The impact of educational level on rehabilitation outcomes after total knee arthroplasty in patients with knee osteoarthritis: A retrospective study

To investigate the influence of educational level on rehabilitation outcomes after TKA in patients with KOA, providing clinical evidence for developing personalized rehabilitation programs. Clinical data of 187 KOA patients who underwent primary unilateral TKA in our hospital from January 2019 to January 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into low education level group (n=63), medium education level group (n=62), and high education level group (n=62) based on their educational background. The AKS score, ROM, TUG test, VAS, SF-36, and rehabilitation compliance were compared among the three groups at baseline and 6 months post-surgery. No significant differences were found in baseline characteristics among the three groups (all P>0.05). T-test analysis showed significant improvements in AKS scores, ROM, TUG test times, VAS scores, and SF-36 scores at 6 months post-surgery compared to pre-surgery in all groups (all P<0.001). One-way ANOVA showed statistically significant differences among the three groups in AKS scores, ROM, TUG test times, VAS scores, SF-36 scores, and rehabilitation compliance scores at 6 months post-surgery (all P<0.001). Further pairwise comparisons showed that the medium education level group performed better than the low education level group in all indicators (all P<0.001), and the high education level group outperformed the medium education level group (all P<0.001). Educational level is a significant factor affecting post-TKA rehabilitation outcomes. Patients with higher educational levels demonstrate better functional recovery, pain relief, quality of life improvement, and rehabilitation compliance. Personalized rehabilitation programs should be developed based on patients' educational levels.