Walking ability following knee arthroplasty: A prospective pilot study of factors affecting the maximal walking distance in 18 patients before and 6 months after total knee arthroplasty

Functional assessment of patients before and after prosthetic knee arthroplasty is based on clinical examination, which is usually summarized in various knee scores. The present study proposes a different and more subject orientated assessment for functional grading of these patients by measuring their maximal distance of walking ability, which is not apparent from the conventional outcome scores.

Eighteen consecutive patients with knee osteoarthritis were evaluated for their knee and knee functional scores (The Knee Society clinical rating system) and for the maximal distance of their walking ability before and 6 months after knee arthroplasty. Specially designed walking ability grading was used for evaluation of walking on walkway. The pre- and post-operative knee scores and maximal walking distance and grading were statistically compared.

A significant improvement in the knee and functional scores following surgery was observed. But the maximal walking ability grades and distances did not change significantly following surgery, showing a high relation between pre- and post-operative values. The limitation in post-operative walking was due to the revealed additional health disabilities, not related to the affected knee.

Therefore we suggest that pre-operative evaluation of walking abilities should be taken into consideration both for patients’ selection and timing of surgery and also for matching of patients’ expectation from outcome of prosthetic knee arthroplasty.