Aim: To prospectively determine whether social deprivation has an effect on the level of disability at presentation and the outcome from total knee replacement (TKR).

Method: A prospective outcome study was carried out between 1992 and 1996, recruiting over 2500 total knee replacements. All patients were assessed preoperatively and at 3 and 12 months postop using the Knee Society (KS) scores for clinical evaluation and the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) to measure general health status. The Townsend Score was used as the index of social deprivation and was calculated for each patient on the basis of their address.

Results: There was no significant difference between either the Knee Society or NHP scores at baseline and the Townsend Score. This indicated that social deprivation has no effect on the level of the knee arthritis immediately prior to joint replacement, both in terms of patient disability and health status.

There was also no significant difference between either the Knee Society or NHP scores postoperatively and the Townsend Score. This indicated that social deprivation has no effect on the outcome from knee replacement.

Conclusion: This study shows that social deprivation has no significant effect on the level of disability at presentation and the outcome from total knee replacement. This is contrary to previously published reports which have shown worse outcomes in more deprived patients.