Eight of ten patients return to daily activities, work, and sports after total knee arthroplasty

BACKGROUND Besides return to work (RTW) and return to sports (RTS), patients also prefer to return to daily activities (RTA) such as walking, sleeping, grocery shopping, and domestic work following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). However, evidence on the timelines and probability of patients' RTA is sparse. AIM To assess the percentage of patients able to RTA, RTW, and RTS after TKA, as well as the timeframe and influencing factors of this return. METHODS A retrospective cohort study with prospectively collected data was conducted at a medium-sized Dutch orthopedic hospital. Assessments of RTA, RTW, and RTS were performed at 3 mo and/or 6 mo following TKA. Investigated factors encompassed patient characteristics, surgical characteristics, and preoperative patient-reported outcomes. RESULTS TKA patients [n = 2063; 66 years old (interquartile range [IQR]: 7 years); 47% male; 28 kg/m2 (IQR: 4 kg/m2)] showed RTA ranging from 28% for kneeling to 94% for grocery shopping, with 20 d (IQR: 27 d) spent for putting on shoes to 74 d (IQR: 57 d) for kneeling. RTW rates varied from 62% for medium-impact work to 87% for low-impact work, taking 33 d (IQR: 29 d) to 78 d (IQR: 55 d). RTS ranged from 48% for medium-impact sports to 90% for low-impact sports, occurring within 43 d (IQR: 24 d) to 90 d (IQR: 60 d). One or more of the investigated factors influenced the return to each of the 14 activities examined, with R-2 values ranging from 0.013 to 0.127. CONCLUSION Approximately 80% of patients can RTA, RTW, and RTS within 6 mo after TKA. Return is not consistently influenced by predictive factors. Results help set realistic pre- and postoperative expectations.