Psychosocial determinants of outcomes in knee replacement.

Objective: To identify potential psychosocial and educational barriers to clinical success following knee replacement.

Patients And Methods: The authors evaluated 241 patients undergoing total knee replacement, preoperatively and 6 months after surgery. Outcomes included the Western Ontario McMaster (WOMAC) scale and the Knee Society rating system (KSRS).

Valuation of arthritis health states across ethnic groups and between patients and community members.

Objective: We sought to examine differences in valuation of health by individuals from different ethnic backgrounds and between patients and community members.

Research Design: We surveyed 193 community members identified by random-digit dialing (ie, 64 white, 65 black, and 64 Hispanic) and 198 patients with osteoarthritis (OA), 66 per ethnic group, drawn sequentially from clinic lists of an outpatient institution.

Measures: Participants were interviewed and asked to rate 2 scenarios describing arthritis (mild and severe) using visual analog scale (VAS), standard gamble (SG), and time trade-off (TTO).

Ethnic variation in knee replacement: patient preferences or uninformed disparity?

Background: Despite the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of total knee replacement (TKR), minority patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA) are half as likely as their white counterparts to undergo this procedure. Patient preferences may play a large role in the variations in utilization of TKR. We evaluated the preferences and beliefs of patients with knee OA from diverse ethnic backgrounds in relation to TKR.