[Does pre-surgical cognitive impairment affect knee replacement results?].

Objective: To determine the influence of the pre-operative cognitive impairment on results of the total knee arthroplasty according to a doctor and patient perspective.

Material And Method: A prospective study was conducted on patient from the surgical waiting list who had undergone a primary total knee arthroplasty. The sample initially included 265 patients, but 50 were subsequently excluded. Cognitive impairment was assessed pre-operatively by the Mini Cognitive Examination (MEC-35). The Visual Analog Scale (VAS), the Knee Society Score (KSS), the Western Ontario and McMaster Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), were used pre-operatively and one year later post-operatively.

Results: A total of 215 patients were assessed (57 men and 158 women). Cognitive impairment had no influence on the results of total knee arthroplasty. In fact, there was no statistical significance in any of the scales analyzed. Preoperatively, and one year later, the patients with cognitive impairment showed higher levels of anxiety and depression, with these differences being statistically significant.

Discussion: All of the patients experienced an improvement in the specific outcomes and quality of life after the total knee arthroplasty procedure, regardless of the presence of preoperative cognitive impairment.