The John Insall Award: Patient Expectations Affect Satisfaction with Total Knee Arthroplasty

Satisfaction with the outcome of total knee arthroplasty is highly variable, with a small but significant percentage of patients reporting dissatisfaction with the procedure. The purpose of this study was to determine which factors contribute to patient satisfaction with total knee replacement (TKR), and their relative importance. At a minimum of 1 year post unilateral primary TKR, 253 patients completed a self-administered, validated "Knee Function Questionnaire," which examined each patient's participation in a broad range of activities involving the knee, their level of satisfaction, and the extent to which TKR had fulfilled their expectations. The association between function, expectation and satisfaction…