OBJECTIVES. To study patients’ perceptions and knowledge about total joint replacement surgery.

DESIGN. Cross-sectional survey.

SETTING. University teaching hospital, Hong Kong.

PATIENTS. Three hundred consecutive patients with the diagnosis of osteoarthritis or inflammatory arthritis attending the out-patient clinic from June 2010 to May 2011.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES. Patients’ knowledge and how they got the knowledge about total joint replacement surgery, and concerns about the outcome of such operations.

RESULTS. Whilst 94% of the patients knew about total joint replacement surgery, 77% obtained such knowledge from their friends and relatives. The three most common concerns related to this type of operation were whether they might: be wheelchair bound after surgery (64%), need to be taken care of by others for more than 3 months (61%), and have post-surgery complications (54%). Most of them recognised the advantages of the surgery, 82% knew about good pain relief after surgery, and 87% realised that total joint replacement surgery could improve their mobility. Patients did not have a realistic idea regarding the survival of the prosthesis; 41% thought the prosthesis might last for less than 10 years and 34% had no idea about its longevity.

CONCLUSION. Patients did recognise the advantages of total joint replacement surgery in treating arthritis. However, they had many concerns about its outcome that warrant clarification. Public education on these aspects is necessary to address concerns, and may be achieved in cooperation with the media.

Key words:Arthroplasty, replacement, knee; Knee joint; Knee prosthesis; Postoperative complications; Treatment outcome

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