Mental Health and Total Knee Arthroplasty

Background: Patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) tend to do very well; however, there is still a percentage of the population who will remain dissatisfied despite a successful surgery. Orthopaedic surgeons do not currently recommend mental health evaluations or support as standard of care when discussing TKA. The objective was to determine the role of orthopaedic surgeons and mental health referrals or recommendations. Methods: A quantitative retrospective study was performed on TKA patients in 2019 by 2 high-volume joint surgeons. A survey was sent through e-mail asking demographic questions and questions specific to coping skills and feelings of pain, fear, anger, or anxiety, which is referred to as mental health in this study. The response rate was 41% with n = 110 participants. Descriptive statistics was used to show the data trends. Results: Most of the people reported that seeing a counselor or therapist would not have been helpful with TKA recovery, with many feeling that they did not need support in this area. Women reported more difficulty with coping skills and were more responsive to seeing a counselor or therapist if recommended by their surgeon. Eighty-three percent of the 60- to 79-year-olds felt that orthopaedic surgeons should make referrals or provide resources for mental health support. Conclusion: The results show that more evidence is needed to determine the role of which orthopaedic surgeons play when it comes to mental health recommendations and referrals.