Exploring Experiences, Satisfaction, and Quality of Life with Physiotherapy One Month after Total Knee Arthroplasty in Low- and Middleincome Countries: A Qualitative Study

Introduction: Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) has been a widely practiced procedure, with its popularity steadily growing globally, particularly in India. TKA is primarily performed for osteoarthritis, which affects millions in India.Research highlights the role of physiotherapy rehabilitation in improving pain, range of motion, and daily function post-TKA, yet limited studies have explored patients' satisfaction and perspectives during rehabilitation. This qualitative phenomenological study addresses this gap by examining the lived experiences, satisfaction levels, and quality of life of patients undergoing physiotherapy rehabilitation post TKA. Aim: To explore the patients' perspective about the satisfaction and experiences post rehabilitation and to also explore the factors influencing quality of life with physiotherapy after 1st month of TKA. Materials and Methods: Six participants participated in semistructured face-to-face interviews. The participants are recruited using criterion-based purposive sampling. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. Familiarisation with the data, generating initial codes, constructing themes, reviewing and refining themes, defining and naming themes and writing the report stages of Braun and Clarke,2024 reflexive deductive- inductive thematic analysis were performed using NVivo 15. Credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability were also ensured. Results: Age ranging from 45 to 60 years, predominantly female,mostly upper middle class socioeconomic status who had undergone TKA were interviewed which lasted for about 15 min one month after their surgery. Four main themes with 12 subthemes emerged influencing quality of life: (i) Pain and the recovery experience; (ii) Functional abilities and limitations; (iii) Satisfaction with recovery and Physiotherapy; and (iv) Psychological impacts and emotional aspects. Conclusion: The study reveals reduction in pain, mobility enhancement over time, satisfaction and quality of life.