Women are Likely to Suffer More Pain after Knee-Replacement Surgery: Study

Middle aged women with Arthritis are likely to suffer severe pain after undergoing knee-replacement surgery, according to a study.  

Researchers from the Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, identified age, gender, type of anesthesia and surgical procedures as potential factors that increase risks for pain before and after knee-replacement surgery.

They conducted two studies involving data of 273 participants who had knee replacement surgeries between October 2007 and March 2010 .In the first study, they took into account the differences in gender, age, ethnicity, existing medical conditions, obesity and the type of knee arthritis among patients. The experts noted severity of pain during rest and movements, how often the patients walked and made knee movements before undergoing knee surgery.

The findings revealed majority of women with conditions like obesity and different types of arthritis like rheumatoid arthritis or chronic disabling of joints and muscles, avascular necrosis or a condition of decreased blood supply in bones and injury induced post-traumatic arthritis are vulnerable to post and pre-operative pain. The patients were aged between 45 and 65.  

For the second study, the researchers assessed surgical data like type of anesthesia, length of incision, blood loss, knee deformities and duration of surgery.

 It was found risk for post-operative pain for patients was increased by giving general anesthesia while blood loss and procedures like epidural or spinal block did not have any impact. During movement and activity postoperative pain increased among patients.

Thomas P. Sculco, study author and chief-surgeon at Hospital for Special Surgery, said in a news release, "There is no question that pain after total knee replacement is greater than that after total hip replacement. Many factors play a role, and our studies found that younger female patients, particularly those with post-traumatic or rheumatoid arthritis, had the highest pain scores."

The authors believe before undergoing knee replacement surgeries patient-surgeon discussion is necessary to identify methods to manage postoperative pain.

The research is presented in the annual meet of American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons in New Orleans.

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