The Impact of Mental Health on Total Joint Arthroplasty Outcomes.

Abstract

Total hip and knee arthroplasty surgery are among the most successful orthopedic surgical interventions. However, there remains a cohort of patients who are dissatisfied with the outcome of their surgery despite measurable improvement in functional outcomes. Validated patient outcome measurement systems have depicted that patient mental health may influence a patient's interpretation of surgical outcome despite improvement in functional capability. Furthermore, patients who suffer from poor mental health may have a higher likelihood of postoperative complication that result in large socioeconomic burden. The ability of a surgeon to utilize patient health questionnaires to screen for and identify patients with mental health issues is important.