Does psychological distress influence postoperative satisfaction and outcomes in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty? A prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND: Preoperative psychological distress may be related to dissatisfaction and poorer outcomes after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). However, the kind of psychological distress that could influence postoperative satisfaction and outcomes remains controversial. Few studies have examined these issues in Chinese cohorts. Thus, this study aimed to examine (1) the prevalence of preoperative psychological distress in patients undergoing TKA and (2) whether preoperative psychological distress influences patient satisfaction, early postoperative outcomes, and improvement of knee function after TKA. METHODS: We prospectively included 210 patients undergoing unilateral primary TKA between March 2017 and September 2017 at our institution. Preoperatively, patients completed the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scales and new Knee Society Scores (KSS) questionnaires. At 3 months and 1 year postoperatively, patients’ KSS and overall satisfaction were assessed. Stepwise multivariate linear regression models were used to assess the variables that influenced changes in each KSS item. RESULTS: Preoperatively, 89 (42.4%) patients experienced psychological distress. The satisfaction rate and postoperative KSS were not significantly different between patients with or without psychological distress; a higher preoperative score was shown to predict less KSS improvement. Patients with depression had fewer symptom score changes. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of preoperative psychological distress was relatively high; thus, surgeons should consider the patient’s psychological state. Patients’ satisfaction was not influenced by psychological factors. Patients with depression and higher preoperative scores had lower symptom scores and KSS improvement, respectively. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12891-021-04528-7.