How Does Preoperative Central Sensitization Affect Quality of Life Following Total Knee Arthroplasty?

Central sensitization (CS) has been recently identified as a significant risk factor for persistent pain and patient dissatisfaction following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). However, it remains unclear as to whether the preoperative CS persists after the elimination of a nociceptive pain source by TKA, or how CS affects the quality of life after TKA.

A total of 222 consecutive patients undergoing primary TKA were enrolled in the study. All patients were preoperatively screened for CS using the Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI) and categorized into either a CS (n = 55; CSI ≥ 40) or non-CS group (n = 167; CSI < 40). CSI, pain visual analog scale (VAS), Knee Society Score (KSS), Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index score, and satisfaction were recorded at postoperative 2 years.

Two years after TKA, preoperative CS remained unchanged; there was no difference between preoperative and postoperative CSI scores, and both preoperative and postoperative CSI severity levels were similar ( P > .1). The CS group showed worse pain VAS, KSS, and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index scores than did the non-CS group ( P < .01) and more patients in the CS group were dissatisfied with all activities ( P < .01). However, a similar percentage of the CS group achieved the previously documented minimal clinically important difference in pain VAS and KSS, compared with the non-CS group. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that preoperative CSI scores were associated with dissatisfaction at postoperative 2 years.

Preoperative CS was persistent at 2 years after TKA. Although CS patients achieved comparable clinical improvement following TKA, CS patients had worse quality of life, functional disability, and dissatisfaction than non-CS patients.