Functional outcomes after total joint arthroplasty are related to the severity of Parkinson’s disease: a mid-term follow-up

BACKGROUND: Performing total joint arthroplasty (TJA) in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients may encounter a higher complication rate or worse functional outcomes compared with common patients. The relationship between PD and clinical outcomes after TJA is not fully understood. METHODS: Retrospectively, we used manual charts to investigate the clinical outcomes in 41 patients including 24 total hip arthroplasty (THA) patients (28 hips) and 18 total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients (22 knees) with a diagnosis of PD from 2009 to 2016. The stage of PD was confirmed by Hoehn and Yahr scale. Prosthesis survivorship was estimated with revision for any reason as the endpoint. RESULT: All the clinical outcomes improved significantly (p < 0.05). Subgroup analysis revealed worse functional outcomes in mid- or end-stage PD patients. Sixteen short-term mild to moderate complications were noted. Two revisions were conducted for hip periprosthetic osteolysis and postoperative knee pain. The prosthesis survivorship at 60 months for TJA, total hip arthroplasty (THA), or total knee arthroplasty (TKA) was 91.6%, 94.1%, and 87.5%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Patients with PD who underwent TJA would result in excellent pain relief and gain of function. However, patients at late-stage PD may suffer from functional loss. The effectiveness of TJA in patients with severe PD remains a concern. Physician should help delay the progression of PD which may optimize and stabilize the functional outcomes of TJA.