Asynchronous Bilateral Total Knee Arthroplasty: Predictors of the Functional Outcome and Patient Satisfaction for the Second Knee Replacement

The primary aim of this study is to identify independent preoperative predictors of outcome and patient satisfaction for the second total knee arthroplasty (TKA).

A retrospective cohort of 454 patients undergoing an asynchronous (6 weeks or more apart) bilateral primary TKA were identified from an arthroplasty database. Patient demographics, comorbidities, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), and Short Form-12 scores were collected preoperatively and 1 year postoperatively. Overall patient satisfaction was assessed at 1 year.

The 1 year WOMAC pain score ( P = .01), and improvement in WOMAC pain ( P < .001) and functional ( P = .002) scores were significantly lower for the second TKA. Worse preoperative WOMAC pain, function, and stiffness scores were demonstrated to be independent predictors of improvement in the WOMAC pain, function, and stiffness scores, respectively, for both the first and second TKA. The overall rate of satisfaction with the first TKA was 94.0% and 94.7% for the second TKA ( P = .67). The rate of satisfaction for the second TKA was 77.8% for patients that were dissatisfied with their first TKA, which was an independent predictor of dissatisfaction ( P = .02).

Improvement in pain and function is less with the second TKA, but the satisfaction rate remains similar. There are common independent predictors for change in the WOMAC score for the first and second TKA; however, the predictors of satisfaction were different with no common factors. Patients that were dissatisfied with their first TKA were more likely to be dissatisfied with their second TKA.

Prognostic retrospective cohort study.