Introduction. Osteoarthritis is a common cause of disabiltty in an elderly. Total knee arthroplasty is an effective treatment for end stage knee osteoarthritis. Many preoperative patient factors influence the postoperative results. The aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate influence of preoperative knee function on the outcome 12 months after total knee arthroplasty.
Methods. 314 patients who underwent TKA in Vilnius Republican University Hospital between the end of 2012 and the middle of 2014, were included in a study. The pre-operative and 12 month follow-up measurements were obtained using Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC).
Results. Preoperatively patients suffered more from knee function disorders compared to pain and stiffness (p<0.0001). 12 month after surgery there was improvement in all three WOMAC domains (p<0.0001) but fuction improved less than pain and stiffness (p<0.0001). There was a correalation be tween pre oper a tive knee pain, stiffness, function and postoperative results. The strongest determinants of outcome include preoperative knee pain, stiffness and function.
Conclusion. Baseline symptom severity is a predictor of outcome for knee replacement. The better knee is before surgery, the better it will be after it.
