Early Post-Operative Pain After Total Knee Arthroplasty Is Associated With Subsequent Poorer Functional Outcomes And Lower Satisfaction

Abstract Background There are few studies investigating the effects of acute post-operative pain on functional outcomes after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The aims of this study are to identify perioperative factors associated with increased early post-operative pain and investigate the effects of acute post-operative day (POD) 1 and 2 pain on outcomes at 6 months and 2 years post-TKA. Methods 1041 unilateral TKA patients were included in this retrospective cohort study. Patients were categorised into minor (Visual Analogue Scale: VAS Results Patients with ‘minor pain’ had significantly better KSFS, KSKS, OKS and SF-36 PCS scores at 6 months, and significantly better KSFS, OKS, SF-36 PCS and satisfaction at 2 years (p Conclusion Patients should be counselled about risk factors of post-operative pain to manage pre-operative expectations of surgery. Patients should be managed adequately using multimodal pain protocols to improve subsequent functional outcomes while avoiding unnecessary opioid use.