RESUMEN
PURPOSE: To determine the priority for the instrumental development of Total knee replacement arthroplasty(TKA) by assessment of patient interviews after TKA in Korea. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We assessed the responses of 168 patients with primary TKA a minimum of one year after surgery. In order not to limit their choices by using a survey, interviewees responded to two open-ended questions, "What was the best result achieved after TKA?" and "What was the result you most wished for but was not achieved after TKA?" RESULTS: All the patients expressed satisfaction with TKA except for 12 patients (7.1%) and for the question of the best result after TKA, 118 patients (70.2%) pointed out that pain relief was the most satisfactory. For the question of the most wished for function still to be restored after TKA, 59 patients (35.1%) answered "No inconvenience and no need" and the greatest proportion among the others who had a wish, 61 patients (36.3%) pointed to discomfort related to the degree of knee flexion with the response "Not easy to stand from the ground and to have deep knee flexion". The average knee flexion degree was 120.7degrees in the group who had a wish related to knee flexion but 127.5degrees in the "No need" group, and the difference was significant (P=0.004). CONCLUSION: Although there was a 93% satisfaction rate after TKA, the remaining function most wished for after TKA was to stand up from the ground easily, which is related to knee flexion degree. Therefore, we propose that the improvement of knee flexion after TKA should be the priority for instrumental development in Korea.