Why Are Patients Without Identifiable Etiology of Failure Dissatisfied Following Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Patient satisfaction following primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is of great importance to practitioners, and as many as one in five patients report postoperative dissatisfaction. The purpose of this study was to assess patient-specific factors that may have a correlation with being unsatisfied following primary TKA. A comprehensive literature review of four electronic databases was considered for inclusion in this meta-analysis. Upon review, 12 studies were included for analysis. Patient-specific factors for dissatisfaction without failure etiology were evaluated. The final cohort consisted of 27,496 patients who underwent primary TKA, and 2,815 (10.2%) were dissatisfied with their TKA. There was an association found between dissatisfaction and mild osteoarthritis (relative ratio [RR]: 1.86; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.41–2.45; p = 0.0001), female gender (RR: 1.06; 95% CI: 1.02–1.10; p = 0.004), and a diagnosis of depression and/or anxiety (RR: 1.46; 95% CI: 1.30–1.64; p = 0.0001). There was substantial heterogeneity among the studies. Those who may be at higher risk for dissatisfaction include those with mild arthritis, female gender, and depression/anxiety. Future research should focus on the role of any preoperative interventions and possible surgery-specific factors that may increase the chances of patient satisfaction.

Keywords

total knee arthroplasty - depression - anxiety - patient satisfaction - osteoarthritis

Publication History

Received: 04 February 2025

Accepted: 17 June 2025

Article published online:
08 July 2025

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