Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37533087›Full record

ArticleArthroplasty (London, England)2023

Mapping the course to recovery: a prospective study on the anatomic distribution of early postoperative pain after total knee arthroplasty.

Kevin L Mekkawy, Bo Zhang, Alyssa Wenzel, Andrew B Harris, Harpal S Khanuja, Robert S Sterling, Vishal Hegde, Julius K Oni

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Arthroplasty (London, England), 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Kevin L MekkawyDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University, 601 N. Caroline Street, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA. kevin.mekkawy@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9568-7663
Bo ZhangDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University, 601 N. Caroline Street, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA.
Alyssa WenzelDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University, 601 N. Caroline Street, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA.
Andrew B HarrisDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University, 601 N. Caroline Street, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA.
Harpal S KhanujaDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University, 601 N. Caroline Street, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA.
Robert S SterlingDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University, 601 N. Caroline Street, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA.
Vishal HegdeDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University, 601 N. Caroline Street, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA.
Julius K OniDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University, 601 N. Caroline Street, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionEarly postoperative pain following total knee arthroplasty significantly impacts outcomes and patient satisfaction. However, the characteristics and sources of early pain after total knee arthroplasty remain unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the anatomic distribution and course of postoperative pain in the acute and subacute period following total knee arthroplasty.

methodsA prospective observational study of primary, elective unilateral total knee arthroplasty cases was conducted at our academic tertiary care medical center from January 2021 to September 2021. Preoperative variables were extracted from institutional electronic medical records. Postoperatively, patients utilized a knee pain map to identify the two locations with the most significant pain and rated it using the visual analog scale (VAS). The data were collected on day 0, at 2 weeks, 2 months, and 6 months after operation.

resultsThis study included 112 patients, with 6% of patients having no pain at postoperative day 0, 22% at 2 weeks, 46% at 2 months, and 86% at 6 months after operation. In those who reported pain, the VAS score (mean ± standard deviation) was 5.8 ± 2.4 on postoperative day 0 and decreased at each follow-up time point (5.4 ± 2.3 at 2 weeks, 3.9 ± 2.2 at 2 months, and 3.8 ± 2.7 at 6 months). The majority of patients were able to identify distinct loci of pain. The most common early pain loci were patellae, thigh, and medial joint line, and this distribution dissipated by 6 months.

conclusionAt 2 postoperative weeks, pain was primarily at the medial joint, and at 6 months postoperatively, pain was more likely to be at the lateral joint. No relationship was found between pain at six months and pain scores or location at postoperative day 0 or 2 weeks. Understanding the distribution and progression of knee pain following total knee arthroplasty may benefit patient education and targeted interventions. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II, prospective observational study.

Indexed as

Pain locationPain mappingPostoperative painTotal knee arthroplasty

Identifiers

PMID37533087
PMCPMC10399043

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.