136.
Are patient-reported complication rates valid and complete following
Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty?
Kiran Anderson
Ortopaedic Surgery Gentofte Hospital
Background:
Outcome in patients treated with a total hip replacement (THR)
or a total knee replacement (TKR) for osteoarthrosis is well documented in the
literature. However, uncollected patient knowledge might improve outcome
information. Ryge et al. (2008) suggested that patients treated with a THR are
a reliable source of information regarding complications occurring in the first
three post operative months. We therefore wanted to develop a questionnaire
to be filled out by the surgeon at the out-patient follow- up visit at three
months to get information about all occuring complications.
Purpose / Aim of Study:
The aim of the study was to validate if the
questionnaire reflects the established clinical data or might even improve the
quality and quantity of this data.
Materials and Methods:
We developed a patient questionnaire concerning
postoperative complications following THR and TKR occurring in the first
three post operative months. After exclusion we ended up with 100 patients.
The validity of the questionnaire was assessed by comparing the complication
rates of the questionnaires to the clinical data, found in patient records, the
Danish Hip Register (DHR), the Danish Knee Register (DKR), the National
Patient Register (NPR) and information obtained by contact to the patients
general practitioner. Correlation between the individual patient statements in
the questionnaire and respective clinical data was analysed using Kappa
statistics seperately for each complication type.
Findings / Results:
The results showed that for most complications there was
a perfect correlation. Only for the complications wound infection and
paresthesis in the affected leg was a poorer correlation less than 0,7.
Conclusions:
The data collected from these validated questionnaires could be
a reliable source of information about all the well known post operative
complications.
