With one in five people experiencing ongoing pain long after knee replacement surgery, new research, led by the University of Bristol and North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT), has shown a way to help reduce people’s continuing pain that could also save the NHS time and money. 

Around 20,000 people who have knee replacement surgery to relieve their pain find that they have moderate to severe pain three months or longer after their operation, which impacts on their everyday lives. The study found the STAR care pathway (Support and Treatment After joint Replacement) reduces pain severity, the amount pain interferes with people’s lives and is cost-effective.  The new treatment could potentially save the NHS up to £14 million per year through reduced inpatient admissions. 

STAR care pathway:

• Three months after surgery patients attended an hour-long clinic, ran by specially trained health care professionals
• Detailed pain questionnaires were filled out and X-rays were taken as well as a blood test for infection. If needed patients were referred for further ongoing treatment
• Patients received up to six phone calls over the next 12 months, making sure they had their referral, and to check how they were doing 

Read the full University of Bristol press release

Paper: 'The STAR care pathway for patients with pain at three months after total knee replacement: a multicentre, pragmatic randomised controlled trial' by Vikki Wylde, Rachael Gooberman-Hill et al. in The Lancet Rheumatology