Abstract
Aims: Outside of specialist centres, follow up data on knee arthroplasties beyond 3 years is seldom available. We have devised a simple and cost effective tool to enable the average District general Orthopaedic department to assess their long-term outcomes following knee replacements. Methods: 130 patients underwent a total knee arthroplasty in 1997 at Bolton. A simple questionnaire (which could be completed in person or over the telephone) was dispatched to all of the 115 patients still alive. Questions referred to the patientñs satisfaction with their operation, their mobility, visual analogue score for their pain and any complications that had occurred. Results: Within two weeks there were 95(83%) meaningful returns and a further 8(7%) were completed over the telephone. 12(10%) were lost to follow up. Of the 103 questionnaires completed 80(78%) patients were completely satisþed with their joint. 23(22%) patients experienced problems Ð 13 had signiþcant pain (greater than 50% on VAS), 5 thromboembolisms, 4 infections (2 joint, 2 wound) and 1 complained of a shorter leg. Conclusions: With this questionnaire we have quickly and cheaply identiþed our 5-year status for knee arthroplasty. We thus propose it is a useful audit tool for a department such as ours. In addition it may have the potential to identify those patients who would beneþt from hospital review at þve years and thus could be recalled.
Theses abstracts were prepared by Professor Dr. Frantz Langlais. Correspondence should be addressed to him at EFORT Central Office, Freihofstrasse 22, CH-8700 Küsnacht, Switzerland.
