Comparative responsiveness of outcome measures for total knee arthroplasty

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the responsiveness of various patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and clinician-reported outcomes following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) over a 2year period. Methods: Data were collected in a prospective cohort study of primary TKA. Patients who had completed Forgotten Joint Score-12 (9S-12), Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC) osteoarthritis (OA) index, EQ-5D, Knee Society Score and range of movement (ROM) assessment were included. Five time points were assessed: pre-operative, 2 months, 6 months, 1 year and 2 years post-operative. Results: Data from 98 TKAs were available for analysis. Largest effect sizes (ES) for change from preoperative to 2-month follow-up were observed for the Knee Society Score (KSS) Knee score (1.70) and WOMAC Total (-1.50). For the period from 6 months to 1 year the largest ES for change were shown by the FJS-12 (0.99) and the KSS Function Score (0.88). The EQ-5D showed the strongest ceiling effect at 1year follow-up with 84.4% of patients scoring the maximum score. ES for the time from 1- to 2-year follow-up were largest for the FJS-12 (0.50). All other outcome measures showed ES equal or below 0.30. Conclusion: Outcome measures differ considerably in responsiveness, especially beyond one year postoperatively. joint-specific outcome measures are more responsive than clinician-reported or generic health outcome tools. The FJS-12 was the most responsive of the tools assessed; suggesting that joint awareness may be a more discerning measure of patient outcome than traditional PROMs. (C) 2013 Osteoarthritis Research Society International. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.