This thesis set out to explore the influence of patient factors that may be associated with outcome after total knee replacement for osteoarthritis. It starts with an introduction to the general subject, looking in detail at the methods for measuring the outcome of total knee replacement and also methods of measuring the status of various possible patient factors. This is followed by a systematic review of the evidence currently available on the influence of patient factors on the outcome of total knee replacement. This systematic review highlights a number of deficiencies in the available evidence. The next logical step was to perform an appropriate study to provide better quality evidence. However, there were six areas of uncertainty that presented significant difficulty when designing such a study. These areas of uncertainty became the focus of this thesis and were explored in detail. Through a process of experimentation and careful evaluation of the results these uncertainties were resolved. This thesis has provided the critical information required to design and conduct a multicentre study that would define which patient factors are important in determining outcome for total knee replacement for osteoarthritis.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:524375 |
| Date | January 2008 |
| Creators | Dunbar, Mark Robert |
| Publisher | University of Warwick |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/2269/ |
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