Patient-Reported Outcomes for Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty Commonly Used Instruments and Attributes of a Good Measure

Total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) are effective surgical interventions for relieving pain and improving physical function in patients with end-stage degenerative joint disease. Optimization of surgical outcomes requires selection of suitable patients, as well as postoperative evaluation utilizing appropriate patient-reported outcome measures. This article evaluates patient-reported outcomes frequently used for THA and TKA patients, including disease-specific (HOOS, HOOS-PS, KOOS, KOOS-PS, WOMAC), intervention-specific (Harris Hip Score, Oxford Hip Score, Oxford Knee Score), and generic instruments (EQ-5D, SF-12, SF-36), and provides a guide regarding their suitability for use in such patients based on their characteristics and psychometric properties.