Abstract
Background of study
Numbness around the surgical scar can be a source of discomfort in patients undergoing Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA). Literature reports wide variation in its prevalence. The consequence of numbness on the functional outcome is not clear. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of numbness, along with factors affecting it, and assess its effect on the outcome of TKA.
Materials and methods
258 patients who underwent TKA were included in the prospective cross sectional patient reported outcome measure (PROM) study. Demographic details, approach, length of incision, and the pre-operative and one year post-operative Knee Society Score (KSS) were recorded. A Dundee numbness classification was developed and used for the assessment and localization of numbness using e-Ruler® and Matlab® computer software.
Results
The prevalence of numbness at one year review was 53%, with a significant female preponderance. Midline incision was predominantly used for TKA. The incision length and numbness area positively correlated. Oblique incision was more prone for numbness. Discomfort due to numbness was noted in 8.7% of patients and correlated with the numbness area. The KSS and its components did not correlate with the presence or the area of numbness.
Conclusion
Our findings indicate high prevalence of numbness after TKA. However, numbness did not affect the functional outcome.
