Structured Preoperative Patient Education and Postoperative Recovery After Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Prospective Controlled Longitudinal Study

Background/Objectives: Preoperative patient education (PPE) has been increasingly recognized as an important component of perioperative care in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA). This study aimed to evaluate the association between preoperative education and knowledge acquisition, functional outcomes, health-related quality of life, and anxiety levels following TKA. Methods: A prospective controlled longitudinal study included 120 patients undergoing primary TKA. Participants were allocated to an intervention group receiving structured preoperative education (n = 80) and a control group receiving standard perioperative care (n = 40). Outcomes were assessed preoperatively and at one and six months postoperatively using validated instruments, including WOMAC, KOOS, Lysholm score, RAND SF-36, and the Beck Anxiety Inventory. Knowledge levels were evaluated using a structured knowledge test. Between-group comparisons and correlation analyses were performed. Results: Patients in the intervention group demonstrated significantly higher knowledge scores following education. The intervention group demonstrated more favorable postoperative functional outcomes across follow-up assessments, reflected by lower WOMAC scores and higher KOOS and Lysholm scores. Significant improvements in health-related quality of life were observed across most RAND SF-36 domains. Anxiety levels decreased over time in both groups, with consistently lower scores observed in the intervention group. Significant correlations were identified between baseline knowledge levels and selected functional and quality-of-life outcomes. Conclusions: Structured preoperative patient education was associated with improved knowledge acquisition and more favorable postoperative functional and health-related quality-of-life outcomes following TKA. Anxiety scores decreased over time in both groups; however, anxiety-related findings should be interpreted with caution because baseline BAI scores differed between groups. These findings support the integration of structured patient education into routine perioperative care pathways for individuals undergoing total knee arthroplasty.