting, monofilament testing and vibration, and patients’ distress was measured on a visual analogue scale. Patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) including the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC®) index, the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), the painDETECT® (Pfizer, Berlin, Germany) questionnaire and the EQ-5D™ (EuroQol, Rotterdam, Netherlands) questionnaire were used. Participants were also asked about kneeling ability. RESULTS While 68% of patients reported numbness around their TKR scar, there was no statistically significant correlation between numbness and distress at numbness (self-report: 0.23, p=0.08; monofilament: 0.15, p=0.27). Furthermore, numbness did not correlate significantly with joint specific PROMs (WOMAC®: 0.21, p=0.13; KOOS: 0.18, p=0.19). However, difficulty with kneeling did correlate with both self-reported numbness (0.36, p=0.020) and worse PROM scores (WOMAC® pain subscale: 0.62, p<0.001; KOOS: 0.64, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS Numbness after knee replacement is common but is not associated with worse patient reported outcomes.

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