Postoperative education for patients after hip/knee arthroplasty: a systematic review with meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Leonardo Piano, Chiara Brossa, Leandro Francesco Gioia and 3 others
PMID 41409414WHAT IT FOUND
Postoperative education after hip or knee replacement showed no meaningful benefit over usual care for pain, function, or quality of life.
It may slightly reduce anxiety and depression, but evidence is low certainty. Do not rely on it alone to improve physical recovery.
Key findings
01Patient education showed little to no difference compared to usual care for medium-term pain intensity.
02The evidence regarding the effect of patient education on short-term physical function is very uncertain.
03Patient education likely reduces short-term and medium-term anxiety and depression slightly.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
Most included trials had a high risk of bias. Sample sizes were small, and the total number of participants analyzed was under 500. The content, intensity, and duration of the educational interventions were poorly reported across studies. Most education was delivered via apps or videos, which may not reflect the tailored, interactive education often provided in clinical practice. No trials reported long-term follow-up data.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest, and the research did not receive specific funding from public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that postoperative education is ineffective because the primary physical outcomes were null. The evidence for psychosocial benefits like reduced anxiety and depression is distinct, though low certainty. Furthermore, do not generalize these findings to preoperative education, which was excluded from this review.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →