SAN FRANCISCO, May 22 -- A patient's personality may have as much to do with his satisfaction after knee replacement surgery as the clinical outcome, small study shows.
Patients who reported being satisfied with knee replacement despite residual pain and stiffness six months later were more likely to score highly on such traits as extroversion and openness to new experiences, compared with dissatisfied patients or satisfied patients who had no physical complications, according to Raymond J. Walls, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon at Cappagh National Orthopedic Hospital in Dublin.
The study also found that patients with higher body mass index were more likely to find the six-month outcome satisfactory despite continuing symptoms.
In a poster presentation here at the American Psychiatric Association meeting, Dr. Walls said the findings could help inform the counseling provided to patients before surgery.
http://www.medpagetoday.com/PainManagement/PainManagement/14349
In talking to people with TKR's to me it seems like pre op physical condition and expectations had far more to do with post op satisfaction.