{googleAds}

<div style="float:left">
<SCRIPT SRC="http://g.admedia.com/banner.php?type=graphical&pid=2036944&size=300x250&page_url=[ENCODED_PAGE_URL]" TYPE="text/javascript" ></SCRIPT>
</div>
{/googleAds} One of the biggest concerns patients have is the amount of pain they will have after knee replacement surgery. Although it is a very successful operation overall to relieve arthritis pain and restore function, persistent postoperative pain can be a problem for some patients. Researchers at HSS set out to determine which groups were at highest risk for increased postoperative pain based on demographic and surgical variables.

There is no question that pain after total knee replacement is greater than that after total hip replacement. Many factors play a role and our studies found that younger female patients, particularly those with post-traumatic or rheumatoid arthritis, had the highest pain scores says expert Thomas P Sculco.

Risk factors for severe postoperative pain at rest included having general anesthesia as opposed to an epidural or spinal block, longer tourniquet time , more blood loss, and having a large kneecap. Predictors for postoperative pain during activity included having a large kneecap, and techniques such as overstuffing of the patellofemoral joint (where the kneecap meets the thigh bone).