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Objective: To quantify changes in knee pain and walking speed following primary, unilateral total knee arthroplasty (TKA) for knee osteoarthritis, and to examine their relationship during recovery. Walking speed is a key indicator of functional recovery and long-term health, but whether pain relief translates into improved mobility remains unclear. Design: A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. PubMed was searched to September 2025 for studies reporting pre- and post-TKA values of knee pain (WOMAC-pain or KOOS-pain) and self-selected walking speed in adults undergoing primary, unilateral TKA. Pooled changes were calculated using inverse-variance weighted random-effects models. Meta-regression explored associations between pain and walking speed, adjusting for covariates. Results: = 0.48, p < 0.001). Conclusions: TKA yields substantial pain relief and improved walking speeds by 3-12 months. However, mobility gains are not sustained beyond one year and are influenced by pain. Postoperative care should support both symptoms and mobility to improve long-term outcomes.
Faber et al. (Fri,) studied this question.