The study is a multidisciplinary trial testing an intervention delivered by physiotherapists. Up to 20% of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients continue to experience moderate/severe pain 12 months after TKA. While physical therapy (PT) and cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) have shown promise for improving outcomes, they have not been evaluated in combination or in patients at risk for chronic pain after TKA. This trial will evaluate PT+CBT combined, either as a substitute for or as a supplement to TKA for patients at risk for chronic pain after TKA.
Pilot/Feasibility study:
The study will include a feasibility/pilot study with 15 patients to be performed from November 2018. The intervention and study procedures may be modified based on results from the feasibility/pilot study.
Full scale Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT):
The full-scale RCT will include 282 patients scheduled for TKA. Patients will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: 1) non-surgical intervention (i.e., PT+CBT), 2) a combination of TKA with pre- and postoperative PT+CBT, or 3) A control group receiving TKA and usual care follow-up. Primary outcome: The Pain subscale from the KOOS. The intervention has the potential to improve outcomes for patients who currently obtain little benefit from standard TKA.
Cross-sectional observational study: Patients declining to participate in the RCT will be offered the option to participate in a separate cross-sectional study. The inclusion and exclusion criteria will be identical to the RCT. Patients who agree to participate in the cross-sectional study will complete the same baseline questionnaires as in the RCT and are asked about the reasons they did not want to participate in the RCT.