IMPROVEMENT AFTER SURGERY IN PATIENTS WITH OSTEOARTHROSIS OF THE KNEE

To ascertain both physical and psychosocial effects of knee surgery in patients with moderate gonarthrosis, clinical examination of patients has been supplemented with a questionnaire SIP (Sickness Impact Profi le) to describe the functional health status. Sixty patients, 35 women and 25 men, mean age 63 years, with moderate medial osteoarthrosis of the knee were included in the study. Sixteen patients had bilateral s ymptoms of gonarthrosis. Patients considered that their knee ostheoart hrosis had great influence physically as well as psychosocially. All p atients graded pain during walking. Thirty-five patients were treated with a medial unicompartmental knee endoprosthesis and 25 patients wer e treated with a valgus osteotomy. After surgery the mean values for a ll measured variables were improved. Superior results were found among patients with unilateral disease compared to patients with bilateral disease. No differences in results were found between patients given d ifferent surgical treatments. The physical and psychosocial influence of osteoarthrosis of the knee were more pronounced in women. It is con cluded that the SIP appears to be a measure with sufficient sensitivit y to detect physical and psychosocial changes in patients with moderat e osteoarthrosis of the knee.