Role of preoperative pain,muscle function,and activity level in discharge readiness after fast-track hip and knee arthroplasty

Methods Before surgery, hip pain (THA) or knee pain (TKA), lower-extremity muscle power, functional performance, and physical activity were assessed in a sample of 150 patients and used as independent variables to predict the outcome (dependent variable)—readiness for hospital discharge —for each type of surgery. Discharge readiness was assessed twice daily by blinded assessors.Results Median discharge readiness and actual length of stay until discharge were both 2 days. Univariate linear regression followed by multiple linear regression revealed that age was the only independent predictor of discharge readiness in THA and TKA, but the standardized coefficients were small (≤ 0.03).Interpretation These results support the idea that fast-track THA and TKA with a length of stay of about 2–4 days can be achieved for most patients independently of preoperative functional characteristics.Over the last decade, length of stay (LOS) with discharge to home after primary THA and TKA has declined from about 5–10 days to about 2–4 days in selected series and larger nationwide series (Malviya et al. 2011, Raphael et al. 2011, Husted et al. 2012, Kehlet 2013, Hartog et al. 2013, Jørgensen and Kehlet 2013). However, there is a continuing debate about whether selected patients only or all patients should be scheduled for “fast-track” THA and TKA in relation to psychosocial factors and preoperative pain and functional status (Schneider et al. 2009, Hollowell et al. 2010, Macdonald et al. 2010, Antrobus and Bryson 2011, Jørgensen and Kehlet 2013), or whether organizational or pathophysiological factors in relation to the surgical trauma may determine the length of stay (Husted et al. 2011, Husted 2012).We studied the role of THA and TKA patients’ preoperative pain and functional characteristics in discharge from 2 orthopedic departments with well-established fast-track recovery regimens (Husted et al. 2010).