Significant deterioration in quality of life and increased frailty in patients waiting more than six months for total hip or knee arthroplasty : a cross-sectional multicentre study.

Aims: The primary aim of this study was to assess whether patients waiting six months or more for a total hip (THA) or knee (KA) arthroplasty had a deterioration in their health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Secondary aims were to assess changes in frailty and the number of patients living in a state considered to be worse than death (WTD), and factors associated with changes in HRQoL and frailty.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 326 patients, 150 males (46.