The Effect of a Lumbar Spinal Lesion on the Clinical Results of Total Knee Arthroplasty / 대한정형외과학회잡지

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Patients with osteoarthritis of knee joint often concomitantly suffer from degenerative disease of the spine. Furthermore, resulting spinal problems could influence function and pain after total knee arthroplasty (TKA), and hence, cause the results of TKA to be misinterpreted. The purpose of this prospective study was to evaluate the effect of spinal disorders, as assessed by Swiss Spinal Stenosis score (SSS scores), on knee function as assessed by knee scores, the Hospital for Special Surgery scale (HSS scale) and Western Ontario & McMaster Osteoarthritis Index scores (WOMAC scores) in patients that after TKA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and forty nine osteoarthritic knees of 87 patients were enrolled in this study. All patients received TKA by single surgeon (W-S Cho) from August 2009 to May 2010. Preoperative and postoperative 1- and 2-years HSS scale, Knee, WOMAC, and SSS scores were recorded and analyzed. RESULTS: Postoperative HSS scale, Knee, and WOMAC scores showed marked improvements versus preoperative scores, and scores at 2 years postoperatively were better than at 1 year postoperatively. No significant correlation was found between postoperative Knee scores and SSS scores. On the other hand, statistically significant correlations were found between HSS and SSS scores and between WOMAC and SSS scores. Interestingly, differences between Knee scores and HSS scores were found to be significantly correlated with SSS scores. CONCLUSION: When evaluating outcome after TKA, spinal problems should be investigated concomitantly. SSS scores appear to provide a suitable means of assessing spinal problems.