This study aimed to determine whether psychological factors affect health-related
quality of life (HRQL) and recovery of knee function in total knee replacement (TKR)
patients. A total of 119 TKR patients (male: 38; female: 81) completed the Beck
Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), State Trait Anxiety
Inventory (STAI), Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-revised (EPQR-S), Knee Society
Score (KSS), and HRQL (SF-36). At 1 and 6 months after surgery, anxiety, depression,
and KSS scores in TKR patients were significantly better compared with those
preoperatively (P<0.05). SF-36 scores at the sixth month after surgery were
significantly improved compared with preoperative scores (P<0.001). Preoperative
Physical Component Summary Scale (PCS) and Mental Component Summary Scale (MCS)
scores were negatively associated with extraversion (E score) (B=-0.986 and -0.967,
respectively, both P<0.05). Postoperative PCS and State Anxiety Inventory (SAI)
scores were negatively associated with neuroticism (N score; B=-0.137 and -0.991,
respectively, both P<0.05). Postoperative MCS, SAI, Trait Anxiety Inventory (TAI),
and BAI scores were also negatively associated with the N score (B=-0.367, -0.107,
-0.281, and -0.851, respectively, all P<0.05). The KSS function score at the sixth
month after surgery was negatively associated with TAI and N scores (B=-0.315 and
-0.532, respectively, both P<0.05), but positively associated with the E score
(B=0.215, P<0.05). The postoperative KSS joint score was positively associated
with postoperative PCS (B=0.356, P<0.05). In conclusion, for TKR patients, the
scores used for evaluating recovery of knee function and HRQL after 6 months are
inversely associated with the presence of negative emotions.