Inter-individual differences in early post-operative pain, cognitions, and emotions after total hip arthroplasty: A longitudinal cohort study

ObjectiveTo identify (1) pre- to early post-operative changes in pain and related cognitions and emotions, (2) early post-operative pain trajectories and their covariates, and (3) predictors of early post-operative cognitions and emotions.DesignLongitudinal cohort study.SettingSecondary care setting at Hospital East-Limburg and the European Hip Center (Belgium).ParticipantsOne hundred thirty-three individuals with hip osteoarthritis undergoing total hip arthroplasty.InterventionData were collected before total hip arthroplasty and during the first post-operative week.Main measuresSociodemographic information, traumatic experiences, anxiety, depression, perceived injustice, fear-avoidance, self-efficacy, and pain-related variables were assessed. Statistical analyses included Friedman tests to evaluate pre- to post-operative changes in pain and related cognitions and emotions, Latent Class Growth Analysis and multinomial logistic regression to identify pain trajectories and their covariates, and Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator regression to identify predictors of early post-operative cognitions and emotions.ResultsFour early post-operative pain trajectories were identified. Two trajectories (36%, <i>n</i> = 48) demonstrated no reduction in pain intensity one week after surgery. Higher levels of self-efficacy (odds ratio = 0.83) and pre- to post-operative reductions in perceived injustice (odds ratio = 0.86) were associated with lower odds of being classified in the unremitting pain trajectory. Between 38% and 64% in the variance of early post-operative cognitions and emotions could be predicted. Pre-operative perceived injustice showed a positive association with fear-avoidance (ß = 1.96) and anxiety symptoms (ß = 0.80).ConclusionsInter-individual differences exist in early post-operative pain after total hip arthroplasty but are poorly associated with cognitions or emotions. Pre-operative perceived injustice may influence early post-operative cognitions and emotions.<b>Registration:</b> ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05265858 (https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05265858).