Prevalence and rehabilitation factors associated with chronic pain after total knee arthroplasty in Jordan.

Purpose: Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a highly effective treatment for osteoarthritis patients unresponsive to conservative therapies. Chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) following TKA is understudied, with approximately 20% of patients reporting chronic pain. This cross-sectional study conducted in Jordan aims to (1) determine the prevalence of chronic knee pain after TKA in the Jordanian population and (2) identify associations between demographics and rehabilitation factors with chronic pain.

Methods: Data were collected from 90 Jordanian patients post-TKA. Demographics (age, gender, BMI, and smoking) and rehabilitation factors (pre-operative sessions, post-operative sessions, and duration) were recorded. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics and 95% confidence intervals. Independent t-tests and Chi-square analyses were used to determine the differences between those with and without chronic pain. Pearson correlations were used to determine the association between demographic and rehabilitation factors with the prevalence of chronic pain.

Results: Ninety patients were included in the study with an average age of 60.3 ± 10.1 years. The prevalence of chronic post-TKA pain in Jordan was 57.8% (52/90), (95% CI: 46.9-68%). No significant differences were found in demographics and pre-operative rehabilitation. Chronic pain was significantly associated with post-operative rehabilitation sessions and duration (r =.349, p =.001) (r =.342, p =.001, respectively. Patients with chronic pain received fewer post-operative rehabilitation sessions (P <.001) and had shorter rehabilitation durations (P <.001) compared to patients without chronic pain.

Conclusion: Chronic pain after TKA is highly prevalent in Jordan (57.8%), with reduced rehabilitation engagement strongly linked to its occurrence. Optimizing post-operative rehabilitation protocols may mitigate CPSP risk among Jordanian TKA patients.