Relationship between demographic variables and preoperative pain and disability in 5945 total joint arthroplasties at a single institution.

Overview

Using a prospective institutional registry, 5945 total joint arthroplasty patients were evaluated for the following preoperative variables: sex, age, living situation, pain (visual analog scale), and activity level (lower extremity activity scale). Univariate analysis was performed with χ(2), t test, and Pearson correlation coefficient. Patient age was inversely correlated with visual analog scale and lower extremity activity scale scores (P < .0001). Whereas total hip arthroplasty was performed as equally in women and men, total knee arthroplasty was more frequent in women. Women were more likely to live alone, experience severe pain, and have limited activity (P < .0001). Patients who lived alone were more likely to experience severe pain or limited activity (P < .0001). Women and patients who live alone experience more pain and disability before surgery, potentially placing them at risk for inferior surgical outcomes.