Patient-reported health status in total joint replacement.

A total of 176 consecutive patients undergoing either total hip or total knee arthroplasty were given SF-36 surveys at 4 time intervals: preoperatively and at 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year postoperatively. Transformed SF-36 scores were compared at the preoperative and 1-year time intervals between several demographic variables, including age, gender, number of sides replaced (unilateral vs bilateral procedure), and type of joint replacement surgery (knee or hip). Joint replacement surgery seemed to correct various self-reported health status differences that appeared preoperatively in demographic groups.