Chronic Non-Orthopedic Conditions More Common in Patients with Less Severe Degenerative Changes That Have Elected to Undergo Total Knee Arthroplasty

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the prevalence of chronic non-orthopedic conditions that may play a role in an abnormal pain response differs between patients based on the severity of degenerative changes at the time of surgery. Of 1020 OA knees that had undergone primary TKA with a minimum 2 year follow-up, we identified 117 (11.5%) that had less severe degenerative changes. The prevalence of dissatisfaction was significantly greater in less severe group compared to those with moderate or severe changes (18.8% vs. 9.3%, P = .003). Chronic non-orthopedic conditions were significantly more prevalent in the less severe group with 41.9% reporting depression/anxiety, 30.8% with fibromyalgia or low back pathology, and 12.8% with a prior traumatic brain injury or stroke.